pallavi
SyAma sundar(A)nga sakala 1Saktiyu nIvErA
anupallavi
2tAmasa rahita guNa sAndra
dharanu velayu rAmacandra (SyAma)
caraNam
dushTa danuja mada vidAra SishTa jana hRdaya vihAra
3ishTa daivamu nIvErA ilanu tyAgarAju vErA (SyAma)
pallavi
SyAma sundara-anga sakala Saktiyu nIvErA
O Lord with beautiful (sundara) dark-blue (SyAma) hued form (anga) (literally limbs) (sundarAnga)! All (sakala) the Gods (Saktiyu) (literally powers) are indeed You alone (nIvErA).
anupallavi
tAmasa rahita guNa sAndra
dharanu velayu rAmacandra (SyAma)
O Lord full of (sAndra) auspicious qualities (guNa), bereft of (rahita) inertia (or ignorance) (tAmasa)! O Lord rAmacandra effulgent (velayu) on this Earth (dharanu)!
O Lord with beautiful dark-blue hued form! All the Gods are indeed You alone.
caraNam
dushTa danuja mada vidAra SishTa jana hRdaya vihAra
ishTa daivamu nIvErA ilanu tyAgarAju vErA (SyAma)
O Lord who destroyed (vidAra) (literally cut asunder) the arrogance (mada) of wicked (dushTa) demons (danuja)! O Lord dwelling (vihAra) in the hearts (hRdaya) of wise (or disciplined) (SishTa) people (jana)!
You alone (nIvErA) are the God (daivamu) of my liking (ishTa); on the Earth (OR here) (ilanu), is this tyAgarAja (tyAgarAju) apart (vErA) from You?
O Lord with beautiful dark-blue hued form! All the Gods are indeed You alone.
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
References
2 – tAmasa rahita – Though Lord is beyond all guNa – sAtvic, rAjasa, tAmasa - this specific reference may be to the two groups of incantations (mantra grAmam) known as ‘balA’, ‘ati balA’ bestowed on SrI rAma and lakshmaNa by sage viSvAmitra. By chanting these one would be able to overcome sleep, hunger and thirst. These mantras are considered as daughters of brahmA. (SrImad vAlmIki rAmAyaNa – bAlakANDa – Chapter 22)
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Comments
1 - Saktiyu – Here the word stands for all the forms of the Supreme Lord worshipped by people. This is so because of the word ‘ishTa daivamu’ – Lord of his liking. SrI tyAgarAja states that the form of SrI rAma is the one of his liking – thus differentiating other forms of the Supreme Lord.
3 - ishTa daivamu – It is a phenomenon that every one – particularly devotees of Lord – develop liking for a particular form of the Lord depending on one’s temperament and family customs.
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