Transliteration Scheme

pAhi rAma candra-SankarAbharaNaM

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
pAhi rAma candra pAlita sur(E)ndra
parama pAvana 1sad-guNa sAndra

caraNam
caraNam 1
nIrada nIla 2mun(I)ndra hRdaya
nArada sEvita sArasa nayana (pA)

caraNam 2
SrI-kara rUpa sudhAkara vadana
SOka nivAraNa sundara radana (pA)
caraNam 3
nirmala rUpa nindita madana
Sarmada sakal(E)S(A)rNava sadana (pA)
caraNam 4
3rAja rAja nuta rAghava tyAga-
rAja hRd-Alaya rakshita nAga (pA)

Meaning - Gist

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
pAhi rAma candra pAlita sura-indra
parama pAvana sad-guNa sAndra

O Lord rAma candra! Please protect (pAhi) me; O protector (pAlita) of Lord (indra) of celestials (sura) (surEndra)! O Supremely (parama) holy (pAvana)! O Lord full of (sAndra) virtues (sad-guNa)!

caraNam
caraNam 1
nIrada nIla muni-indra hRdaya
nArada sEvita sArasa nayana (pA)

O Dark-blue hued (nIla) like rain cloud (nIrada)! O Lord abiding in the hearts (hRdaya) of eminent (indra) sages (muni) (munIndra)!
O Lord worshipped (sEvita) by sage nArada! O Lotus (sArasa) Eyed (nayana)!
O Lord rAma candra! Please protect me; O protector of Lord of celestials! O Supremely holy! O Lord full of virtues!

caraNam 2
SrI-kara rUpa sudhAkara vadana
SOka nivAraNa sundara radana (pA)

O Lord whose form (rUpa) causes (kara) prosperity (SrI) (SrI-kara)! O Moon (sudhAkara) Faced (vadana)!
O Reliever (nivAraNa) of distress (SOka)! O Beautiful (sundara) teethed (radana)!
O Lord rAma candra! Please protect me; O protector of Lord of celestials! O Supremely holy! O Lord full of virtues!
caraNam 3
nirmala rUpa nindita madana
Sarmada sakala-ISa-arNava sadana (pA)

O Lord of blemish-less (nirmala) form (rUpa)! O Lord whose beauty puts to shame (nindita) (literally rebuke) the cupid (madana)!
O Lord who bestows happiness (Sarmada)! O Overlord (ISa) of everyone (sakala)! O Lord residing (sadana) in the Milk Ocean (arNava) (sakalESArNava) !
O Lord rAma candra! Please protect me; O protector of Lord of celestials! O Supremely holy! O Lord full of virtues!
caraNam 4
rAja rAja nuta rAghava
tyAgarAja hRd-Alaya rakshita nAga (pA)

O Lord rAghava praised (nuta) by great kings (Or kubEra) (rAja rAja)!
O Lord abiding (Alaya) in the heart (hRt) (hRd-Alaya) of this tyAgarAja! O Lord who protected (rakshita) gajEndra – the elephant (nAga)!
O Lord rAma candra! Please protect me; O protector of Lord of celestials! O Supremely holy! O Lord full of virtues!

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
1 – sadguNa sAndra – sadguNa gaNa sAndra : ‘sAndra’ and ‘gaNa’ have almost similar meanings; they may conflict with each other. Therefore, ‘sadguNa sAndra’ may be appropriate.
Top

References

Comments
2 – munIndra – this may refer to mahaRshi vAlmIki.

3 – rAja rAja nuta – In some books, this word has been taken to mean ‘kubEra’. As per Monier’s Sanskrit Dictionary, ‘mahArAja’, among others, also means ‘kubEra’. May be, this has been modified by SrI tyAgarAja as ‘rAja rAja’. The same word is used in the kRti ‘sundarESvaruni’ rAga SankarAbharaNaM also.
Top