Ododi Vanthen Kanna : Dharmavathi : Ambujam Krishna

Ododi Vandhen Kanna  Raagam: Dharmavathi   Composer: Ambujam Krishna


pallavi
ODODi vandEn kaNNA nAn 
unakkum enakkumuLLa uravinru arindu 


anupallavi 
kOTAnukOTi tavam sheidu unaikkANa 
gOvindA enrazhaittu brndAvanattiDai 


charaNam 
kuzhalUdum ezhil kANavE kUDum 
gOpiyargaL mukham nANavE kAdal
vizhiyunra mukham nADavE 
muruval idazhOram shuzhittODavE 

jagannAthan ishai pADa nangai jati pODa 
kAla kAlamellAm shrutiyum layamumena
vEdap-poruL unnil onri uraindiDavE 
bOdham mighu kAdal ponnaDi tanil koNDu


Lyrics in Tamil : 


பல்லவி
ஓடோடி வந்தேன் கண்ணா நான்
உனக்கும் எனக்குமுள்ள உறவின்று அறிந்து


அனுபல்லவி
கோடானுகோடி தவம் செய்து உனைக்காண
கோவிந்தா என்றழைத்து பிருந்தாவனத்திடை


சரணம்
குழலூதும் எழில் காணவே கூடும்
கோபியர்கள் முகம் நாணவே காதல்
விழியுன்றன் முகம் நாடவே
முறுவல் இதழோரம் சுழித்தோடவே

ஜகன்னாதன் இசை பாட நங்கை ஜதி போட
கால காலமெல்லாம் ஸ்ருதியும் லயமுமென
வேதப்-பொருள் உன்னில் ஒன்றி உறைந்திடவே
போதம் மிகு காதல் பொன்னடி தனில் கொண்டு

Meaning of the song :


Pallavi
I came running for you, Kanna. I learnt about the relationship that we have and I came running for you.

Anupallavi:
I had done crores and crores of 'tapas' to see you. To call you as "Govinda" and to see you at Brindavan.

Charanam:
I see the beauty of you playing the flute. As I see the beauty, I also see the Gopis face becomes shy. But, their eyes are seeking you because of their love for you. You continue to play the flute with a mild smile...

Jagannath, you, playing the flute, I, keeping the talam (jathi) and with this divine music, like sruti and laya - the two key components of music, the music flows for ever. That music flows so that I can be one with you - you the one who is the essence of vedhas. With the love that I have for your golden feet.

The story and the subtle meanings here: 

This is a kirthanai which is very nuanced. Sung from the perspective of the lover who is singing to the Sheperd Lord, Krishna, this is beautifully set and goes at a beautiful pace.

She runs to the lord krishna - called "kanna" here. "Kanna" is also a word used to call a child very affectionately. It is also used to describe the affection and love that a woman feels towards her lover / husband. Here, the term does not quite explain what is it alluding at - and that is the charm!

The song goes one step further. She says, "I came running to you because I learnt about the relationship that we have - which is there between you and me". What is the relationship? That is not clarified. It is left hanging...the song moves further.

She says that she had done crores and crores of "tapas". Is it crores and crores of years of tapas? What is it? Again, just alluding to it and not quite explicitly explaining, the song moves further...

To call you Govinda, to see you at Brindavan...

"Govinda" is a special term..used typically when one is in distress. Here, she is in distress since she has not seen Krishna and she also knows the 'relationship' which is there because of the crores and crores of tapas she had done...

And, she wants to see Him in Brindavan...and not anywhere else! Brindavan is a very special place. It is a place where the Gopis are living with the Sheperd Lord Krishna for ever. They live with love in their heart and with Kanna playing flute for them. There cannot be any other relationship in this land!

Now, we get to know what that relationship which was alluded to. It is love. It is love like that of the Gopis. To see Kanna in Brindavan. All that crores of tapas had resulted in a relationship which has always existed - but she gets to know only now - and she rushes to see Him.

Now that she is there at Brindavan, to see Him, and to see Him playing the flute, she describes the scene. The Gopis are all there. For what? To see the beauty of Him playing the flute. But, as they see Him playing the flute, their faces are flush with shyness...inspite of this, their love filled eyes seek to see you. There is a smile playing in your face (it can also be told that the smile is in the face of the Gopis - but it fits the Lord better!)

The scene shifts from Gopis and Krishna to self...

As the Lord jaagannathan plays His music, the girl (herself) keeps the tala. As the music lovers know, sruti mata, layam pitha. Which means that for ever and ever, as the music flows, the bliss from the music flows, the Lord and Herself will be united thru this act of creating this time stopping musical bliss...

But, creating music and standing apart is not the goal for her. She wants more. She wants to be one with the Lord. She says, that she has come with love in her heart for the golden feet which will ensure that she will be one with the Lord - the Lord who is the essence of all Vedas.

A song, which is replete with nuances and subtlety and beauty. A song which is at once devotional and advaitic. A song which seeks to unite with the Lord Krishna Himself.

What bliss to listen to this song and to sing it!!

One can learn a little more about Mrs. Ambujam Krishna, who had penned this song (and many more songs!) : More about Mrs.Ambujam Krishna

Ododi vanthen kanna : Unnikrishnan