nIku tanaku
Sahityam
Pallavi
nIku tanaku RNa¹ RNi bhAvamu lEdanedaru
Show Word Meanings
People say that there is no notion of debt and debtor between You and me.
Anupallavi
lEka nIkE daya lEdO zrI rAma (nIku)
Show Word Meanings
People say that there is no notion of debt and debtor between You and me; O Lord Sri Rama! or else, is it that You have no compassion towards me?
Charanams Combined
cinna nADAdiga cittamandu nela-
konna vADavai nA kOrke sAgakuNTE (nIku)
Show Word Meanings
konna vADavai nA kOrke sAgakuNTE (nIku)
Even though You being the one established in my mind right from my childhood, if my wishes remain unaccomplished, people say that there is no notion of debt and debtor between You and me.
karagi karagi pAda kamalamandu vrAla
karuNintunani nApai kannada jEsitE (nIku)
Show Word Meanings
karuNintunani nApai kannada jEsitE (nIku)
While I beseech You crying at Your Lotus Feet, if You disregard me after promising that ‘I shall protect’, people say that there is no notion of debt and debtor between You and me.
I janmamuna² nAdu pUjala gaikoni
rAjillu zrI³ tyAgarAjuni maracitE (nIku)
Show Word Meanings
rAjillu zrI³ tyAgarAjuni maracitE (nIku)
Having accepted my worship in this life, if You forget this Thyagaraja, people say that there is no idea of debt and debtor between You – the shining One - and me.
Renditions
Variations
- 2 janmamuna – jagamuna
- 3 zrI tyAgarAjuni – tyAgarAjuni
Commentary
- 1 RNa RNi - A promise made is also known as ‘debt’ (RNa ). From the wordings of charaNa 3, it is clear that having accepted the worship of the devotee, the Lord becomes indebted to protect the devotee. Therefore, this existence of relationship between the Lord and the devotee and the redemption of the promise to protect the devotee is what Sri Thyagaraja seems to refer as ‘RNa -RNi bhAvamu
- Please also refer to Kriti ‘dAzarathi nI RNamu’ rAga tODi where Sri Thyagaraja wonders as to how he would repay the Lord.