Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)

References

Comments
¹ – pUrNuni – In this regard, please refer to following ISAvasyOpanishad verse -

OM pUrNamadaH pUrNamidaM pUrNAt pUrNamudacyatE |
pUrNasya pUrNamAdAya pUrNamEva avaSishyatE ||

“OM. That (Brahman) is infinite, and This (universe) is infinite. This infinite proceeds from That infinite. Taking the infinitude of This inifinte (universe) That infinite remains same (Brahman) alone.”

Refer to Essay on ISAvasyOpanishad
Top

² - AtmArAmuni – The dictionary meaning of ‘AtmArAma’ is ‘rejoicing in one’s Self or in the Supreme Spirit'. For this purpose, the word is to be split as ‘AtmA + ArAma’.
However, from the context and taking into consideration the comparision of people looking for Lord rAma at ayOdhyA, in my humble opinion, this word is to be split as ‘AtmA (Atman) + rAma’ – meaning ‘the Lord rAma (paramAtmA) effulgent as Individual Self (AtmA –Atman).
In this regard, the 'AtmArAma' verse in SrImad bhAgavataM, Book 1, Chapter 7 is relevant -

AtmArAmAsca munayO nirgranthA apyurukramE |
kurvantyahaitukIM bhaktimitthambhUtaguNO hariH || 10 ||

“As far as the word ātmārāma is concerned, the Lord (Caitanya) explained that the word ātmā is used to indicate: (1) the Supreme Absolute Truth, (2) the body, (3) the mind, (4) endeavor, (5) conviction, (6) intelligence, and (7) nature. The word ārāma means enjoyer; therefore anyone who takes pleasure in the cultivation of the knowledge of these seven items is known as ātmārāma.”
Definition of AtmArAma and Exhaustive Meanings of 'AtmArAma'

The following verses from SrImad bhagavad gItA, are also relavant -

yO(a)ntaHsukhO(a)ntarArAmastathA(a)ntarjyOtirEva yaH ||
sa yOgI brahmanirvANaM brahmabhUtO(a)dhigacchati || V. 24 ||

ahamAtmA guDAkESa sarvabhUtASayastithaH |
ahamAdiSca madhyaM ca bhUtAnAmanta Eva ca || X. 20 ||

“Whose happiness is within, whose relaxation is within, whose light is within, that Yogi alone, becoming Brahman, gains absolute freedom. (Within – In the Self).”

“I am the Self, O guDAkESa, existent in the heart of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and also the end of all beings.” (Translation Swami Swarupananda)
Top

³ – aTTE – Here the motionless posture of body and eyes in meditation is meant – literally ‘thus’

⁴ – kannulu kUrci teraci – meditation as prescribed in yOga SAstras – focusing both the eyes at the centre and concentrating at the middle of eye-brows with eyes half-closed.

⁵ – vEsha dhArulai – pogaDedaru – Please refer to kRti ‘Emi jEsitE’ – rAga tODi wherein SrI tyAgarAja criticises the phoney gurus –

guruvu tAnaitEnEmi ....
vara mantramanyulakupadEsincitEnEmi
vara tyAgarAja nutuni daya lEni vAru ....

"What is the use whether one becomes a preceptor and whether one initiates others in sacred syllables, unless one has the grace of the Lord SrI rAma...."
Top

⁶ – puTTu cAvu lEni tAvu – Place where there is no birth or death. In this regard, the following verse of SrImad-bhagavad-gItA, Chapter 13 is relevant –

ya EvaM vEtti purushaM prakRtiM ca guNaiH saha |
sarvathA vartamAnO(a)pi na sa bhUyO(a)bhijAyatE || 23 ||

“He who thus knows the purusha and prakRti togethers with guNas, whatever his life, is not born again.”
Whatever his life, etc – Whether he be engaged in prescribed or forbidden acts, he is not born again. For the acts, the seeds of re-birth, of a knower of Truth are burnt by the fire of knowledge, and thus cannot be effective causes to bring about births. In his case they are mere semblances of karma; a burnt cloth, for instance, cannot serve the purposes of a cloth.
(Translation and Notes – Swami Swarupananda)

Also refer to kRti ‘entani nE’ – rAga mukhAri, wherein SrI tyAgarAja extols Sabari as having reached the place from where there is no return (punarAvRtti rahita padamunu pondina). The grace conferred on Sabari is considered as an exceptional grace of the Lord on a person who is otherwise not qualified for emancipation by the generally applied yardsticks.

Also refer to kRti ‘kOTi nadulu’ – rAga tOdi wherein SrI tyAgarAja tells his mind about the futility of pilgrimages etc when the Lord is to be found inside (kOTi nadulu dhanushkOTilOnuNDaga ETiki tirigedavE O manasA).

Please also refer to kaThOpanishad - verse - 'parAnci khAni' (II.i.1) as to why we always look outward and not inward
Top

⁷ – tyAgarAja vinutuni – this can be joined to 'pogaDedaru' or to the pallavi. Joining to the pallavi seems to be more appropriate.

General – In the kRti, SrI tyAgarAja subtly brings out the purport of the famous verse of bhajanAvaLi; we may substitute 'ayOdhyA' for 'vaikuNTha' -

nAhaM vasAmi vaikunThe na yOgi hRdaye ravau |
madbhakta: yatra gAyanti tatra tishThami nArada ||

"O nArada! Neither I live vaikunTha nor in the hearts of yOgi. I am indeed there where my bhaktas are singing (my praises)."
Top