Untitled Document

Meaning - Gist
O Lord raghu nAtha! O Protector of gajEndra!
Protect me.
1. My body itself is the abode fit for You.
2. My unwavering mind is the sacred golden seat for You.
3. Meditation on Your holy feet is the water of river gangA (for Your bathing).
4. My affection towards You is the auspicious garment (to adorn you with);
5. Chanting of Your great fame is the fragrant sandal paste (that I apply on You).
6. Remembering the names of Lord hari are the flowers (with which I worship You).
7. All the results of my past misdeeds (would go up in smoke) as incense (offered to You).
8. Devotion towards Your feet is the permanent lamp (that glows in Your sannidhi).
9. The result of the auspicious worship which I perform is the food (offering) (made to You).
10. The unceasing comfort that springs in me is the betel-nut offering (made to You).
11. Beholding You is indeed the sacred light offering (I make).
12. The procedure of worship is as performed by this tyAgarAja himself.

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi paripAlaya paripAlaya paripAlaya raghu nAtha

O Lord raghu nAtha! Protect (paripAlaya) me; protect (paripAlaya) me; protect (paripAlaya) me.

caraNam 1
tanuvE nIk(a)nuvaina sadanamaurA raghu nAtha (pari)

My body itself (tanuvE) is (aurA) the abode (sadanamu) (sadanamaurA) fit (anuvaina) for You (nIku) (nIkanuvaina);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 2
sthira cittamu vara cAmIkara pIThamu raghu nAtha (pari)

My unwavering (sthira) mind (cittamu) is the sacred (vara) golden (cAmIkara) seat (pIThamu) for You;
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 3
su-pada dhyAnamu gangA jalam(au)rA raghu nAtha (pari)

Meditation (dhyAnamu) on Your holy feet (su-pada) is (aurA) the water (jalamu) (jalamaurA) of river gangA (for Your bathing);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 4
ibha pAlaka abhimAnamu Subha cElamu raghu nAtha (pari)

O Protector (pAlaka) of gajEndra – the elephant (ibha)! My affection (abhimAnamu) towards You is the auspicious (Subha) garment (cElamu) (to adorn you with); O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 5
ghana kIrtini palku vAsana gandhamu raghu nAtha (pari)

Chanting (palku) (literally saying) of Your great (ghana) fame (kIrtini) is the fragrant (vAsana) sandal paste (gandhamu) (that I apply on You);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 6
hari nAma smaraNamulu 2virul(au)rA raghu nAtha (pari)

Remembering (smaraNamulu) the names (nAma) of Lord hari are (aurA) the flowers (virulu) (virulaurA) (with which I worship You);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 7
toli dushkRta phalam(e)lla 3guggulu dhUpamu raghu nAtha (pari)

All (ella) the results (phalamu) (phalamella) of my past (toli) misdeeds (dushkRta) (would go up in smoke) as incense (dhUpamu) of guggulu (offered to You);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 8
nI pAda bhaktiy4(E) proddu dIpamb(a)gu raghu nAtha (pari)

Devotion (bhakti) towards Your (nI) feet (pada) is (agu) the permanent (E proddu) (literally at all times) (bhaktiyE) lamp (dIpambu) (that glows in Your sannidhi);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 9
nE jEyu su-pUjA phalamu bhOjanam(a)vu raghu nAtha (pari)

The result (phalamu) of the auspicious worship (supUja) which I (nE) perform (jEyu) is (avu) the food (offering) (bhOjanamu) (bhOjanamavu) (made to You);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 10
eDa-bAyani nAyeDa kalgu sukhamu viDem(au)rA raghu nAtha (pari)

The unceasing (eDa-bAyani) comfort (sukhamu) that springs (kalgu) in me (nAyeDa) is (aurA) the betel-nut offering (viDemu) (viDemaurA) (made to You);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 11
ninnu jUcuTE ghana dIp(A)rAdhanam(au)rA raghu nAtha (pari)

Beholding (jUcuTE) You (ninnu) is (aurA) indeed the sacred (ghana) light (dIpa) offering (ArAdhanamu) (dIpArAdhanamaurA) (I make);
O Lord raghu nAtha! protect me.

caraNam 12
6pUjA vidhi naija tyAgarAja kRtamu raghu nAtha (pari)

The procedure (vidhi) of worship (pUjA) is as performed (kRtamu) by this tyAgarAja himself (naija) (literally one's own);
O Lord raghu nAtha! Protect me.

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
¹ – pallavi - In some books pallavi is repeated (given twice).
² – virulaurA – viru tAmara : As the ending 'aurA' is given in five other caraNas, 'virulaurA' seems to be more appropriate.
⁵ – caraNas 10 and 11 - These caraNas are given in reverse order in some books. The correct order seems to be as given herein.

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References
³ – guggulu dhUpamu Gum or resin of Balsamodendron Mukul (bdellium) or Boswellia glabra (Watts); sAmbrANi – the fragrant gum benzoin – is also a famous incense.

⁴ – E proddu dIpambu – permanent lamp. In temples a lamp that glows permanently is called 'akhaNDamu'. In tamil it is called 'tUNDA viLakku'.

⁶ – pUjA vidhi – Please refer to some works of Adi Sankara on the subject - Siva mAnasa pUjA; nirguNa mAnasa pUjA - Meaning;nirguNa mAnasa pUjA - Text

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Comments
General – The kRti covers most of 16 services to Lord (shODaSOpacAra)-
(1) asana (seat of the image) (caraNa 2) ; (2) svagata (welcome); (3) padya (water for washing the feet); (4) arghya (offering of unboiled rice, flowers, sandal paste, durva grass, etc., to the Devata in the kushi) (vessel); (5 and 6) achamana (water for sipping, which is offered twice); (7) madhuparka (honey, ghee, milk, and curd offered in a silver or brass vessel); (8) snana (water for bathing) (caraNa 3); (9) vasana (cloth) (caraNa 4); (10) abharana (jewels); (11) gandha (scent and sandal paste is given) (caraNa 5); (12) pushpa (flowers) (caraNa 6); (13) dhupa (incense stick) (caraNa 7); (14) dipa (light) (caraNa 8 and 11); (15) naivedya (food) (caraNa 9); (16) vandana or namas-kara (prayer). shODaSOpacAra - 16 items of service (see Puja)

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paripAlaya paripAlaya - rAga rIti gauLa