Aa: S R1 M1 P N2 S
Av: S N2 P M1 R1 S
taaLam: aadi
Pallavi :
nAnATi batuku nATakamu
kAnaka kannati kaivalyamu
nanati - daily day to day
batuku - life
natakamu - drama (natakam in tamil also means drama)
kanaka kannati - that which is seen and yet not seen
kaivalyamu - liberation / salvation
Meaning : The everyday life is but merely a drama. What is seen and yet unseen constitutes the drama. Beyond these stands salvation and liberation from this drama.
poovu tayu - to leave; to leave the body behind; to be dead
nijamu - the truth
natta nadimi - in between these two (as said above - the birth and the death) (natta nadu in tamil also means right in the middle)
pani - work ; what we do (pani in tamil also means the work we do)
natakamu - drama
yetta nedu tagaladi - which is right in front of us
prapanchamu - the prapancha; the universe
kattakadapatidi - the one which is the ultimate final one; the last one
kaivalyamu - the salvation; the liberation,mukthi
Meaning : The two ends are to be born and to be dead. Those are the truths. Whatever we do in between these two ends constitutes the drama which unfolds. We see the universe and the life which is right in front of us but we don't see what is beyond. We don't see the one which is beyond the universe and the time. That is where the salvation is.
CharaNam 2 :
kuTicEdannamu Shoka cuTTeDidi
NaTu mantrapu pani nATakamu
voDigaTTu konina vubhayakarmulu
gaTidATinapuDE kaivalyamu
(naanaaTi)
kutichedi - what we relish; eat; drink (kudichathu = that we drink in tamil)
annamu - food / rice (annam = food in tamil)
shoka - dress / cloth
cuttedidi - wrapping around the body (cuttudhal in tamil also has the same meaning : to wrap around)
natu mantrapu - what is in the middle
pani - work
natakamu - drama
vubhayakarmulu - the two duties / the dual duties as mentioned above
gatidatinapude - when you cross beyond this
kaivalyamu - salvation / liberation
Meaning : We eat our food. We wrap a cloth around our middle. Between these and our end is the drama. when we cross beyond this, we see the salvation.
naki naki - is something to laugh about (in tamil : 'nagai' - to be laughed at)
kalamu - time ; because of time; bound by time
natakamu - drama
yeguvane - the one who is a higher place; the only higher place
Shri vengateshvaru - Lord Sri Venkateswara
gaganamu - akasam; sky; the universe
mididi - beyond the skies and the universe
kaivalyamu - salvation/ liberation
Meaning : Our sins don't dwindle. Our good deeds don't extend. In between these, we do something and that is the much laughable drama. Beyond these there is one and only one Lord Sri Venkateshwara. Beyond the universe He is there and that is where the liberation is.
Commentary :
When one goes thru this kriti, one is reminded of William Shakespeare and his lines in the Drama As you like it - the famous poem "All the world's a Stage"
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts....
Very much like the bard, Annamacharya talks about the life as a mere drama. The drama gets enacted day in and day out. The drama is what we see as we are all in the midst of it. But, the salvation, the liberation lies outside the drama. The wise ones are able to recognize this and go beyond.
We are born. We die. Between the two extremes lies the drama. We all eat. We all dress up. Between all this lies the drama.
In this drama, our sins add up. Our good deeds dwindle. There is one Lord Sri Venkateshwara who stands above all these. He is the one who is outside all this drama. He is the one who is conducting the drama. He is the one who is enjoying the drama. So, if you want to get out of the drama, catch his lotus feet. Realise that all these are mere drama and go out. That way is where liberation lies.
Narayana is never without His consort, Goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi is referred to as "Shri". Even in addressing people, we call him "Shrimaan...." this is just to ensure that the person being referred to is blessed with the grace of Goddess Lakshmi.
Here, Nayarayana is also referred similarly. And, the addressing goes on for three times.
I bow to such a feet. I take shelter in such a feet.
Anupallavi
kamalAsati mukhakamala kamalahita
kamalapriya kamalekShaNA
kamalAsanahita garu.dagamana shrI
kamalanAbha nI padakamalame sharaNu || 1 ||
His wife is Kamala - Goddess Lakshmi, who sits on the lotus flower. He has the face like a lotus flower. He tends lotus. He loves lotus flower. He has eyes like lotus flowers. He sits on a lotus posture. He rides on Garuda, the eagle. He has a lotus flower coming out of his Navel.
I pray for your lotus feet.
charaNam
parama yogijana bhAgadheya shrI
paramapuruShA parAtparA
paramAtmA paramANurUpa shrI
tiruveNkaTagiridevA sharaNu || 2 ||
He is the one who brings good fortune to yogis. He is the supreme one. He is the great soul who is everywhere. He has the shape of the atom. He is the one who makes the atom what it is. He is the one who is there in Tiruvenkatagiri - Tiruppati.
Interesting points to note from the Kriti:
Shriman Narayana : His name gets addressed three times to start with. This is a song which is typically sung as 'suprabhata' to Lord Venkateswara of Tiruppati. The Lord Venkateswara is like a King. And, it is a typical thing to address the king three times as the king comes into the court. Shri Annamacharya has structured the kriti as if he is addressing the Lord coming into the court where thousands of devotees are waiting. And, he is addressing the Lord three times.
Kamala : The usage of this term in the anupallavi is beautiful.'Kamala' is used a total of eight times in the Anupallavi. "Srimannarayana" in sanskrit is called "Ashtakshara" - the mantra with 8 letters in it. It is only fitting that the Kamalavasa's connection with Lotus flower is mentioned eight times :
Kamala Sati - with a wife "Kamala"
Mukha Kamala - with a face like lotus
Kamala hita - He does good deed like a lotus flower; He is soft like a lotus flower; He tends to Lotus
Kamala Pirya : He loves lotus
Kama Lekshana - with eyes like lotus flower
Kamalasanahita - in the lotus posture
Kamala nabane - with a navel from which a lotus flower springs up
Pada kamalame - The one with the lotus feet
Paramanu rupa : Shri Annamacharya lived in the 15th century. From 1408 to 1503. That time, the scientific world did not even know of 'Atom'. But, here is the 15th century poet and he is beautifully talking about the basic building block of life and how Tiruvenkatapati is there in that building block also.
uddharana : the one who saves it; ensures that it gets into the right path
adisidalu yasode = yasode played with him
The kriti is all about the mother that Yasode is. And, her innocence in taking her son as her son and not seeing beyond it. Who has got that kind of boon? Who has got this kind of 'bagya'? The great lord, the one who is the saver of the world, who has saved the world in all his 10 avatars, is playing with Yasoda. And, yasode is playing with him purely as her son.
uddharana : the one who saves it; ensures that it gets into the right path
maganendu tiliyuta = thinking that he is just her son
sugunanta rangana = the one who is full of virtues, 'end of all suguna tatvas'
adisidalu yasode = yasode played with him
The lord is full of virtues. He is the embodiment of all good characters. He is the one who makes the world a good place to live. He ensures that the demons are killed and the sages are saved. But, Yasode is oblivious to all this. She is playing with him. Just as her son.
Yasode is playing with the one whom even the vedas have not really found. He is the one who cannot be counted. He is the one who is bigger than everyone else. He is the one who is a gem amongst the children. But, Yasode is playing with him just as her son and no more than that.
anoraniyana = smaller than the 'anu=atom' = smaller than the smallest of the atoms
mahato = big
mahimana = bigger than
aprameyana = unlimited; not measurable
adisidalu yasode = yasode played with him
Yasode is playing with the one who is bigger than the biggest things in the world. She is playing with the one who is unlimited and not really measurable. She is playing with the one who is smaller than the smallest of the atoms. She is playing with the one who is all of these but she is playing with him without really knowing who He is. She is playing with him as if he is just her son.
purandara vittalana = the vittala at pandarapura; who is being praised by this Purandaradasa
adisidalu yasode = yasode played with him
He is the best among men. He is the God of all the world. He is the Vittala of Pandarapura. He is the one who is being praised by Purandaradasa now. But, Yasode played with him without knowing who really He is. She played with him just as a son.
This "Purandara Vittala" as everyone knows, is Purandaradasa's Mudra. This is similar to Dikshithar's "Guruguha" and Shyama sastri's "Shyama krishna" and Thyagaraja's "Thyagaraja" type of mudras.
Interesting points :
1. The story:
The story is something everyone knows. Yasode never really knew the truth about her son. For her, she is her son. Her child. There were miracles happening all over the place in Gokulam but Yasode was always afraid that something will happen to her precious child. There were so many demons who came there to kill the child. Though all of them were killed in return, Yasode never really put it all together and saw her child for what He was. For her, he was always a child. A really naughty child at that. A child who was almost always upto some mischief. Even when the Lord opened His mouth and showed the entire world to her, He made her forget that and continue as if nothing really happened.
2. The comparison with "Enna Thavam Seithanai" (tamil song):
The similarities with the "Enna Thavam Seithanai" also in Kaapi Ragam, in tamil, by Papanasam Sivan, is absolutely striking. The bhava is very similar.
Here, in this song, Purandaradasa just hints at the innocence of Yasode. Her fierce loyalty to her son, her assumption that her child is just like any other child, her love for Him and the Krishna Leela that flowed in Gokulam are broadly hinted at in this song. Papanasam sivan goes one step further and clearly talks about Yasoda's great boon in having Krishna as her child.
May be, Papanasam Sivan was inspired by this Purandaradasa's kriti. If someone who knows these great Vaggeyakkara's life can explain, it would be my pleasure.
God may be the greatest of all men. He may be smaller than the smallest atom and bigger than the biggest things in the world. He may be the saviour of the world. But, He is still Krishna and He is still the son to her mother. And, what a great soul Yasode was! Who can get a life like this!!
trijaga = the three worlds (earth, the world above and the world below)
vanditanE = worshipped by
sujanara = good people
porevanE = protector
O my dear elephant faced God! You are son of Goddess Gowri (parvathi). You are worshipped by all the three worlds. You are the protector of all the good people such as the sages and sadhus.
pAshAnkushadhara = the one who has the weapons, pasa and angusam
parama pavitra = the most sacred
mooshikavAhana = the one who has the mouse for his vehicle
munijanaprEmA = the one who is loved by sages/ one who loves sages
You have the weapons with you such as the noose (pasa) and the goad (angusa). You are the supreme God. You are the one who has mouse as the means of transport. you love and are affectionate towards sages. They also love you.
sAdhu vanditane = one who is worshipped by sadhus and sages
Adaradindali = respectfully
sarsijanAbha = the one who has lotus in his navel
shri purandara vithalana = God Purandara Vittala
niruta = always
neneyuvante = make me remember, make me think of
daya mADO= show mercy
I want to sing on your feet. Please kindly and happily, show me your feet. You are the one who is worshipped by sages and sadhus. Please give me the ability and power to worship Lord Purandara vittala - the one who has the lotus navel.
Interesting points from the songs :
* "Purandara Vittala" is the mark of Shri Purandaradasa. One can see this in all his songs
* Purandaradasa asks Lord Ganesha, to give him strength and focus to sing about Lord Purandara!
* Lord Ganesh has "pasa" which is the noose - which is typically carried by the God of Death - yama. Here, He shows that he is beyond death and if you go to His feet, you don't have to worry about death.
* An elephant may be very big. But, it is controlled by the weapon : Goad - Angusam. Similarly, Ganesha carries it and shows that one has to have self control.
shyamakrishnuni sodhari = sister of krishna, who has dark color
kaumAri = who is always young
umA shrI mInAkShammA = goddess uma, goddess meenakshi
shamkariyO = goddess sankari
mahArajmI = queen of the universe
rakShimchuta = please save me / protect me
kidhi samayamu= this is the time
My dear Goddess Lalitha! You are Uma. You are Meenakshi. You are the sister of Lord Krishna, who is dark. You reside in teh mountain Meru. You are always young. You are the devi of Lord sankara and hence you are called sankari. You are the empress. You are the queen of this whole universe. please save me. Please protect me. It is time for it. It is time you protected me.
Stories in this kriti :
Kalapa lathika :
It is said that there is a tree called "kalpaka vruksha". The tree fulfills all the wishes the ones who are underneath it. With it around, whatever you wish, whether good or bad, come to be realised. Shyama sastri tells us that Goddess Lalitha is like that tree. However, as she is a beautiful woman, and women are generally compared to creepers which are thin rather than thick as a tree, he compares Goddess Lalitha to the "kalapa lathika". Also, while the kalapa vruksha gives all the good and bad, this 'kalpa lathika" fulfills only if the wishes are good. It does not fulfill your wishes if those wishes are bad for you.
One of the stories about 'Klapaka vruksha" is this : one man, wandered in the forest and was lost. He took rest underneath the kalapaka vriksha, not knowing its nature. He was hungry. He wished for a feast. Immediately, there was this feast in front of him. He was happy and frightenend at the same time. However, because he was hungry, he finished his meals. Then, he wished for a comfortable cot with pillows. Immediately, there was this lovely cot with pillows! He then wished for beautiful women to massage his aching feet. There were two of them massaging him in no time. He was deeply worried now. He then thought : this is a jungle. What if there comes a lion now and eats me? No sooner than he had the thought, there materialized a lion which killed him immediately and ate him.
But, this 'kalapa lathika' will not grant the wishes if those are bad for the devotees. It will fulfill only if it is good for them. That is the difference between the 'kalpa vruksha' and this 'kalpa lathika'.
Janani :
She is the one who created the entire world. "jaga janani" is an often used phrase by all her devotees. Though it is said that Brahma created the world, the 'mahamaya' or the goddess maya, which is a part of devi, goddess lalitha actually created the world according to saktha sect.
All the Gods worshipping the Goddess Mother :
This is another traditional practice in the 'saktha' tradition. All the 3 Gods : Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva all fall on the lotus feet of Goddess Lalitha. The same thing is said by slokas such as "Lalitha sahasranama" and bakthi literature such as "Abirami anthathi:" It goes like this : "harihara brahmendradhi sevitha"
Sumeru madhya nilaye :
This is straight from Lalitha sahasranama. Shyama sastri calls devi as "Lalitha" here. And, he goes on to use the same phrases and praises that Lalitha sahasranama uses. Devi, Goddess, resides in the mountain meru. It is said to be in kailasha.
Shyama Krishuni sodhari :
This is the 'mudra' that Shyama sastri uses in all his kritis. Devi Goddess is also the sister of the Shyama coloured - dark colored Krishna. In fact, one of the famous idols in almost all of the tamilnadu marriage halls is that of Lord Vishnu, marrying off his sister to Lord Shiva. This happens because Shyamala, devi goddess, is Vishnu's sister. As Krishna is Vishnu's incarnation, she is the sister of Krishna.
One of the stories about how Shyama Sastri started using his mudra "shyama krishna sodari"
SHYAMA SASTRI, one of the Music Trinity, waschristened Shyamakrishna at birth. What made him address
Devi Kamakshi of Thanjavur as his sister (Shyamakrishna Sodari) in all his kritis is an interesting story handed
down by the temple archakas of his time, according to Swaminantha Atreya, the asthana Sanskrit vidwan
of the Kanchi mutt. Those were the days when the temple for Goddess Kamakshi was being built by Thulajaji,
the Maratha ruler of Thanjavur. Shyama would practise the songs in his wonderful voice sitting on the tower
meant for the temple bell. His aunt who was fond of him used to send him milk through her little daughter. One
day the girl came calling him "Anna" (brother), placed the bowl of milk by his side and disappeared. Shyama
noticed her angelic charm that day with the necklace of the deity adorning her neck. He at once ran home
only to reprimand his mother for having sent her decked with the deity's jewel.When he learnt that she had not
sent the girl that day, as she was not available he knew that Goddess Kamakshi had come to enslave him.
The first kriti that flowed from his lips praising Her grace was "Oh, Jagadamba' in Ananda Bhairavi which was
later followed by about 300 kritis with his mudra `Shyama Krishna Sodari'. Did she not address him as
"Anna"?
Of the 300 kritis only 50 are sung now. A master of puns, how Sastri predicted his end is amazing.
When people came to offer their condolence on his wife's death he said, saaga anjinaal, seththu aarinaal, ("She was afraid to die, but in death she attained peace" — this was how others understood the words). But what he actually conveyed was that he was to die in five days — saaga aindunaal — and that was the sixth day of her death (seththu aarunaal). As predicted Shyama Sastri attained Goddess Kamakshi's feet on the eleventh day. By :V. SUNDARAM taken from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/10/stories/2002051000870600.htm
