pallavi
idi samayamurA ina kula tilaka
anupallavi
1vidaLita kali durmada gaja gamana
2modaTa palkinadi nijamuga jEya (idi)
caraNam
3kali purushuDu nATakamunu kaTTa
talacinADu SrI tyAgarAja nuta
4khala matamul(a)nE yAgamulaku
mEkaluga narula 5jEsi nI daya jUDa (idi)
pallavi
idi samayamurA ina kula tilaka
Now (idi) is the time (samayamurA) (to fulfill Your promise); O Pride (tilaka) (literally auspicious mark on forehead) of Solar (ina) dynasty (kula)!
anupallavi
vidaLita kali durmada gaja gamana
modaTa palkinadi nijamuga jEya (idi)
O Lord who rent asunder (vidaLita) the arrogance (dur-mada) of kali purusha! O Lord with elephant-like (gaja) gait (gamana)!
Now is the time to fulfill (nijamuga jEya) (literally make true) what you said (palkinadi) earlier (modaTa); O Pride of Solar dynasty!
caraNam
kali purushuDu nATakamunu kaTTa
talacinADu SrI tyAgarAja nuta
khala matamulu-anE yAgamulaku
mEkaluga narula jEsi nI daya jUDa (idi)
kali purusha (purushuDu) is contemplating (talacinADu) to enact a drama (nATakamunu kaTTa) by making (jEsi) men (narula) as (sacrificial) goats (mEkaluga) for the sacrificial oblations (yAgamulaku) called (anE) base (khala) sects (matamulu) (matamulanE);
O Lord (SrI) praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! Now is the time to show (jUDa) Your (nI) mercy (daya); O Pride of Solar dynasty!
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
5 – jEsi nI – jEsunE. As the words ‘jEsi nI’ are appropriate in the context, the same has been adopted.
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References
1 - vidaLita kali durmada – In this regard the following verses of SrImad- bhAgavataM – Book One – Chapter 17 are relevant –
abhy-arthitas-tadA tasmai sthAnAni kalayE dadau |
dyUtaM pAnaM striyaH sUnA yatrAdharmaS-catur-vidhaH ||
punaS-ca yAcamAnAya jAtarUpam-adAt-prabhuH |
tatO-(a)nRtaM madaM kAmaM rajO vairaM ca pancamaM ||
amUni panca sthAnAni hy-adharma prabhavaH kaliH |
auttarEyENa dattAni nyavasat tan-nidESa-kRt ||
athaitAni na sEvatE babhUshuH purushaH kvacit |
viSEshatO dharma-SIlO rAjA lOka-patir-guruH || 38 – 41 ||
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“Thus entreated by kali, the King (parIkshit) then allocated to him the following (four) places – dice, wine, women, and shambles – the hotbeds of four vices (falsehood, intoxication, passion and cruelty).
On kali asking for more abodes, the mighty King assigned him gold (as the fifth abode). Thus he allotted to him falsehood, intoxication, passion and slaughter with animosity as the fifth.
In obedience to the King’s command, kali the progenitor of unrighteousness, occupied these five abodes assigned by parIkshit.
Hence a man seeking blessedness, especially a pious monarch, a leader of the people and a religious preceptor should never resort to these.”
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2 - modaTa palkinadi – When read in conjunction with ‘kali purusha’, SrI tyAgarAja probably refers to the statement of Lord kRshNa in SrImad- bhagavad-gItA, Chapter 4 –
yadA yadA hi dharmasya glAnir-bhavati bhArata |
abhyutthAnam-adharmasya tadAtmaAnaM sRjAmy-ahaM ||
paritrANAya sAdhUnAM vinASAya ca dush-kRtAM |
dharma-saMsthApanArthAya saMbhavAmi yugE yugE || (7, 8 )||
“Whenever, O Descendent of Bharata, there is decline of dharma, and rise of adharma, then I body Myself forth.
For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of dharma, I come into being in every age.” (Translation by Swami Swarupananda)
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Comments
3 – kali purusha – Personification of kali yuga.
4 – khala matamulanE yAgamulaku – When read in conjunction with anupallavi where ‘kali purusha’ is mentioned, SrI tyAgarAja means the pursuit of such activities which lead to the abodes of kali purusha (dice, wine, women, and shambles and gold - falsehood, intoxication, passion, cruelty and animosity) as stated above.
But, in many kRtis, SrI tyAgarAja uses the word ‘mata’ to mean all such practices other than bhakti – particularly the path of vEdic karma performed in pursuit of Worldly enjoyments.
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