Transliteration Scheme

intakanna telpa - rAga sAvEri

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
intakanna telpa taramA jagad-
ISvara nE nIk(i)taramA 1nItO (inta)

caraNam
caraNam 1
nITi lOni 2rAjIvamurA rAma
ninnu nammi bratuku 3jIvamurA (inta)


caraNam 2
nIvE tanak(i)ha paramu rAma
ninnu nammina kApuramu (inta)
caraNam 3
ghanamunu kOru 4cAtakamu rIti
kAciti tana hRt-pAtakamu (inta)
caraNam 4
rajan(I)Su jUcu kumudamu rIti
rAjillu ninu jUDa mudamu (inta)
caraNam 5
nI 5karuNE 6rAja yOgamu mAku
7nI mayamE rAja bhOgamu (inta)
caraNam 6
rAghava Subha kara 8mUrti
tyAgarAju nIvAD(a)ni 8kIrti (inta)


Meaning - Gist


Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
intakanna telpa taramA jagad-
ISvara nE nIku-itaramA nItO (inta)

Is it possible (taramA) to tell (telpa) You (nItO) more than this (intakanna), O Lord (ISvara) of the Universe (jagat) (jagadISvara)? Am (nE) I alien (itaramA) to You (nIku) (nIkitaramA)?


caraNam
caraNam 1
nITi lOni rAjIvamurA rAma
ninnu nammi bratuku jIvamurA (inta)

O Lord rAma! Like a fish (rAjivamu) (rAjIvamurA) living only in water (nITi lOni), this jIva (jIvamurA) survives (bratuku) trusting (nammi) You (ninnu).
Is it possible to tell You more than this, O Lord of the Universe? Am I alien to You?


caraNam 2
nIvE tanaku-iha paramu rAma
ninnu nammina kApuramu (inta)

O Lord rAma! You alone (nIvE) are my (tanaku) (happiness) here (in this World) (iha) (tanakiha) and hereafter (in the future World) (paramu); this family (kApuramu) relies (nammina) on You (ninnu).
Is it possible to tell You more than this, O Lord of the Universe? Am I alien to You?
caraNam 3
ghanamunu kOru cAtakamu rIti
kAciti tana hRt-pAtakamu (inta)

Like (rIti) the cAtaka bird (cAtakamu) yearning (kOru) for rain-cloud (ghanamunu), I am waiting (kAciti) for Your (tana) heart (hRt) to relent (pAtakamu) (literally fall).
Is it possible to tell You more than this, O Lord of the Universe? Am I alien to You?
caraNam 4
rajanI-ISu jUcu kumudamu rIti
rAjillu ninu jUDa mudamu (inta)

Like (rIti) the white Lily (kumudamu) looking forward (jUcu) for the moon – the Lord (ISa) of night (rajanI) (rajanISu) (for blossoming), it is delightful (mudamu) to behold (jUDa) You (ninu) – the effulgent One (rAjillu).
Is it possible to tell You more than this, O Lord of the Universe? Am I alien to You?
caraNam 5
nI karuNE rAja yOgamu mAku
nI mayamE rAja bhOgamu (inta)

Your (nI) grace indeed (karuNE) is a great windfall (rAja yOgamu) for us (mAku); to be absorbed (mayamE) in You (nI) is, indeed, a regal (rAja) enjoyment (bhOgamu);
Is it possible to tell You more than this, O Lord of the Universe? Am I alien to You?
caraNam 6
rAghava Subha kara mUrti
tyAgarAju nIvADu-ani kIrti (inta)

O Lord rAghava! O Auspiciousness (Subha) causing (kara) Form (mUrti)! This tyAgarAja (tyAgarAju) is reputed (kIrti) as (ani) belonging to You (nIvADu) (nIvADani);
Is it possible to tell You more than this, O Lord of the Universe? Am I alien to You?


Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
1nItO – nAtO. In the present context, ‘nAtO’ does not seem to be appropriate. Therefore, ‘nItO’ has been adopted.

5karuNE – karuNa. In view of ‘mayamE’ appearing in second line of this caraNa (see note below), ‘karuNE’ has been accepted.

7 - mayamE – mAyamE. As ‘mayamE’ seems to appropriate, the same has been adopted.

8mUrti – kIrti : mUrtE - kIrtE. As ‘mUrti’ and ‘kIrti’ are appropriate, the same have been adopted.
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References
4 - cAtaka – bird Cucculus melanoleucus – said to subsist on rain drops.

6 - rAja yOgamu – A configuration of the planets, denoting the highest prosperity and honor to one born under its influence – (Source - Tamil Dictionary). A constellation under which princes are born or a configuration of planets etc at birth denoting a person destined for kingship – (Source – Monier’s Sanskrit Dictionary). Generally, one of the astrological predictions when the person is destined to receive a windfall. For more information on – rAja yOga
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Comments
2 - rAjIvamu – Means 'blue Lotus Flower'- and 'a species of fish – Cyprinus niloticus'; looking at other similes used by SrI tyAgarAja in the subsequent caraNas , to my understanding, this word should be translated as ‘fish’ and not ‘lotus’ because, it is the fish – and not Lotus - which will die the moment it is out of water. Though lotus may also wither away after some time, ‘fish’ seems to be more appropriate.

3 - jIvamurA – means ‘person’ and not life – in the same way as jIvAtmA.

7nI mayamE – tanmayata – absorption in the object.
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