pallavi
nidhi cAla sukhamA rAmuni
sannidhi sEva sukhamA 1nijamuga palku manasA
anupallavi
dadhi navanIta kshIramulu 2ruciyO
dASarathi dhyAna bhajana sudhA rasamu 2ruciyO (nidhi)
caraNam
3dama Samam(a)nu gangA snAnamu sukhamA
kardama dur-vishaya kUpa snAnamu sukhamA
4mamata bandhana yuta nara stuti sukhamA
5su-mati tyAgarAja nutuni kIrtana sukhamA (nidhi)
pallavi
nidhi cAla sukhamA rAmuni
sannidhi sEva sukhamA nijamuga palku manasA
O My Mind (manasA)! Tell me (palku) truthfully (nijamuga) whether wealth (nidhi) is very (cAla) comforting (sukhamA) or the service (sEva) in the holy presence (sannidhi) of Lord SrI rAma (rAmuni) comforting (sukhamA)?
anupallavi
dadhi navanIta kshIramulu ruciyO
dASarathi dhyAna bhajana sudhA rasamu ruciyO (nidhi)
Are curd (dadhi), fresh butter (navanIta) and milk (kshIramu) etc. (kshIramulu) tasty (ruciyO) or the nectarine (sudhA) juice (rasamu) of meditation (dhyAna) and bhajana of Lord rAma - son of King daSaratha (dASarathi) - tasty (ruciyO)?
O My Mind! Tell me truthfully whether wealth is very comforting or the service in the holy presence of Lord SrI rAma comforting?
caraNam
dama Samamu-anu gangA snAnamu sukhamA
kardama dur-vishaya kUpa snAnamu sukhamA
mamata bandhana yuta nara stuti sukhamA
su-mati tyAgarAja nutuni kIrtana sukhamA (nidhi)
Is a bath (snAnamu) in the (holy) river ganga called (anu) (practice of) self control (dama) and tranquility (Sama) (Samamanu) comforting (sukhamA) or
is a bath (snAnamu) in the water of well (kUpa) called the filthy (kardama) evil natured objects of senses (dur-vishaya) comforting (sukhamA)?
is extolling (stuti) humans (nara) bound by (bandhana yuta) (literally with the fetter of) egotism (mamata) comforting (sukhamA) or
is singing songs (kIrtana) of the pure minded (su-mati) Lord praised (nuta) (nutuni) by this tyAgarAja comforting (sukhamA)?
O My Mind! Tell me truthfully whether wealth is very comforting or the service in the holy presence of Lord Sri rAma comforting?
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
2 – ruciyO – rucO.
4 – mamata – mamatA.
Top
References
3 - dama Sama – Six Virtues – shaDguNa sampat – Sama - control upon his own mind; dama - control upon his physical body; titiksha - forbearence for the odds and evens of the nature; samAdhAna - equanimity of all beings and having a sympathetic mind; uparati - indifference with a sAkshi type of mind; Sraddha - sincere adherence to the words of guru and SAstrAs, by word and deed.
Top
Comments
1 - nijamuga palku – truthfully. Use of this word is significant. It is a pointer to the inner conflict which we face in decision making on moral issues. In this regard the following verse in kaTha Upanishad is relevant –
SrEyasca prEyasca manushyam Etastau
samparItya vivinakti dhIra: |
SrEyO hi dhIrO(a)bhi prEyasO vRNItE prEyO
mandO yOga-kshEmAd-vRNItE || (I-ii-2)
Top
“The preferable and the pleasurable approach man. The man of intelligence, having considered them, separates the two. The intelligent one selects the electable in preference to the delectable; the non-intelligent one selects the delectable for the sake of the growth and protection (of the body etc).” (Translation by Swami Gambhirananda)
5 – sumati – this epithet may be applied to SrI tyAgarAja also.
Top