Transliteration Scheme

ramA ramaNa rArA - rAga SankarAbharaNaM

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
1ramA ramaNa rArA O (ramA)

caraNam
caraNam 1
samAnam(e)varu vinumA nA manavini
2tam(A)su pogaDa taram(A)hi patikini (ramA)

caraNam 2
budh(A)d(y)avana daSarath(A)rbhaka 3manO-
rathamb(o)sagu 4suma rath(A)rha sad-guNa (ramA)
caraNam 3
5kal(A)rtha bhUsha sakal(A)rtha SaSa dhara
kalA dhara nuta vikal(A)rti 6samhAra (ramA)
caraNam 4
raN(A)dhi SUra SaraN(A)gata 7tvac-
caraNaM bhava tAraNambu cEsunu (ramA)
caraNam 5
mukh(A)bjamunu 8Sata mukh(A)ri jUpu
samukhAna kolutu 9durmukh(A)sura haraNa (ramA)
caraNam 6
birAna brOvaga rAdA SrImad-aga
rAja dhara tyAgarAja sannuta (ramA)

Meaning - Gist
  • O Beloved of lakshmI!
  • O Protector of wise and others! O child of King daSaratha! O Lord worthy of the (aerial) pushpaka car which (OR who) bestows one’s wishes! O Lord of virtues!
  • O Lord who is adorned with all arts and their meanings (or opulence)! O Real Meaning of everything! O Lord praised by Lord Siva! O Lord who relieves the distress of destitutes!
  • O Great Hero of the battle!
  • O Enemy of rAvaNa! O Slayer of demon durmukha!
  • O Lord who bore the mandara mountain! O Lord well-praised by this tyAgarAja!

    • Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

    pallavi
    ramA ramaNa rArA O (ramA)

    O Beloved (ramaNa) of lakshmI (ramA)! Please come (rArA).

    caraNam
    caraNam 1
    samAnamu-evaru vinumA nA manavini
    tama-Asu pogaDa taramA-ahi patikini (ramA)

    Who (evaru) is equal (samAnamu) (samAnamevaru) to You? Please listen (vinumA) to my (nA) prayer (manavini);
    is it possible (taramA) even for SEsha – the King (patikini) of serpents (ahi) (taramAhi) – to sing praises (pogaDa) of Your (tama) glory (asamu) (tamaAsu)?
    O Beloved of lakshmI! Please come.

    caraNam 2
    budha-Adi-avana daSaratha-arbhaka manO-
    rathambu-osagu suma ratha-arha sad-guNa (ramA)

    O Protector (avana) of wise (budha) and others (Adi) (budhAdyavana)! O child (arbhaka) of King daSaratha (daSarathArbhaka)!
    O Lord worthy (arha) of the (aerial) pushpaka (suma) car (ratha) (rathArha) which (OR who) bestows (osagu) one’s wishes (manOrathambu) (manOrathambosagu); O Lord of virtues (sad-guNa)!
    O Beloved of lakshmI! Please come.
    caraNam 3
    kalA-artha bhUsha sakala-artha SaSa dhara
    kalA dhara nuta vikala-Arti samhAra (ramA)

    O Lord who is adorned (bhUsha) with all arts (kalA) and their meanings (or opulence) (artha) (kalArtha)! O Real Meaning (artha) of everything (sakala) (sakalArtha)!
    O Lord praised (nuta) by Lord Siva – wearer (dhara) of the digit (kalA) of moon – having (dhara) hare (marks) (SaSa)! O Lord who relieves (samhAra) (literally destroy) the distress (Arti) of destitutes (vikala) (literally disabled) (vikalArti)!
    O Beloved of lakshmI! Please come.
    caraNam 4
    raNa-adhi SUra SaraNa-Agata tvac-
    caraNaM bhava tAraNambu cEsunu (ramA)

    O Great Hero (adhi SUra) of the battle (raNa) (raNAdhi)! Your (tvat) holy feet (caraNaM) (tvaccaraNaM) will ferry (tAraNambu cEsunu) those who have sought (Agata) Your refuge (SaraNa) (SaraNAgata) across the Ocean (bhava) of Worldly Existence;
    O Beloved of lakshmI! Please come.
    caraNam 5
    mukha-abjamunu Sata mukha-ari jUpu
    samukhAna kolutu durmukha-asura haraNa (ramA)

    O Enemy (ari) of rAvaNa – ten (Sata) (literally hundred) headed (mukha) (mukhAri)! Please show (jUpu) me Your Lotus (abjamunu) face (mukha) (mukhAbjamunu);
    I shall serve (kolutu) at Your Holy presence (samukhAna), O Slayer (haraNa) of demon (asura) durmukha (durmukhAsura)!
    O Beloved of lakshmI! Please come.
    caraNam 6
    birAna brOvaga rAdA SrImad-aga
    rAja dhara tyAgarAja sannuta (ramA)

    Can’t You (rAdA) protect (brOvaga) me quickly (birAna)? O Lord who bore (dhara) the mandara – the blessed (SrImad) king (rAja) of mountains (aga) (SrImad-aga)! O Lord well-praised (sannuta) by this tyAgarAja!
    O Beloved of lakshmI! Please come.

    Notes

    Variations - (Pathanthara)
    General – caraNas 3, 4 and 5 are given as 4, 5 and 3 in some books.

    1 – ramA ramaNa rArA O – ramA ramaNa rArA O ramA ramaNa rArA.

    2 – tamAsu – tamAmu : 'tamAsu' may be split as ‘tama+asu’. In telugu, the word ‘asamu’ derived from saMskRta word ‘yaSas’ means ‘fame’, ‘glory’ etc; this is the meaning taken in some books. However, in this case, the form of the ‘asamu’ when used as ‘tama+asu’ is not clear. 'tamAmu’ doesn't seem to be appropriate in the present context. This word could be ‘tamAsamu’.

    5 – kalArtha – kalArdha : 'kalArtha' can be split as ‘kalA+artha’; yet the meaning of the epithet ‘kalArtha bhUsha’ is not very clear. 'kalArdha' does not seem to convey any suitable meaning here.

    6 – samhAra – samhara.

    7 – tvaccaraNaM – Atma caraNambu : 'tvaccaraNaM’ seems to be appropriate in the present context.
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    References
    4 – suma rathArha – Please refer to SrImad vAlmIki rAmAyaNa, uttara kANDa, Chapter 41, about arrival of pushpaka vimAna as ordered by kubEra, to be at the disposal of SrI rAma. SrI rAma, after worshipping it, sends it away asking it to come as and when He (SrI rAma) desires.

    Story of rAma killing of mayil rAvaNa also known as ‘mahi rAvaNa’

    9 – durmukhAsura – A demon in the army of rAvaNa.
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    Comments
    3 – manOrathambosagu – Though this has taken qualifying ‘pushpaka’ car, it is also possible to translate as qualifying the Lord - ‘(Lord) who bestows one's wishes’.

    8 – Sata mukha – rAvaNa. In the kRti ‘dEvi tava pada’ rAga SahAna, SrI tyAgarAja calls Mother sItA as ‘Sata mukha mada damanE’ – one who destroyed the arrogance of rAvaNa. In some books, this word seems to have been translated as ‘mayil rAvaNa’ – brother of rAvaNa.
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