pallavi
suguNamulE ceppukoNTi
sundara raghu rAma
anupallavi
1vagal(e)runga lEka(y)2iTu
3vattuv(a)nucu 4dur-AsacE (suguNa)
caraNam
5snAn(A)di su-karmambulu
6vEd(A)dhyayanambul(e)ruga
SrI nAyaka kshamiyincumu
SrI tyAgarAja nuta (suguNa)
pallavi
suguNamulE ceppukoNTi
sundara raghu rAma
O Handsome (sundara) Lord raghu rAma! I just keep chanting (ceppukoNTi) (literally say) Your virtues (suguNamulE).
anupallavi
vagalu-erunga lEka-iTu
vattuvu-anucu dur-AsacE (suguNa)
Not knowing (erunga lEka) any other method (vagalu) (Or not knowing Your tricks) (vagalerunga), I just keep chanting Your virtues, with the vain hope (dur-AsacE) that (anucu), at least by this method (iTu), You would manifest (vattuvu) (literally come) (vattuvanucu).
caraNam
snAna-Adi su-karmambulu
vEda-adhyayanambulu-eruga
SrI nAyaka kshamiyincumu
SrI tyAgarAja nuta (suguNa)
I do not know (eruga) meritorious acts (su-karmambulu) like dip in holy rivers (snAna) etc. (Adi) (snAnAdi) or vEda recitation (adhyayanambulu) (vEdAdhyayanambuleruga);
Kindly bear with me (kshamiyincumu), O Consort (nAyaka) of lakshmI (SrI)! O Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja!
O Handsome Lord raghu rAma! I just keep chanting Your virtues.
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
3 – vattuvanucu – vaddanucu - vaddunanucu. In the present context, ‘vattuvanucu’ is appropriate.
6 – vEdAdhyayanambu – vEda dhyAnambu – dAnAdyayanambu. In view of the word ‘vEda’, ‘adhyayana’ seems to be appropriate. Accordingly, ‘vEdAdhyayanambu’ has been adopted.
Top
References
Comments
1 – vagalerunga – ‘vaga’ means ‘method’, ‘pretence’, ‘deception’ etc. In some books, this word, in the sense of ‘deception’, has been attributed to the Lord. However, in my opinion, it should refer to SrI tyAgarAja himself, in the sense of ‘method’, particularly, in view of ensuing word ‘durAsacE’ - see note below. However, both versions have been given.
2 – iTu – In some books, this word has been translated as 'here'. However, in my opinion, this word would mean 'by this method' of chanting the names of the Lord. This is amplified in the caraNa, wherein SrI tyAgarAja clarifies that he does not know other meritorious deeds nor recitation of vEdAs. Obviously the SrI tyAgarAja emphasises 'chanting of names' as the only effective method. In the kRti 'nI bhakti bhAgya sudhA', SrI tyAgarAja enunciates – 'vEdOktambau karmamu veta galgu gatAgatamau' – ' The path of (religious) rites as propounded in vEda results in distressing repeated births and deaths'.
Top
4 – durAsacE – Here, the word ‘durAsa’ does not mean ‘evil desire’, but ‘overly desire’ hence ‘vain hope’.
5 – snAnAdi – dip in holy rivers – please also refer to kRti ‘kOTi nadulu’ wherein SrI tyAgarAja states that wandering for rivers to take holy dip is futile because the holy rivers themselves are present at the feet of the Lord.
Top