Nalina Lochana
From Sahityam
[edit] Lyrics
[edit] Pallavi
naLina lOcana ninu gAka anyula 1nammi Show Detailsnara janmamIDErunA | O Lotus Eyed! Will the purpose of human birth be accomplished by believing anyone other than You? |
[edit] Anupallavi
jalajApta kula bhUSaNa su-bhASaNa Show Detailssajjana pOSaNa janaka sutA ramaNa (naLina) | O Adornment of the Solar – Friend of Lotus – dynasty! O Lord of sweet speech! O Nourisher of good people! O Beloved of Sita – the daughter of King janaka! |
[edit] Charanam 1
2koGgavaNTi dhyAnamu jEsitE tana Show DetailskOrika kona-sAgunA 3doGga magani bhakti mIra nammitE maJci drOva jUpa nErcunA 4gaGga lOniyODanu nammi bhava sAgaramu dATa vaccunA 5naGga nAcula 6zaraNamanuTa cEta anaGguDu 7jnAnOpadEzamu jEsunA (naLina) | If one performs crane like meditation, will his wishes be fulfilled? If a (married) woman believes her paramour with great dedication, can he show the right path? Is it possible to cross the Ocean of Worldly Existence by believing a boat in river Ganga? If one feigningly seeks refuge (in the Lord), will the cupid initiate him immediately in the true wisdom? |
[edit] Charanam 2
parama vandhyaku pAlu perugu pOsitE Show DetailscaNTi pAlu kaluga nErcunA nera dhanamulu dAyAdulakiccitE nenaru mATa galgunA eruvu vEsiy8Usara bhUmi vittitEn- Emaina phaliJcunA varamaina pEru kalugu 9gaGga-rAviki vandanamonariJcitE brOva nErcunA (naLina) | If a most barren woman is fed with milk and curd, will it result in production of breast milk? Even if one gives a lot of wealth to ones cousins, will it result in an affectionate word? If one sows seeds in saline soil by manuring, will anything grow there? If one performs worship of the tree Ganga-Ravi, which bears a sacred name, can it protect him? |
[edit] Charanam 3
sogasaina 10bUrugulanu peJcitE Show Detailssu-rasa phalamuliccunA bhAgyamu gala 11tirumaJjana vibhavamu 12paricArakulakabbunA rAga lObhamulatO tapamu jEsitE para gati kaluga nErcunA tyAgarAja sannuta sad-guNa satya svarUpa nirvikAra parAtpara (naLina) | If one rears the beautiful looking silk-cotton (cotton-wool) tree, will it bear nice juicy fruits? Can the fortune of the grandeur of the sacred bath of the Lord be attainable by attendants (or persons performing it)? If one performs penance with desires and coveteousness, can he attain liberation? O Lord well-praised by this Thyagaraja! O Lord of virtues! O Embodiment of truth (or existence)! O Immutable Lord! O Lord who is beyond everything! |
[edit] Variations
- 1nammi – namma
- 6zaraNamanuTa - zaraNanuTa : zaraNamanuTa - is the appropriate word.
- 8Usara bhUmi – USara : Usara is the Telugu version of Sanskrit word ‘USara’ and therefore, appropriate.
- 12paricArakulakabbunA - paricArakulabbunA : parcArakulakabbunA is the appropriate word.
[edit] Commentary
- 2kOGgavaNTi dhyAnamu – The crane waits patiently, as if meditating, in order to catch a fish.
- 3doGga magaDu – a paramour. In some books, this has been translated as ‘if implicit faith is placed on a bad husband/thief husband, will he show right path?’ – by taking the word ‘doGga’ (thief) separately.
- 3doGga magaDu is to be taken together to mean ‘paramour’. The meaning given in the book of CR is ‘if a woman places implicit faith in lewd paramour, will he show right path?’ which seems to be appropriate.
- 3doGga magani – In Hindu system, the married life is considered a stepping stone for salvation. In the Durga Sapta Sati, Argala Stotram, the following verse is relavant –
- patnIM manOramAM dEhi manOvRttAnusAriNIM |
tAriNIM durga saMsAra sAgarasya kulOdbhavAM || 22 || - “Grant me a delightful and obliging wife born in such a high family to enable me to ford the difficult ocean of Worldly Existence.”
- Therefore, infidelity would go against the very purpose of marriage. This is what Sri Thyagaraja highlights.
- 4gaGga lOniyODa – the name ‘Rama’ is called ‘Taraka Nama’ which enables one to ford the ocean of Worldly existence; can a mere boat – even if it is in the river Ganga – do the job?
- 5naGga nAcula – In some books, this has been translated as ‘man blinded by lust’; in some other books as ‘wily wicked woman’; or as ‘prostitute’. Because of the mention of ‘cupid’ subsequently, it tends to convey such a meaning as given in the books.
- However, as per telugu dictionary, ‘naGga nAci’ means ‘hypocrite’; ‘naGga nAci tanamu’ means ‘feigned simplicity’. Therefore, it becomes difficult to give meanings as given in the said books.
- 7jnAnOpadEzamu – Sri ThyagarAja sarcastically asks ‘who will initiate one who feigns surrender - will the cupid do so?’
- 9gaGgarAvi – Hibiscus (Thespesia) Populneus – the wood of the tree is worthless; Poovarasu – Tamizh; pariza (parISa) – Sanskrit.
- 9gaGga-rAvi – Hindus worship the ‘peepal’ (azvattha) – Fig tree - Ficus Religiosa – which is called ‘rAvi’ in telugu. Buddha attained Nirvana under a fig tree. Sri Thyagaraja puns on the word ‘rAvi’. Furthermore, 'Ganga' added to 'Ravi' seems to make it sacred.
- 10bUruga – Bombax heptaphylla – silk cotton - Tamizh – Ilavam; zAlmali – Sanskrit.
- 11tirumaJjana vibhavamu – Like in a drama, where the audience are the real enjoyers and not the actors, those who witness the Thirumanjana of the Lord are the blessed ones and not necessarily those performing the Thirumanjana in a mechanical manner.
[edit] Renditions
Categories: Madhyamavathi | Misra Chapu | Tyagaraja | Telugu | Kriti
