Tyagaraja Kriti

Meaning - Gist

(gOpis – to one another)
Friends! What shall we do for this? What terrible words did kRshNa utter!
Should He dispute so much just because we are women? Isn’t our honour, life for us?

(kRshNa) O Damsels! What will happen by your whispering to each other? We can reach home if only we are alive.

(gOpis) O kRshNA! Is it befitting for anyone to speak craftily towards women?

(kRshNa) This is not the time to be obstinate; this is nothing but suicide (to allow water to rush inside the boat through the fissure).

(gOpis) O kRshNA! Is it possible for us to stand naked? Will it bring fame to You among people?

(kRshNa) It seems that You won’t reach me shore quickly by listening to my suggestion (to plug the fissure with your clothes).

(gOpis – among themselves) Is it because of some sins committed by us, girls or is it destined this way?

(kRshNa) Love can’t be got even for a price; therefore the girls shall not be believed in future.

(gOpis) O Prince! You should not think like this; O Lord praised by tyAgarAja! We have abundant love towards You.

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
induku-Emi sEtumu-amma
kRshNuDu-enta mATalu-ADenu-amma

(gOpis – to one another) Friends (amma)! What (Emi) shall we do (sEtumu) (sEtumamma) for this (induku) (indukEmi)? What terrible (enta) words (mATalu) did kRshNa (kRshNuDu) (kRshNuDenta) utter (ADenu) (mATalADenamma)!

anupallavi
maguvalu-aNTE inta vAdA mAku
mAnamE prANamu kAdA (indu)

(gOpis) Should He dispute (vAdA) so much (inta) just because (aNTE) we are women (maguvalu) (maguvalaNTE)? Isn’t (kAdA) our honour (mAnamE) life (prANamu) for us (mAku)?

caraNam
caraNam 1
gusa-gusalu-andu-Emi vaccu celula
usuru-uNTE Uru pOvaccu (indu)

(kRshNa) O Damsels (celula)! What (Emi) will happen (vaccu) (literally come) by (andu) (literally in) your whispering (gusa-gusalu) (gusagusalandEmi) to each other? We can reach (pOvaccu) home (Uru) (literally village) if only we are alive (usuru uNTE) (usuruNTE).

caraNam 2
vanitala kani-evarikaina kRshNA
vancanagA palka tagunA (indu)

(gOpis) O kRshNA! Is it befitting (tagunA) for anyone (evarikaina) to speak (palka) craftily (vancanagA) towards (kani) (literally looking) (kaniyevarikaina) women (vanitala)?

caraNam 3
haThamu sEya vELa kAdu Atma
hatya kAni vEre lEdu (indu)

(kRshNa) This is not (kAdu) the time (vELa) to be obstinate (haThamu sEya); this is nothing but (kAni vEre lEdu) suicide (Atma hatya) (to allow water to rush inside the boat through the fissure).

caraNam 4
nagnamugA nilva vaSamA kRshNA
nalugurilO nIku yaSamA (indu)

(gOpis) O kRshNA! Is it possible (vaSamA) for us to stand (nilva) naked (nagnamugA)? Will it bring fame (yaSamA) to You (nIku) among people (nalugurilO) (litally four people)?

caraNam 5
nA mATalu 4vini mIru vEga
nanu gaTTu jErca pOnIru (indu)

(kRshNa) It seems that You (mIru) won’t (pOnIru) reach (jErca) me (nanu) shore (gaTTu) quickly (vEga) by listening (vini) to my (nA) suggestion (mATalu) (literally words) (to plug the fissure with your clothes).

caraNam 6
lalanala pApamulO-EmO
IlAgu vrAtalu-uNDenO-EmO (indu)

(gOpis – among themselves) Is it because (EmO) of some sins committed (pApamulu) by us, girls (lalanala) or is it (EmO) (pApamulEmO) destined (vrAtalu uNDenO) (vrAtaluNDenEmO) this way (IlAgu)?

caraNam 7
velaku tIsina valapu rAdu kAna
veladula-ika namma rAdu (indu)

(kRshNa) Love (valapu) can’t be got (rAdu) even for a price (velaku tIsina); therefore (kAna) the girls (veladula) shall not (rAdu) be believed (namma) in future (ika) (veladulayika).

caraNam 8
rAjanya iTu-enca valadu tyAgarAja
vinuta prEma kaladu (indu)

(gOpis) O Prince (rAjanya)! You should not (valadu) think (enca) like this (iTu) (iTuyenca); O Lord praised (vinuta) by tyAgarAja! We have (kaladu) abundant love (prEma) towards You.

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
¹ - kRshNuDenta – kRshNuDentO : 'kRshNuDenta’ seems to be appropriate word.

In some books, anu-pallavi is given as first caraNa.

² – celula usuruNTE – celuvAru usuruNTE – ippuDusuruNDE : 'celula usuruNTE’ seems to be appropriate.

³ – evarikaina – evvaraina : 'evarikaina’ seems to be appropriate.

⁴ – vini mIru vEga – vini mIru vEga celulAra.
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References

Comments
This kRti forms part of dance-drama ‘nauka caritraM’ – The Boat Story.

Background - The gOpis meet kRshNa at the yamunA river and travel in a boat happily. In their excitement of meeting kRshNa, gOpis become proud thinking that kRshNa is their property. In order to remove their proud, kRshNa creates a storm in the river and as the boat is tossed about, it develops a crack and water starts entering the boat. kRshNa feigns illness and the gOpis become desperate as to how they would reach the shore and ensure safety of kRshNa. In order to save the boat, listening to the words of kRshNa, they take off their blouses to plug the hole. But, as these also were washed off, kRshNa asks them to remove all their clothes to plug the hole in the boat. Now, this song as a dialogue between gOpis and kRshNa.
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indukEmi - rAga varALi