mElu mElu

saurASTra Adi tyAgarAja telugu kRti

Sahityam

Pallavi

mElu¹ mElu rAma nAma sukham-
I dharalO manasA
phAla lOcana vAlmIkAdi
bAlAnilajAdulu² sAkSiga³

O My Mind! In this World, the comfort derived from chanting the names of zrI rAma is the best; Lord ziva – One who has (third) eye on the forehead, vAlmIki and other sages, pArvati, AJjanEya – born of Wind God - and others will vouch for it!

Charanams Combined

niNDu dAhamu konna manujulaku
nIru trAgina sukhambu kaNTE
caNDa dAridra manujulaku dhana
bhANDmabbina sukhambu kaNTE (mElu)

Show Word Meanings

More than the comfort of drinking water derived by those who have acute thirst and more than the comfort of attaining a treasure chest derived by those who are in utter poverty, the comfort derived from chanting the names of Sri Rama is better.

More than the comfort of attaining a lake of nectar derived by those who are unable to endure the heat (of afflictions of Worldly Existence), and more than the comfort derived by taking courage when feeling fear in the absence of shelter or refuge, the comfort derived from chanting the names of Sri Rama is better.

tApamu⁴ sairiJcani janulakamRta
vApiyabbina sukhambu kaNTE dari⁵
dApu lEka bhayamandu vELala
dhairyamu kalgu sukhambu kaNTE (mElu)

Show Word Meanings

More than the comfort derived by getting a five-course meal and rice pudding (commonly known as Payasam) when one feels hunger, and more than the comfort derived by contemplating in the mind on Lord Sri Rama – one who causes prosperity, the comfort derived from chanting the names of Sri Rama is better.

Akali vELala paJca⁶ bhakSya
paramAnnamabbina sukhambu kaNTE
zrI karuDau zrI rAmuni manasuna⁷
cintiJcu sukhambu kaNTE (mElu)

Show Word Meanings

More than the comfort derived by becoming calm when one feels futile wrath, and more than the comfort of attaining mastery in all the fields of knowledge derived by the unlettered idiots, the comfort derived from chanting the names of Sri Rama is better.

sAra hInamau krOdha samayamuna
zAntamu kalgu sukhambu kaNTE
nErani mUDhulaku sakala vidyA
pAramu teliyu sukhambu kaNTE (mElu)

Show Word Meanings

More than the comfort derived by being endowed with true devotion towards Lord Sri Rama and also knowing the taste of music, and more than the mental comfort derived by those who had not befriended the wicked, the comfort derived from chanting the names of Sri Rama is better.

rAmunipai nija bhakti kaligi gAna
rasamu telisina sukhambu kaNTE
pAmara celimi sEyani vAri
bhAvamu lOni sukhambu kaNTE (mElu)

Show Word Meanings

More than the comfort derived by participating in a worthy deliberation on philosophy, and more than the comfort derived by uninterrupted experience of attribute-less natured Supreme Self, the comfort derived from chanting the names of Sri Rama is better.

cEya tagu vEdAnta vicAraNa
cEyaga kalgu sukhambu kaNTE
bAyaka nirguNa bhAvamu gala para
brahmAnubhava sukhambu kaNTE (mElu)

Show Word Meanings

More than the comfort derived by attaining worship devoid of attributes of action or passion and sloth or inertia or darkness, and more than the comfort conferred on Lord Siva - Thyagaraja – who is the wearer of digit of the moon on His head as a jewel (OR more than the comfort conferred even by Lord Siva – wearer of digit of the moon on His head as a jewel - to this Thyagaraja), the comfort derived from chanting the names of Sri Rama is better.

Renditions

Variations

⁵ dari dApu – dApu

References

² bAlA – generally, a girl under 16 years of age. ‘bAlA ’ is the daughter of Mother Maha Tripurasundari and is ever 9 years old; she slayed the sons of Bhandasura (Lalita Sahasranamam – 74 and 965 refer).

Commentary

¹ mElu mElu – in the Pallavi it will be translated as ’the best’. However, when connecting the Charanas, it will be translated as ‘better’ as a comparison.
³ sAkSiga – this is a form of swearing.
⁴ tApamu – If this word means merely ‘heat’, then ‘rain’ would have been sufficient relief; but as Sri Thyagaraja mentions ‘nectar’ as the relief, the word ‘tApa ’ would mean the ‘tApatraya - (afflictions of Worldly Existence) - AdhyAtmika, Adhi-daivika, Adhi-bhautika .
⁶ paJca bhakSya – Five kinds of Eating – carva - masticating, khAdana - chewing, lEhya – licking, cOSya – sucking, pEya – drinking; This may also mean food with six kinds of tastes – (SaDrasa ) - Tamizh arusuvai – sweet, sour, salt, bitter, pungent, astringent. In the Kriti, paramAnnaM represents ‘sweet’.
⁶ paJca bhakSya paramAnnaM – in Tamil Nadu, this is a common usage to indicate a grand feast.
⁷ manusuna cintiJcina – It is rather interesting that Sri Thyagaraja discounts even contemplation on the Lord Rama over chanting of names of Lord Rama.
⁸ rAjasa pUjalu – (kAmya pUja) worship undertaken for fulfilment of certain desires which are begun with a Sankalpa.
⁹ tAmasa pUjalu – worship undertaken with the intention of causing harm to others.
¹⁰ rAja zikhAmaniyaina tyAgarAjukosaGgu sukhambu – In some books, this has been translated as ‘the happiness conferred on Lord Thyagaraja – wearer of digit of moon’. There are some Kritis where Sri Thyagaraja uses his ‘mudra’ (Thyagaraja) to mean Lord Siva.
- The word ‘aina ’ (zikhAmaNiyaina ) may be translated either as ‘one who is’ or ‘even if’. The translation given in the books, takes the former meaning (‘one who is’); however, the latter meaning (‘even if’) may also be taken. Both meanings are given.