tava dAsO'ham

punnAgavarALi Adi tyAgarAja saMskRta kRti

Sahityam

tava dAsO’haM¹ tava dAsO’haM
tava dAsO’haM dAzarathE

O Son of Dasaratha! I am Your servant; I am Your servant; I am Your servant. \t

vara mRdu bhASa virahita dOSa
nara vara vESa dAzarathE

Most soft-spoken one! O blemishless one! One who assumed the form of the best among mortals!

sarasija nEtra parama pavitra
surapati mitra dAzarathE

O Lotus-eyed one! O Supremely holy! O Benefactor of Indra! O Son of Dasaratha!

ninnu kOritirA nirupama zUra
nannElukOrA dAzarathE

I sought You, O Incomparable Hero! deign to govern me; O Son of Dasaratha!

manavini vinumA marava samayamA
ina kula dhanamA dAzarathE

Please listen to my appeal; is this the time to forget me? O Fortune of the solar dynasty? O Son of Dasaratha!

ghana sama nIla muni jana pAla
kanaka dukUla² dAzarathE

O Blue-hued like rain-cloud! O Protector of the ascetics! One who wears golden raiments! O Son of Dasaratha!

dhara nIvaNTi daivamu lEdaNTi
zaraNanukoNTi dAzarathE

I declare that there is no God on this Earth like You; therefore, I sought Your refuge; O Son of Dasaratha!

Agama vinuta rAga virahita
tyAgarAja nuta dAzarathE

One extolled in the Sastras! One bereft of desires or attachment! O Lord praised by Thyagaraja! O Son of Dasaratha!

² dukUla – raiments are made of inner bark of plant this plant Anodendron paniculatum; Tuhil – Tuyil - in Tamizh.[[http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati/dictionary/4685TO.HTM Dukula]]

¹ tava dAsOhaM – when any word is repeated thrice, it is taken as final affirmation.