Rama Rama Rama Napai

From Sahityam

[edit] Lyrics

[edit] Pallavi

[edit] Charanams Combined

[edit] Variations

• ³kalaDA – kaladA
• ⁶anubhavimpakanu – anubhaviJcakanu

[edit] References

[edit] Commentary

• ¹jAtiyaina – Here, ‘caste’ is not meant.
• ²tanaku tAnu – The implication is that ‘I belong to You and if Your mercy does not come, then it would amount to deceiving Oneself (Lord)’.
• ⁴asUya – this word means ‘envy’, ‘intolerance’, ‘malignity’. It is possible for parents to be ‘intolerant’ towards their children; but ‘malignity’ or ‘envy’ is not possible. Therefore, ‘envy’ has been adopted.
• ⁵brahma niSThuDainaTTi – a person who is absorbed in the Supreme Self has crossed over all possible delusions. Therefore, there cannot be any such deception. But, at mundane level, there may be set backs which would not, in any case, matter to such a person. I feel that the word ‘prabala’ has been introduced by Sri Thyagaraja to differentiate this. However, it is not very clear as to whom Sri Thyagaraja refers as ‘brahma niSTha’ and how the comparison is to be reconciled with the statement that ‘it is not correct for the Lord not to have compassion on him’. Is he referring to himself as ‘brahma niSTha’?
• ⁷kanaka taruNulAsa kalalainanu lEni – This can be interpreted in two ways ‘Are there house-holders, even in dreams, who do not have desire for gold and women’; or ‘are there house-holders who do not have desire for gold and women even in dreams’. The placment of the word ‘kalalainanu’ is such that it would normally result in the former translation. However, for the reasons stated below, the latter version seems to be more appropriate.
  • In case the latter version is adopted, then Sri Thyagaraja, who has eschewed all Worldly desires (in waking state), might be subject to certain delusions in the dreams (svapna) because of the vAsanAs. This, he wants the Lord to ignore.
  • In case the former version is adopted, the purport of is not very clear. Does Sri Thyagaraja say that he is also a house-holder and the Lord should not take cognizance of his desire for wealth and wife? May not be, because in many Kritis, he says that he has no desires at all in this World – ‘vaddanE vAru lEru’ – rAga SaNmukhapriya refers.
  • However, we should keep in mind that the kritis of Sri Thyagaraja are, in fact, a dialogue with Lord Rama which he carried out throughout his life. Therefore, the Kriti may also be part of evolutionary Thyagaraja.
  • Alternatively, this Kriti may belong to the category of ‘self depreciation’ – Atma garhaNa as described by Dr V Raghavan, in his Introductory Thesis to the book ‘The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja’ by Sri C Ramanujachariar. Please visit the following wesite to know more - [Atma Garhana]
  • Adi Sankara, in his ‘Sivananda Lahari’ (verse 20) states –

sadA mOhATavyAM carati yuvatInAM kuca-girau
naTaty AzA-zAkhAs-vaTati jhaTiti svairam-abhitaH |
kapAlin bhikSO mE hRdaya-kapim-atyanta capalaM
dRDhaM bhaktyA baddhvA ziva bhavad-adhInam kuru vibhO || 20 ||

• • “O Lord! Thou that bearest a skull in hand! Thou mendicant! Thou auspicious and all-pervading one! Accepting this monkey of my mind as my devout offering, bind it with (the cord of) devotion and bring it under Thy control – this extremely wayward monkey that always wanders in the forest of ignorance, dancing on the hill-tops of young women’s breasts, and moving about quickly in diverse directions (according to its promptings) along the branches of worldly desires.” (Translation by Swami Tapasyananda)
  • Adi Sankara, being a Brahma Nishtha, would not have had such a wavering mind. For the benefit of disciples and devotees they coin such wordings assuming their roles. The caraNa 7 of present kRti may belong to this category also.

[edit] Renditions