cAlu cAlu
Sahityam
Pallavi
cAlu cAlu nI yuktulu naDavadu
sArasAkSa zrI¹ kRSNA
Show Word Meanings
sArasAkSa zrI¹ kRSNA
Enough is enough! Your designs won’t work.
O lotus-eyed Sri Krishna!
Anupallavi
zUla dharAdulakarudaina mamu kUDi
sukhamanubhavimpavE zrI kRSNA¹ (cAlu)
Show Word Meanings
sukhamanubhavimpavE zrI kRSNA¹ (cAlu)
Uniting with us, who are rare even for the gods,
experience the joy, Sri Krishna.
Charanams
adhara-radanamula kani sokkucu
mEmAsiJci vaccitimi
budha rakSaka zalya sArathyamonariJci²
boGkEderugamaitimi³ zrI kRSNA
Show Word Meanings
mEmAsiJci vaccitimi
budha rakSaka zalya sArathyamonariJci²
boGkEderugamaitimi³ zrI kRSNA
Enamoured on beholding Your lips and teeth,
we came with longing.
O Protector of the wise! We were not aware of
Your indulging in guiles by enacting ‘charioteering of King Salya’.
kaNDa cakkeravaNTi palukulu vini
mEmu kAmiJci vaccitimi
uNDiyuNDi bAluni gilli mari
toTlanUcEderugamaitimi4,5 zrI kRSNA
Show Word Meanings
mEmu kAmiJci vaccitimi
uNDiyuNDi bAluni gilli mari
toTlanUcEderugamaitimi4,5 zrI kRSNA
Having heard Your sugar-candy-like words
we came craving;
We were not aware of Your double-dealing
(whimsically pinching the baby and then rocking the cradle to pacify it).
tyAgarAja nutuDani ati prEmatO⁶
taruNalu vaccitimi
bhOgi zayana mA mATala mIraku
buddhizAlivaudu sumI zrI kRSNA (cAlu)
Show Word Meanings
taruNalu vaccitimi
bhOgi zayana mA mATala mIraku
buddhizAlivaudu sumI zrI kRSNA (cAlu)
You being the one praised by Thyagaraja,
we damsels came with much love;
One reclining on Sesha! Don’t transgress our words;
You are intelligent, ain’t You, Sri Krishna?
Renditions
Variations
- 1 zrI kRSNA – zrI kRSNa
- 3 boGkEderuga – boGkuTeruga
- 5 toTlanUcEderuga – toTlayUcanaderuga : toTlanUcEderuga - is appropriate.
- 6 prEmatO - prEmacE
Commentary
- 2 zalya sArathyamu – This refers to the War of Mahabharata. King Salya is the brother of Madri (Kunti and Madri are wives of king Pandu) – therefore, maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva. Before the war, Salya came to join the side of Pandavas, but was tricked by the Kauravas to join them – Mahabharata – Book 5 – Udyog Parva – Section 8 [[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m05/m05008.htm Udyog Parva]]; King Salya, in turn, as the charioteer of Karna, ditched him (Karna) in the thick of the battle leading to the slaying of Karna by Arjuna. This betrayal is referred here as ‘zalya sArathyamu ’. [[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/index.htm. Salya Parva]]
- ‘‘‘This Kriti forms part of the dance-drama ‘Nauka Charitram’ – The Boat Story ‘’’. - Background - The Gopis meet Krishna at the Yamuna river and contemplate travel in a boat. Krishna says that it is not within the capacity of the women to steer boat and says he will do the job; however, the Gopis do not believe Him and think that He is upto some trick. After Lord convinces them, they all travel in the boat. Krishna sports with each of the Gopi individually (taking so many forms). Gopis wonder as to what penances did they perform in order to enjoy like this with the Lord. As Krishna exhorts them to row the boat in the Westerly direction, Gopis think that this is another ruse of Krishna and they tell their minds to him in this Kriti).
- 4 bAluni gilli toTlanUcEdi – this is a famous usage in Tamizh and Telugu to indicate double dealing – to make the child cry and then pacify it.