duḍukugala

Tyagaraja laments squandering the rare gift of human birth on the pursuit of comfort, fame, and other mundane objects, instead of striving for Supreme Bliss. With poignant self-reproach, he regrets that no princeling can now restore the lifetime he has lost.

Lamenting Tyagaraja
duḍukugala nannē
dora-koḍuku brōcurā, yentō
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Which princeling can save
one as steeped in folly as I?
kaḍu durviṣayā-kṛṣṭuḍai
gaḍiya gaḍiyaku niṇḍāru (duḍuku)
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Drawn to all that is vile,
With every moment soaked in foolishness.
śrī-vanitā-hṛdkumudābja
vāṅ-mānasā-gōcara
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O moon, who blooms the heart-lily of Lakshmi!
One beyond words and mind!
sakala bhūtamulayandu nīvai
yuṇḍaga madilēka pōyina (duḍuku)
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Can anyone save me, who lacked the wisdom to see
That you reside in every living soul?
ciruta prāyamuna nāḍē bhajanāmṛta
rasavihīna kutarkuḍaina (duḍuku)
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Who can save me, a sophist lost,
Deprived of the nectar of Bhajana from my youth?
paradhanamula koraku
norula madi-karaga baliki
kaḍupu nimpa tiriginaṭṭi (duḍuku)
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Can anyone save me, who, spoke to stir people’s hearts,
just to partake of their wealth, And wandered only to sate one’s hunger?
tana madini bhuvini saukhyapu jīvaname
yanucu sadā dinamulu gaḍipē
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Can anyone save me, who bides time,
Believing life on Earth is but a pursuit of comforts?
teliyani naṭa-viṭa kṣudrulu vanitalu
swavaśamauṭa-kupadēśiñci santasilli
swaralayambu-leruṅgakanu śilātmuḍai
subhaktulaku samānamanu (duḍuku)
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Can anyone save me, who preached to entice
Ignorant dancers and philanderers, vile men and women,
And found joy in such deeds;
A stone-hearted soul, unversed in melody or rhythm,
Yet deeming himself equal to the great devotees?
dṛṣṭiki sārambagu lalanā sadanārbhaka
sēnā-mita dhanādulanu dēvādhideva
nera nammitini gākanu
padābja bhajanambu maracina
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Can anyone save me, who placed trust in good-looking women,
in houses teeming with children
And boundless wealth, O god of gods;
And who, moreover, forgot to sing
The glories of your lotus feet.
cakkani mukha kamalambunanu
sadā nā madilo smaraṇa-lekanē
durmadāndha janula kōri
paritāpamulacē tagili nogili
durviṣaya durāśalanu rōyalēka
satatama-parādhinai capala cittuḍaina
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Can anyone save me, who failed to hold
Your radiant lotus-face in constant thought,
Who sought the arrogant and fell into their snare,
Lamenting, bound by vile desires,
Fickle of mind, an eternal transgressor?
mānava tanu durlabhamanucu neñci
paramānanda-monda lēka
mada matsara kāma lōbha mōhulaku
dāsuḍai mōsa-bōti gāka
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Failing to grasp the rarity of human birth,
And turning away from the pursuit of Supreme Bliss,
I became a thrall to arrogance, jealousy, lust,
Greed, and delusion—and brought about my own ruin.
modaṭi kulajuḍagucu bhuvini
śūdrula panulu salpucunuṇṭini gāka
narādhamulanu kōri sāra-hīna
matamulanu sādhimpa tāru-māru (duḍuku)
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Though born into the first Varna,
I lived the deeds of the fourth.
Who can save me, who erred on every side,
Seeking the lowest of beings,
And striving to uphold doctrines devoid of truth?
satulakai konnāḷḷāstikai
sutulakai konnāḷḷu dhana-
tatulakai tirigitinaiya
tyāgarājāpta yiṭuvaṇṭi (duḍuku)
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I wandered about, seeking a wife, then pursuing wealth,
Then raising children, and lingering among the rich,
I squandered my lifetime, O friend of Tyagaraja!
Who can save me, immersed in such folly!