Transliteration Scheme

SrI raghuvara suguNAlaya - rAga bhairavi


Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
SrI raghuvara 1suguN(A)laya
sarasija lOcana virOcan(A)bha

anupallavi
2tarAna lEni parAkul(E)Tiki
birAna nanu brOvaga rAdA vAdA (SrI)

caraNam
caraNam 1
kamalA hita nata kamal(A)hita dhara
mamata telisi nannu manninca rAdA (SrI)

caraNam 2
kalaSa jaladhilO lakshmitO nADE
3kala kAlamuna nI sEva rA jEsE (SrI)

caraNam 3
kanikaramuna nanu kani karamuna(n)iDi
canuvuna(n)oka manavini palka rAdA (SrI)

caraNam 4
Agama mUla avanijA lOla
vEgamE telusukO tyAgarAj(A)rcita (SrI)

Meaning - Gist
O Lord SrI raghuvara! O Abode of virtues! O Lotus Eyed! O Lord with the splendour of the Sun! O Lord who is dear to lakshmI! O Lord saluted by Lord Siva! O Lord who is the source of SAstras! O Beloved of sItA! O Lord worshipped by this tyAgarAja!

  • Why this unconcern which is not found in Your lineage? can’t You protect me quickly? is there any dispute?
  • Understanding my love, can’t You pardon (or show regard to) me?
  • Can’t You speak to me affectionately by looking at me kindly and holding my hand – which is my only wish?
  • Please understand (my desire) at the earliest.

  • O Lord raghuvara, who that day itself bestowed on me, for ever, the privilege of service to You together with lakshmI in the Milk Ocean!

    • Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

    pallavi
    SrI raghuvara suguNa-Alaya
    sarasija lOcana virOcana-Abha

    O Lord SrI raghuvara! O Abode (AlAya) of virtues (suguNa) (suguNAlaya)!
    O Lotus (sarasija) Eyed (lOcana)! O Lord with the splendour (Abha) of the Sun (virOcana) (virOcanAbha)!

    anupallavi
    tarAna lEni parAkulu-ETiki
    birAna nanu brOvaga rAdA vAdA (SrI)

    Why (Etiki) this unconcern (parAkulu) (literally unconcerns) (parAkulETiki) which is not found (lEni) in Your lineage (tarAna)?
    can’t (rAdA) You protect (brOvaga) me (nanu) quickly (birAna)? is there any dispute (vAdA)?

    caraNam
    caraNam 1
    kamalA hita nata kamalA-ahita dhara
    mamata telisi nannu manninca rAdA (SrI)

    O Lord who is dear (hita) to lakshmI (kamalA)! O Lord saluted (nata) by Lord Siva – wearer (dhara) of (digit of) moon – enemy (ahita) of Lotus (kamalA) (kamalAhita)!
    understanding (telisi) my love (mamata) (literally affection or belonging), can’t You (rAdA) pardon (or show regard) (manninca) (to) me (nannu)?

    caraNam 2
    kalaSa jaladhilO lakshmitO nADE
    kala kAlamuna nI sEva rA jEsE (SrI)

    O Lord SrI raghuvara, who that day itself (nADE) bestowed (rA jEsE) (literally make it come) on me for ever (kala kAlamuna) the privilege of service (sEva) to You (nI) together with lakshmI (lakshmitO) in the Milk (kalaSa) (literally pitcher) Ocean (jaladhilO)!
    caraNam 3
    kanikaramuna nanu kani karamuna-iDi
    canuvuna-oka manavini palka rAdA (SrI)

    Can’t You (rAdA) speak (palka) to me affectionately (canuvuna) (canuvunanoka)
    by looking at (kani) me (nanu) kindly (kanikaramuna) and holding (iDi) my hand (karamuna) (karamunaniDi) – which is my only (oka) wish (manavini)?
    caraNam 4
    Agama mUla avanijA lOla
    vEgamE telusukO tyAgarAja-arcita (SrI)

    O Lord who is the source (mUla) of SAstras (Agama)! O Beloved (lOla) of sItA – born of Earth (avanijA)!
    O Lord worshipped (arcita) by this tyAgarAja (tyAgarAjArcita)! Please understand (telusukO) (my desire) at the earliest (vEgamE) (literally quickly);

    Notes

    Variations - (Pathanthara)
    1 – suguNAlaya – suguNAlaya rAma - suguNAlaya (rAma)

    3 - kalakAlamula nI sEva rA jEsE - nA manaserigi palkumikanu – kalakAlamula nI sEva rA jEsE nA manaserigi palkumikanu;
    in some books this caraNa is not found.

    References

    Comments
    2 - tarAna lEni – The form of the word 'tarAna' is not clear. In some books, it has been taken as 'alien' or 'foreign'; in other books, as 'nowhere seen'. 'tara' also means 'generation'. May be 'tarAna' has been used to mean 'lineage'. Accordingly it has been translated.

    Wordings of caraNa 2 runs counter to what is contained in anupallavi (nanu brOvaga rAdA) and caraNa 1 (manninca rAdA), caraNa 3 (palka rAdA) and caraNa 4 (vEgamE telusukO). This caraNa, either with 'kala kAlamuna nI sEva rA jEsE' or with 'nA manaserigi palkumikanu' or with both, is not complete and does not make proper sense. This caraNa is considered as an interpolation.
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