pallavi
kAs(i)ccEdE gopp(A)yenurA kalilO rAjulaku
anupallavi
1hari dAsulu sEvimpar(a)nucu prabhuvulu
daya mAniri param(e)ncaka pOyiri (kAsu)
caraNam
2rAjAngamu koraku nAlgu jAtula rakshaNa para sukhamO
rAjasulai san-mArgam(e)rugaka parAku sEya ghanamO
Ajanmamu kolicE vipra varulak(A)nandamu galadO tyAga-
rAja vinuta nI mAya kAni nIraja nayana sujan(A)gha vimOcana (kAsu)
pallavi
kAsu-iccEdE goppa-AyenurA kalilO rAjulaku
In the kali yuga (kalilO), rewarding – giving (iccEdE) money (kAsu) (kAsiccEdE) – has become (AyenurA) (literally has become) great (goppa) (goppAyenurA) for the Kings (rAjulaku).
anupallavi
hari dAsulu sEvimparu-anucu prabhuvulu
daya mAniri paramu-encaka pOyiri (kAsu)
The Kings (prabhuvulu) (literally lords) have abandoned (mAniri) compassion (daya) because (anucu) Lord hari’s devotees (dAsulu) would not salute (sEvamparu) (sEvimparanucu) them.
They failed to consider (encaka pOyiri) about the future World (paramu) (paramencaka);
in the Kali Yuga, rewarding has become great for the Kings.
caraNam
rAjAngamu koraku nAlgu jAtula rakshaNa para sukhamO
rAjasulai san-mArgamu-erugaka parAku sEya ghanamO
Ajanmamu kolicE vipra varulaku-Anandamu galadO tyAgarAja
vinuta nI mAya kAni nIraja nayana sujana-agha vimOcana (kAsu)
Will protection (rakshaNa) of the four (nAlgu) castes (jAtula) for the sake of (koraku) government (rAjAngamu) bring comfort (sukhamO) of future World (para)?
Is it worthy (ghanamO) of the Kings to be unconcerned (parAku sEya) by being desires-driven (rAjasulai) instead of knowing (erugaka) path conducive to their real welfare (san-mArgamu) (sanmArgamerugaka)?
Is true happiness (Anandamu) attainable (galadO) by those great (varulaku) brAhmins (or learned people) (vipra) (varulakAnandamu) who serve (kolicE) (the Kings and rich) throughout their lives (Ajanmamu)?
O Lord praised (vinuta) by this tyAgarAja! O Lotus (nIraja) Eyed (nayana)! O Reliever (vimOcana) (literally redeems) of sins (agha) of virtuous people (sujana) (sujanAgha)! These are only (kani) Your (nI) mAyA (mAya)!
In the Kali Yuga, rewarding has become great for the Kings.
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
References
2 - rAjAngamu koraku nAlgu jAtula rakshaNa para sukhamO – does protection of four castes for the sake of Government bestow supreme comfort? The following quote from Manu (rAja dharma) is relevant –
"... Let him therefore make his subject happy as he would his own children, and let the people regard the king, his ministers and other officials as their natural protectors, since it is a fact that the farmers and other wealth producers are the real source of kingly power. The king is their guardian. If there were no subjects whose king would he be? Or on the other hand if there were no king whose subjects will they be called? Let both-the rulers and the ruled-be independent of each other in the performance of their respective duties, but let them subordinate themselves to each other in all those matters that require mutual harmony and co-operation. Let not the rulers go against the voice of the people, nor let the people and ministers do anything against the wish of the sovereign....".
In regard to State-craft, please also refer to SrImad vAlmIki rAmAyaNa, ayOdhyA kANDa, Chapter 100, wherein SrI rAma treats the subject in-extenso.
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Comments
1 – hari – this word is given in brackets in some books.
General – The statements contained in the Kriti have been given different meanings in the books.
General - Reading the contents of pallavi and anupallavi together, SrI tyAgarAja seems to imply that the Kings indulge in rewarding instead of having compassion (daya) towards his subjects as a matter of duty. This is further substantiated by the statement 'haridAsulu sEvimparani prabhuvulu daya mAniri' - the kings do not have compassion (daya mAniri) towards Lord’s devotees because they (devotees) do not extol them (kings). Therefore, SrI tyAgarAja seems to deprecate rewards (kAsiccEdi) which is indeed ‘quid-pro-quo’. SrI tyAgarAja expects compassion (daya) from kings towards their subjects.
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