pallavi
valla kAd(a)naka sItA vallabha 1brOvu nA
anupallavi
2(nI)valla nATi bhakta caritam(e)lla vrAyan(E)larA 3(valla)
caraNam
stambhamunanu taru marugunanu DimbhuDai yaSOda(y)oDini
4dambhuDai 5mucukunduni DAsi marugucu
6sambhavinci yuga yugamuna sarasa tyAgarAja vinuta
kumbhaka rEcaka vidulanu kOri brOcinAvu nA(valla)
pallavi
valla kAdu-anaka sItA vallabha brOvu nA
O Consort (vallabha) of sItA! Please do not say (anaka) that ‘it is not possible (kAdu) (kAdanaka) for me (nAvalla)’ (literally by me); please protect (brOvu) me.
anupallavi
nIvalla nATi bhakta caritamu-ella vrAyanu-ElarA (valla)
What for (ElarA) all (ella) those stories (caritamu) (caritamella) of earlier (nATi) devotees (bhakta) were (caused to be) written (vrAyanu) (vrAyanElarA) because of You (nIvalla)?
O Consort of sItA! Please do not say that ‘it is not possible for me’; please protect me.
caraNam
stambhamunanu taru marugunanu DimbhuDai yaSOda-oDini
dambhuDai mucukunduni DAsi marugucu
sambhavinci yuga yugamuna sarasa tyAgarAja vinuta
kumbhaka rEcaka vidulanu kOri brOcinAvu nA(valla)
O sweet (sarasa) Lord praised (vinuta) by this tyAgarAja!
Having incarnated (sambhavinci) in every epoch (yuga yugamuna) -
as narasimha, inside the pillar (stambhamunanu) to save prahlAda,
as rAma, behind (marugunanu) a tree (taru) to save sugrIva,
as (kRshNa) - babe (DimbhuDai) in the lap (oDini) of yaSOdA (yaSOdayoDini) to destroy the demons sent by kaMsa and, then, kaMsa himself, and again,
as (kRshNa) - deceiver (dambhuDai), approaching (DAsi) mucukunda (mucukunduni) by hiding (marugucu) to bestow grace on him -
You have protected (brOcinAvu) yOgis - knowers (vidulanu) of yOga – breath stopping (kumbhaka) and breath exhalation (rEcaka) – by seeking (kOri) them.
O Consort of sItA! Please do not say that ‘it is not possible for me (nAvalla)’; please protect me.
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
In some books, the rAga is given as ‘harikAmbhOji.
3 – (valla) – nA(valla).
5 – mucukunduni – mukunduni - mudukunduni. However, in all the books the meaning derived in ‘mucukunda’.
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References
5 – mucukunda – Son of King mAndhAta of ikshvAku dynasty - story in brief. (If the site does not open, visit Urday.com and search for 'Mythological Tales' and select ‘Muchukunda’.)
The full story of mucukunda is contained in SrImad bhAgavataM, Book 10, Chapter 51. It is also stated that mucukunda was a devotee of Lord Siva. To know more about viDanga sthalams – temples of Lord Siva; tiruvArur is one such viDanga sthalam.
6 - sambhavinci yuga yugamuna – SrI tyAgarAja reiterates the famous words of Lord kRshNa in SrImad-bhagavad-gItA – ‘sambhavAmi yugE yugE’ (Chapter 4, Verse 8).
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Comments
1 – brOvu – This is how it is given in all books. However, from the flow of the language, it would be more appropriate if this word is ‘brOva’. In its present form, it stands separately. If it is ‘brOva’, then the translation would be ‘Please do not say that ‘It is not possible for me to protect’’.
2 – (nI)valla – the beginning word of anupallavi is given in brackets in all the books. According to musically knowledgeable people, this word (nI), in brackets, indicates that it belongs to previous tALa Avarti.
4 – dambhuDai mucukunduni – In all the books, it is found as ‘dambhuDaina’. In one book, this has been translated as ‘caused the arrogant mucukunda to dig his own grave’. In another book, it is translated as ‘dandy muchukunda’. A reading of the story of mucukunda reveals that he was a very pious person – therefore, the words ‘arrogant’ and ‘dandy’ would not apply to him.
‘dambha’ means ‘cheating’, ‘fraud’, ‘deceit’; it is kRshNa who, with the intention of bestowing grace on mucukunda, enacted a drama of deception by making mucukunda to wake up from sleep and burn to ashes kAlayavana. Therefore, the word ‘dambha’ should be applied to kRshNa.
If ‘dambhuDaina’ is adopted, it contravenes the story of mucukunda; therefore, the syllable ‘na’ has been dropped; the word ‘dambhuDai’ has been applied to kRshNa.
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