Transliteration Scheme

kRshNA mAkEmi - rAga punnAgavarALi

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
kRshNA mAk(E)mi dOva palku
kIrti kalgunu 1dEva dEva bAla (kRshNA)

caraNam
caraNam 1
sarige ravikal(e)lla pOye verri
2caliki mEnul(O)rvanAye 3bAla (kRshNA)

caraNam 2
sarivArilO siggu pOye nIru
jAnulapai tAkanAye 3bAla (kRshNA)
caraNam 3
sarvamu nEn(a)nukonna nIdu
sAmarthyamu jUpu cinna 3bAla (kRshNA)
caraNam 4
bAya lEni mammu nIvu(y)E
upAyamaina telpi brOvu 3bAla (kRshNA)
caraNam 5
mAtO cEraga(y)inta bAdha kalge
maratumA(y)ika prANa nAtha 3bAla (kRshNA)
caraNam 6
induk(a)nucu 4talli sAkenO lEka-
(y)E pApula kaNDlu tAkenO 3bAla (kRshNA)
caraNam 7
rAk(E)ndu mukha daya rAdA tyAga-
rAj(A)rcita brOva rAdA 3bAla (kRshNA)

Meaning - Gist

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
kRshNA mAku-Emi dOva palku
kIrti kalgunu dEva dEva bAla (kRshNA)

O bAla kRshNA (literally child kRshNA)! Please tell (palku), what (Emi) is the way out (dOva) for us (mAku) (mAkEmi)? You will attain (kalgunu) renown (kIrti), O Lord (dEva) of celestials (dEva)!

caraNam
caraNam 1
sarige ravikalu-ella pOye verri
caliki mEnulu-OrvanAye bAla (kRshNA)

All (ella) our gold-threaded (sarige) blouses (ravikalu) (ravikalella) are lost (pOye); our bodies (mEnulu) had to endure (OrvanAye) (mEnulOrvanAye) this terrible (verri) (literally mad) cold (caliki);
O bAla kRshNA! Please tell, what is the way out for us? You will attain renown, O Lord of celestials!

caraNam 2
sarivArilO siggu pOye nIru
jAnulapai tAkanAye bAla (kRshNA)

Our modesty (siggu) amongst our peers (sarivArilO) is lost (pOye); water (nIru) is touching (tAkanAye) above our knees (jAnulapai);
O bAla kRshNA! Please tell, what is the way out for us? You will attain renown, O Lord of celestials!
caraNam 3
sarvamu nEnu-anukonna nIdu
sAmarthyamu jUpu cinna bAla (kRshNA)

You, who boasted (anukonna) (literally assumed) that ‘I (nEnu) (nEnanukonna) am everything (sarvamu)’, now show (jUpu) Your (nIdu) skill (sAmarthyamu);
O Little (cinna) bAla kRshNA! Please tell, what is the way out for us? You will attain renown, O Lord of celestials!
caraNam 4
bAya lEni mammu nIvu-E
upAyamaina telpi brOvu bAla (kRshNA)

You (nIvu) please protect (brOvu) us (mammu) - who would not (lEni) be separated (bAya) from You – by suggesting (telpi) (literally telling) any method whatsoever (E upAyamaina) (nIvuyE);
O bAla kRshNA! Please tell, what is the way out for us? You will attain renown, O Lord of celestials!
caraNam 5
mAtO cEraga-inta bAdha kalge
maratumA-ika prANa nAtha bAla (kRshNA)

This much (inta) of problems (badha) arose (kalgE) (to You) because You joined (cEraga) (cEragayinta) with us (mAtO); how can we ever (ika) forget (maratumA) (maratumAyika)?
O Beloved (prANa nAtha) (literally Master of life breath) bAla kRshNA! Please tell, what is the way out for us? You will attain renown, O Lord of celestials!
caraNam 6
induku-anucu talli sAkenO lEka-
E pApula kaNDlu tAkenO bAla (kRshNA)

Did our mother(s) (talli) rear (sAkenO) us for (anucu) this purpose (induku) (indukanucu)? or (lEka) has some (E) (lEkayE) evil spell (pApula kaNDlu) (literally spell of sinners) been cast (tAkenO) (on us)?
O bAla kRshNA! Please tell, what is the way out for us? You will attain renown, O Lord of celestials!
caraNam 7
rAkA-indu mukha daya rAdA tyAga-
rAja-arcita brOva rAdA bAla (kRshNA)

O Full (rAka) Moon (indu) (rAkEndu) Faced (mukha)! Won’t You have (rAdA) mercy (daya)? O Lord worshipped (arcita) by tyAgarAja (tyAgarAjArcita)! Won’t (rAdA) You save (brOva) us?
O bAla kRshNA! Please tell, what is the way out for us? You will attain renown, O Lord of celestials!

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
1 – dEva dEva – E dEva.

2 – caliki mEnulOrvanAye – kaliki mEnulOrvAye - caliki mEmOrvanAye : As the meaning derived in books is 'our body can no longer suffer this biting cold', ‘caliki mEnulOrvanAye’ seems to be appropriate and has accordingly been adopted.

3 – bAla – SrI.
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References

Comments
4 - talli sAkenO – Did the mother rear...? In one book, 'talli' (mother) has been attributed to the Mother of kRshNa; in some other, this has been attributed to mothers of gOpis. In the present context, 'mothers of gOpis' seems to be more appropriate. It has, accordingly, been translated.
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This is part of the 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 proudiness, 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 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, these were also washed off. Now, this song.
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