Tyagaraja Kriti

Meaning - Gist
O Lord SrI rAma - the shining One!

People say that there is no feeling of indebtedness between us. Or else, is it that You have no compassion towards me?
Though You are the One who is established in my mind right from my childhood, if my wish remains unfulfilled, no wonder, people say that there is no feeling of indebtedness between us.
When I prostrated at Your Feet Lotus crying much, having promised ‘I shall protect’, if You show disregard towards me, no wonder, people say that there is no feeling of indebtedness between us.
Having accepted my worship in this life, if You forget this tyAgarAja, no wonder, people say that there is no feeling of indebtedness between us.

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
nIku tanaku RNa RNI bhAvamu lEdu-anEru

People say (anEru) that there is no (lEdu) (lEdanEru) feeling (bhAvamu) of indebtedness - debt (RNa) and debtor (RNI) - between us - You (nIku) and me (tanaku).

anupallavi
lEka nIkE daya lEdO SrI rAma (nIku)

People say that there is no feeling of indebtedness between us;
O Lord SrI rAma! Or else (lEka), is it that You (nIkE) have no (lEdO) compassion (daya) towards me?

caraNam
caraNam 1
cinna nADu-Adiga cittamandu nela-
konna vADavai nA kOrika sAgaka-uNTE (nIku)

Though You are (vADavai) the One who is established (nelakonna) in (andu) my mind (cittamu) (cittamandu) right from (Adiga) my childhood (cinna nADu) (nADAdiga),
if my (nA) wish (kOrika) remains unfulfilled (sAgaka uNTE) (sAgakuNTE),
people say that there is no feeling of indebtedness between us.

caraNam 2
karagi karagi pAda kamalamandu vrAla
karuNintunu-ani nApai kannada jEsitE (nIku)

When I prostrated (vrAla) at (andu) Your Feet (pAda) Lotus (kamalamu) (kamalamandu) crying much (karagi karagi) (literally melting),
having promised (ani) (litearally said) ‘I shall protect’ (karuNintunu) (karuNintunani), if You show disregard (kannada jEsitE) towards me (nApai),
people say that there is no feeling of indebtedness between us.

caraNam 3
I janmamuna nAdu pUjala gaikoni
rAjillu SrI tyAgarAjuni maracitE (nIku)

Having accepted (gaikoni) my (nAdu) worship (pUjala) in this (I) life (janmamuna),
if You forget (maracitE) this tyAgarAja (SrI tyAgarAjuni),
people say that there is no feeling of indebtedness between us - You the shining One (rAjillu) - and me.

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
² – lEdanEru – lEdanedaru.
³ – karuNintunani – karuNincedanani : In the present context, 'karuNintunani’ is appropriate.
⁴ – janmamuna – jagamuna.
⁵ – SrI tyAgarAjuni – tyAgarAjuni.
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References
¹ – RNa RNI – debt – debtor – to know about the three kinds of debts that every person has, as prescribed in Hindu scriptures, please refer - three kinds of debts - 1; three kinds of debts - 2
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Comments
¹ – RNa RNI bhAvamu – feeling of indebtedness (tonwards one another) - A promise made is also known as ‘debt’ (RNa). From the wordings of caraNa 3, it is clear that having accepted (gaikoni) the worship (pUjala) of the devotee, the Lord becomes indebted to protect the devotee. Therefore, in my opinion, the ‘feeling of indebtedness’ towards each other (between the Lord and the devotee) and the redemption of the promise to protect the devotee is what SrI tyAgarAja seems to refer as ‘RNa and RNI bhAvamu’. Therefore, ‘RNa-RNI bhAvamu’ has been translated as ‘feeling of indebtedness’.

The duty (debt) of the devotee is to be in the service of the Lord, and the duty (debt) of the Lord is to protect such devotees – mutual indebtedness.

Please refer to Tiruvarutpa of Ramalinga Adigal (Tamil Website) – ivarkkum enakkum (இவர்க்கும் எனக்கும்)– 4496 to 4500 wherein the Saint sings in a similar vein.
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niku tanaku - rAga bEgaDa