zrIkAnta nIyeDa
Sahityam
Pallavi
zrI kAnta nIyeDa balAtibala¹
celagaGga² lEdA vAdA
Show Word Meanings
celagaGga² lEdA vAdA
O Beloved of Lakshmi! Aren’t the two mantras – Bala and Atibala with You with a flourish? Is there any dispute?
Anupallavi
pAkAri³ nuta nIvAri
balAblamunu teliyaga lEdA⁴ (zrI)
Show Word Meanings
balAblamunu teliyaga lEdA⁴ (zrI)
O Lord praised by Indra – enemy of demon Paka! Don’t You know the strength and weaknesses of Your people?
Charanam
kAka⁵ daityunEka zaramunanEya⁶
kaJjajAstramai paraga lEdA
zrIkara⁷ dvijulai⁸ dArineruga lEni
cinta nIku tOcadEmi tyAgarAja nuta (zrI)
Show Word Meanings
kaJjajAstramai paraga lEdA
zrIkara⁷ dvijulai⁸ dArineruga lEni
cinta nIku tOcadEmi tyAgarAja nuta (zrI)
When You discharged a reed (or blade of grass) against crow demon, did it not blaze forth as Brahmastra – missile of Brahma – born of Lotus? O Lord who causes of Prosperity! Why the worry about people born as Brahmana and yet not knowing the (right) path, doesn’t occur to You? O Lord praised by this Thyagaraja!
Renditions
Variations
- 2 celagaGga – celaGgaga - celaGga : celagaGga - seems to be appropriate.
- 4 lEdA – lEdEmi
- 7 zrI kara dvijulai – zrI karAdvijulai
References
- 1 bala and atibala – Sage Visvamitra initiated Sri Rama and Lakshmana in these two mantras, by chanting which one can overcome hunger, thirst and sleep. For the mantra please refer to- [[http://www.valmikiramayan.net/bala/sarga22/balaitrans22.htm Bala Atibala]]
- 3 pAkAri – The episode relates to Amrta Manthana (churning of the milk-ocean for nectar). After the nectar was given to Devas only, a fight broke out between Devas and Asuras. In the battle Indra killed the asura Paka. (Srimad Bhagavatam – Book 8 : 10).
- 5 kAka daitya – This refers to crow demon (Kakasura) against whom Sri Rama aimed a Brahmastra for harassing Mother Sita – (Srimad Valmiki Ramayana – Sundara Kanda – Chapter 38).
- 6
zaramuna – zara
- is also a kind of grass or reed used as arrow – According the Monier’s Sanskrit – English Dictionary, saccharum sara is the reed used for arrows. According to Srimad Valmiki Ramayana – Sundara Kanda – Chapter 38, verse 29 –
- “Taking a blade of grass (darbha – kuza grass) from his mat, he charged it with the potency of the mystic missile presided over by Brahma. It burst into flames like the blazing fire of universal destruction before the bird (dvijaM) .”
Commentary
- 8 dvija – this word means both Brahmana and a bird. As given in the above quote (Srimad Valmiki Ramayana), the word used to indicate ‘Kakasura’ is ‘dvija ’; therefore, Sri Thyagaraja seems to ridicule Sri Rama for his inaction.