nagumOmu kanalEni

Sahityam

Pallavi

Anupallavi

Charanam

Variations

• ¹ brOva rAdA – brOvaga rAdA
• ³ aTuluNDudurE – aTuluNDudurA - iTuluNDadurA . The word ‘aTulu ’ (that way) or ‘iTulu ’ (this way) does not make much difference. However, the word ‘uNDudurE ’ meaning ‘they will be like this’ and ‘uNDadurA ’ meaning ‘it won’t be like this’ are diametrically opposite. In keeping with the previous phrase ‘ogi bOdhana jEsE vAralu kArE ’ which is interrogatory, the context demands a question ‘would they be like this?’ Therefore, ‘uNDudurE seem to be appropriate. aTuluNDadurA ’, (it won’t be like this) involves a change in the gender – from masculine plural to neuter singular. Therefore, it may not be appropriate.
• ⁶ evaritO – evaritO nE

References

• ⁴ khaga rAju - The episode of gajEndra mOkSaM is implied here. As soon as the cry of Gajendra ‘O AdimUlaM ’ was heard, the Lord immediately rushed on Garuda and saved Gajendra. Therefore, Sri Tyagaraja ridicules Sir Rama whether in his case Garuda has feigned his inability to take the Lord.

Commentary

• ² ogi – There are two similar words in telugu – ‘ogi ’ meaning ‘duly’ and ‘Ogu ’ meaning ‘evil’, ‘wicked’; From rhyme point of view, a short vowel seems to be appropriate. Therefore, the word adopted here is ‘ogi ’ and the meaning derived is ‘duly’.
• ² bOdhana – this word has both positive and negative meanings. Accompanied by words like ‘tattva’ (tattva bOdhana) it will give positive meaning - ‘philosophical teaching’. On the other hand, when preceded by words like ‘evari’ (evari bOdhana ), this will give a negative meaning – whose instigation. Therefore, in this case, the previous word being ‘duly’, ‘bOdhana ’ has been taken in a positive sense as ‘advice’.
• ² ogi bOdhana jEsE vAralu kArE – Taking meaning ‘due advice’ for (ogi bOdhana ), it would mean, ‘they (Your retinue) are not the ones who would give due advice’. However, taking Charana where garuDa ’s case is cited, such a meaning militates against the sense of the Kriti. Therefore, this is not an affirmative sentence, but interrogatory. Accordingly, if we translate, this would mean ‘Aren’t the people of Your retinue the ones who give due advice?’.
• ⁵ jagamElE paramAtma - How is it possible for the Lord who wields power over the whole universe would not to know the plight of an individual? - this is what Sri Tyagaraja asks. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would say ‘The mother is happy till the child is busy playing. But the moment she hears the cry of the child – either due to hunger or some other reason, she hurries to take care of the child’. In the kRti ‘sItA nAyaka’ – rAga rItigauLa , Sri Tyagaraja states ‘iGgitamerigi…brOcu … dora ’ – Lord who protects understanding the indications or intentions (of the devotees).
  • The great Harikatha exponent Sri TS Balakrishna Sastrigal attributes this kRti to the episode of Vibhishana’s surrender. This Kriti does not name Viibhishana but all the circumstances aptly describe the episode. It is as if Viibhishana sang this Krii hearing which, the Lord declared his vow which is considered as zaraNAgati zAstRa by bhaktas (Valmiki Ramayana – Yuddha Kanda)-sakRdEva prapannAya tavAsmIti ca yAcatE | abhayaM sarva bhUtEbhyO dadAmi Etat vrataM mama || XVIII -33 “To him, who comes to me, even once, yearning for protection (from me) saying ‘I am yours’, I vouchsafe his security against all living beings; such is my vow.”

Renditions