Transliteration Scheme

ranga nAyaka - rAga SankarAbharaNaM

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
ranga nAyaka rakshimpum(a)yya
racca sEya(n)Ela 1raghu vaMSa nAtha

anupallavi
2pankajA ramaNa bhava tAraka SrI
ranga pur(A)dhISa SRngAra nilaya (ranga)

caraNam
kAla haraNam(E)la karuN(A)lavAla
cAla nammitini SaraNambu nIvE
nIla nIrad(A)bha nirupama gAtra
SIla tyAgarAja nuta 3bhOgi SAyI (ranga)

Meaning - Gist
  • O Lord of SrI ranga! O Lord of raghu dynasty!
  • O Beloved of lakshmI! O Lord who ferries people across the Ocean of Worldly Existence! O Overlord of the town SrI rangaM! O Abode of exquisite beauty!
  • O Ocean of Mercy! O Lord with the splendour of dark-blue rain-cloud! O Lord of incomparable majesty! O Virtuous Lord! O Lord reclining on SEsha, praised by this tyAgarAja!

    • Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

    pallavi
    ranga nAyaka rakshimpumu-ayya
    racca sEya-Ela raghu vaMSa nAtha

    O Lord (nAyaka) of SrI ranga! O Lord (ayya)! Please protect (rikshimpumu) (rakshimpumayya) me; why (Ela) quarrel (racca sEya) (sEyanEla) with me, O Lord (nAtha) of raghu dynasty (vaMSa)?

    anupallavi
    pankajA ramaNa bhava tAraka SrI
    ranga pura-adhISa SRngAra nilaya (ranga)

    O Beloved (ramaNa) of lakshmI (pankajA)! O Lord who ferries (tAraka) people across the Ocean (bhava) of Worldly Existence! O Overlord (adhISa) of the town (pura) (purAdhISa) SrI rangaM (ranga)! O Abode (nilaya) of exquisite beauty (SRngAra)!
    O Lord of SrI ranga! O Lord! Please protect me; why quarrel with me! O Lord of raghu dynasty!

    caraNam
    kAla haraNamu-Ela karuNA-AlavAla
    cAla nammitini SaraNambu nIvE
    nIla nIrada-Abha nirupama gAtra
    SIla tyAgarAja nuta bhOgi SAyI (ranga)

    Why (Ela) waste (haraNamu) (haraNamEla) time (kAla) without protecting me, O Ocean (AlavAla) of Mercy (karuNA) (karuNAlavAla)! I believed (nammitini) You totally (cAla) (literally much); You alone (nIvE) are my refuge (SaraNambu);
    O Lord with the splendour (Abha) of dark-blue (nIla) rain-cloud (nIrada) (nIradAbha)! O Lord of incomparable (nirupama) majesty (gAtra)! O Virtuous Lord (SIla)! O Lord reclining (SAyI) on SEsha – the serpent (bhOgi) - praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja!
    O Lord of SrI ranga! O Lord! Please protect me; why quarrel with me! O Lord of raghu dynasty!

    Notes

    Variations - (Pathanthara)
    3 - bhOgi SAyI – bhOgi SAyi.

    References
    1 – raghu vaMSa nAtha - Please refer to sthala purANa of SrI rangaM
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    Comments
    2 – pankajA – In the books, this has been translated as ‘lakshmI’. As per Sanskrit Dictionary, this word means ‘mud-born’ ie ‘lotus’. There seems to be no proof that this word would refer to lakshmI.

    This kRti is listed in the category of ‘doubtful’ in the book "Compositions of Tyagaraja' by Sri TK Govinda Rao, meaning that it is doubtful whether this kRti was indeed composed by SrI tyAgarAja.
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