Nannaati Baduku : By : Sri Annamacharya

Song: NaanaaTi baTuku

Kriti by : Sri. Annamaachaarya

Rag : Revati

language : Telugu

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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.

CharaNam 1 :

puTTuTayu nijamu pOvuTayu nijamu
naTTa naTimi pani nATakamu
yeTTa neduTagaladI prapaNcamu
kaTTagaTapaTiti kaivalyamu
(naanaaTi)
 

puttu tayu - to be born

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.

ChraNam 3:
 

tekadu pApamu tIradu puNyamu
naki naki kAlamu nATakamu
yeguvane ShRI vEngkaTEShvaru Telika
gaganamu mIdidi kaivalyamu
(naanaaTi)

takadu - does not get cut

papamu - sin

tiradu - no completion of ; not enough of

punyamu - good deeds

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.

Nanati baduku - 1

Nanati baduku - 2

Nanati Baduku - 3