jagadAnanda-kAraka
Sahityam
Pallavi
jaya jAnakI prANa-nAyaka
Hail, lord of Sita’s heart and soul!
Anupallavi
rAja-rAjEzwara
suguNAkara surasEvya
bhavya-dAyaka sadA sakala (jagadAnanda)
Lord of emperors!
Treasury of virtues! Revered by gods!
Bringer of fortune! Eternal wellspring of joy to the world!
Charanams
amara-tAraka-nicaya kumudahita¹
paripUrNAnagha
sura-surabhUja²
dadhipayOdhi-vAsa-haraNa
sundaratara-vadana
sudhAmaya-vacO-vRnda
gOvinda sAnanda
mAvarAjarApta zubhakarAnEka (jagadAnanda)
O Moon among the constellation of Gods!
Perfect One, untouched by sin!
Wish-fulfilling tree for the gods!
Stealer of curds, milk, and the Gopis’ garments!
One with a radiant, handsome face!
Whose words flow like nectar!
Blissful cowherd!
Lord of Lakshmi! Ever-youthful! Guardian of the devoted!
Safeguard of the welfare of your dearest! Source of joy for countless worlds!
vairivArida-samIraNa
khaga-turaGga sadkavi-hRdAlayA-
gaNita-vAnarAdhipa natAGghriyuga
O Wind that scatters the asura-clouds!
Rider of Garuda, Dweller in the hearts of noble poets!
Whose feet are revered by the lord of countless Vanaras!
candra-sUrya-nayanApramEya
vAgindra-janaka sakalEza zubhra
nAgEndra-zayana zamana-vairi sannuta
Moon-sun eyed, boundless and infinite!
Father of Brahma, Lord of all creation,
Pure and untainted, reclining on the King of Serpents!
Praised by Siva, the vanquisher of Yama!
sava-paripAla varamantra-grahaNa-lOla parama-zAnta siddha janakajAdhipa sarOjabhava-varadAkhila (jagadAnanda)
Protector of the sacred Yajna, ever eager to receive holy mantras!
Embodiment of supreme peace, Lord of Janaka’s daughter,
Bestower of boons to Brahma, fountain of joy for all the world!
kAmita phaladAsamAna gAtra
zacIpatinutAbdhi madaharA-⁵
nurAga rAga-rAjita⁶ kathA-sArahita
Giver of all desired fruits, with a form beyond compare!
Praised by Indra, subduer of the Ocean’s pride!
O essence of the tale adorned with love and grace!
kusuma-vimAna⁷
surasAripu⁸ karAbja lAlita caraNA
vaguNAsuragaNa mada-haraNa
sanAtanAjanuta
Rider of the Pushpaka Vimana!
Whose feet are gently held by Hanuman’s lotus-like hands,
Vanquisher of the prideful Asuras!
Eternal One, extolled by Brahma!
OGkAra paJjara-kIra⁹
purahara¹⁰-sarOjabhava-kEzavAdi-rUpa
vAsava-ripu-janakAntaka
kalAdhara kalAdharApta ghRNAkara
zaraNAgata-jana-pAlana
sumanOramaNa nirvikAra
nigamasAratara
O parrot dwelling in the cage of Omkara!
Manifesting as Siva, Brahma, and Vishnu in divine forms!
Slayer of Indrajit’s father,
Friend to artists, treasure of compassion!
Protector of all who seek refuge,
Delighter of hearts, unchanging and eternal!
Embodiment of the Vedas’ essence!
sura madApaharaNA-
vanI-sura-surAvana kavIna
bilaja-mauni-kRta-caritra-
sannuta zrI tyAgarAjanuta
Vanquisher of the Asuras’ pride,
Protector of Brahmanas and Devas alike!
Your virtues resound in the verses of Sage Valmiki, The finest among poets—praised by Tyagaraja!
zrita-parAdhIna
khara-virAdha-rAvaNa-virAvaNA-
nagha parAzara manOharA-
vikRta tyAgarAja sannuta
Slave to the devotion of Your followers!
Who brought ruin to Khara, Viradha, and Ravana!
Spotless One, who captivated Sage Parasara!
Unchanging Eternal, praised by Tyagaraja!
agaNita-guNa kanaka-cEla
zAla-vidalanAruNAbha-
samAna-caraNA-
pAra mahimAdbhuta
sukavi-jana hRdsadana
sura-munigaNa vihita
kalaza-nIranidhijA-ramaNa
pApa-gaja-nRsiMha
vara tyAgarAjAdi nuta
One with virtues beyond measure, adorned in golden robes!
Whose arrow sundered the mighty ‘sal’ trees,
Whose feet shine radiant like the sun!
Worker of wonders beyond limit,
Dweller in the hearts of noble poets!
Benefactor of celestials and sages,
Beloved of Lakshmi, born of the churned ocean!
Destroyer of immense sins with ferocity of Nrsimha!
Praised by Tyagaraja and countless others!
Renditions
Variations
- CharaNas 7, 8 and 9 are given as 9, 7 and 8 in some books.
- sura sEvya – sujana sEvya
Commentary
- 1 The compound, ‘‘Celestials-Star-Group-Moon’’ can be expanded to mean, “Just as the moon outshines a group of stars, you make the celestials pale in comparison.” The moon is referred to as the Kumuda’s friend, since the flower blooms in the night.
- 2 sura-bhUja (lit. Celestial Tree) refers to the wish-fulfilling kalpaka vRkSa .
- 3 nigama nIrajAmRtaja pOSaka : Translating this compound is tricky. It can also be interpreted as “O nourisher born from the nectar of the veda-lotus.” In the Kriti [[Nada tanumanisham]], Sri Thyagaraja states that nAda is the essence of Veda. Accordingly, this epithet can also be translated as ‘nourisher of Nada, the essence of Veda’.
- 4 A number of references to episodes from the Ramayana in this stanza. Rama releasing Ahalya from Gautama’s curse; providing security for Viswamitra’s yajJa ; Viswamitra bestowing mantra-upadEza to Rama; Rama marrying Janaki.
- 5 abdhi madahara : Rama, needing to cross the ocean with his army to reach Lanka, performed austerities to propitiate the Ocean God. But these were fruitless. Infuriated, Rama decided to teach the Ocean a lesson by drying it up with his powers. At this moment, the Ocean God appeared and promised to bear the bridge that Rama would build.
- 6
We could also take the meaning ‘established’ for ‘hita
’. In this case, instead of ‘rAjita
’, ‘rAcita
’ should be taken. rAchita
and racita
mean same thing.
- anurAga rAga rAjita kathA sArahita – This could refer to Sri Thyagaraja himself and others who have composed a musical Ramayana.
- 7 kusuma vimAna : The Pushpaka Vimana was Ravana’s vehicle originally. At the end of the war, Vibhishana gifted it to Rama so that he could travel back to Ayodhya with his army sooner.
- 8 surasA-ripu : “When Hanuman leapt across the sea to Sri Lanka, a female demon named Surasa tried to swallow him bodily. To avoid this interception Hanuman distended his body, forcing Surasa to elongate her mouth enormously, then he suddenly shrank to the size of a thumb, shot through her head, and emerged from her right ear.” [[http://www.answers.com/topic/hanuman-2 Link]]
- 9 OGkAra paJjara kIra : Refer to kRti [[O Rama O Rama omkara dhama]], where Sri Thyagaraja describes the Lord as OMkAra dhAma .
- 10 purahara : Siva, who destroyed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripura_(mythology) Tripura] (three cities built by Maya).