Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Thyagaraja Kriti - Manasu Nilpa - Raga Abhogi

Transliteration–Telugu _______________________________________________________
Transliteration as per Modified Harvard-Kyoto (HK) Convention
(including Telugu letters – Short e, Short o) -

a A i I u U
R RR lR lRR
e E ai o O au M (H or :)

(e – short E – Long o – short O – Long)

k kh g gh n/G
c ch j jh n/J (jn – as in jnAna)
T Th D Dh N
t th d dh n
p ph b bh m
y r l L v
S sh s h

manasu nilpa-AbhOgi

In the kRti ‘manasu nilpa Sakti’ – rAga AbhOgi, SrI tyAgarAja says that mere ritual worship with uncontrolled mind is of no use.

P manasu nilpa Sakti lEka pOtE
madhura ghaNTa virula 1pUj(E)mi jEyunu

A ghana dur-maduDai tA munigitE
kAvEri 2mandAkini(y)eTu brOcunu (manasu)

C 3sOmidamma sogasu-gANDra kOritE
4sOma-yAji 5svarg(A)rhuD(au)nO
6kAma krOdhuDu tapamb(o)narcitE
kAci rakshincunO tyAgarAja nuta (manasu)

Gist
O Lord praised by this tyAgarAja!
If one does not have the capacity to restrain his mind, what will worship with sweet-sounding bell and flowers accomplish?
Being most arrogant, if one takes a holy dip, how can (river) kAvEri or (river) gangA save him?
Will the performer of sOma sacrifice become eligible for heaven if his wife desires a beau? if a person given to desires (or lust) and anger, performs penance, will it (penance) protect him by fructifying?

Word-by-word Meaning

P If one does not have (lEka pOtE) the capacity (Sakti) to restrain (nilpa) (literally stop) his mind (manasu),
what (Emi) will worship (pUja) (pUjEmi) with sweet-sounding (madhura) bell (ghaNTa) and flowers (virula) accomplish (jEyunu) (literally do)?

A Being most (ghana) arrogant (durmaduDu) (durmaduDai), if one (tA) takes a holy dip (munigitE),
how (eTu) can (river) kAvEri or (river) gangA (mandAkini) (mandAkiniyeTu) save (brOcunu) him?
If one does not have the capacity to restrain his mind, what will worship with sweet-sounding bell and flowers accomplish?

C Will the performer of sOma sacrifice (yAji) become (aunO) eligible (arhuDu) (arhuDaunO) for heaven (svarga) (svargArhuDaunO) if his wife (sOmidamma) (title for the wife of a sOma yAji) desires (kOritE) a beau (sogasu- gADu) (sogasu-gANDra)?
if a person given to desires (or lust) (kAma) and anger (krOdhuDu), performs (onarcitE) penance (tapambu) (tapambonarcitE), will it (penance) protect (rakshincunO) him by fructifying (kAci)?
O Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! If one does not have the capacity to restrain his mind, what will worship with sweet-sounding bell and flowers accomplish?

Notes –
Variations –
1 – pUjEmi – pUjayEmi.

References –
2 – mandAkini – a tributary of gangA. However, it is another name of gangA. In SrImad-vAlmIki rAmAyaNa, ayOdhyA kANDa, Chapter 95, the river adjoining citrakUta (Chitrakoot) is also called mandAkini.
3 – sOmidamma – sOmi-dEv-amma – A title conferred on the wife of a sOma yAji.
4 – sOma yAji – The details of sOma sacrifice are contained in yajurvEda – kANDa 6 – Please visit site - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/yv/yv06.htm
for the complete details of the sacrifice.

Comments -
5 – svargArhuDaunO – As per Hindu Traditions, no sacrificial rite can be performed without wife; therefore, if the wife is corrupt, the rite would be of no value.
This is a simile for the mind and body; they should function in unison, otherwise, hypocritic actions will not give the desired results. Pure and harmonious actions of mind-speech-body (manO-vAk-kAya) - known as tri-karaNa Suddhi - is emphasised for achieving any purpose.
Advaita-Sadhana – Discourses by Kanchi Mahaswami Chandrasekharendra Saraswati may be downloaded from –
http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/downloads/sadhana.pdf
6 – kAma krOdhuDu – This will apply to all the six internal enemies – kAma, krOdha, lObha, mada, mAtsarya.
General – Please also refer to kRti 'manasu svAdhInamaina' – rAga SankarAbharaNaM, wherein SrI tyAgarAja states ' To that great person whose mind has been brought under self control, there is no need for further sacred prayers (mantra) or mystical formulae (tantra)?'

Devanagari Version

ऎ,कॆ,चॆ.. - e,ke,ce..(short);
ए,के,चे.. - E,kE,cE..(long);
ऐ,कै,चै.. - ai,kai,cai..;
ऒ,कॊ,चॊ.. - o,ko,co..(short);
ओ,को,चो.. - O,kO,cO..(long);
औ,कौ,चौ.. -au,kau,cau..;

प. मनसु निल्प शक्ति लेक पोते
मधुर घण्ट विरुल पू(जे)मि जेयुनु

अ. घन दुर्मदुडै ता मुनिगिते
कावेरि मन्दाकिनि(यॆ)टु ब्रोचुनु (म)

च. सोमिदम्म सॊगसु-गाण्ड्र कोरिते
सोम याजि स्व(र्गा)र्हु(डौ)नो
काम क्रोधुडु तप(म्बॊ)नर्चिते
काचि रक्षिञ्चुनो त्यागराज नुत (म)


Tamil Version with Meaning

க,ச,ட,த,ப - 2-ख छ ठ थ फ; 3-ग ड द ब; 4-घ झ ढ ध भ
(ச3 - ஜ)
ஸ1 श - शिव - சிவன்
ரு2 ऋ - कृप - கிருபை

ப. மனஸு நில்ப ஸ1க்தி லேக போதே
மது4ர க4ண்ட விருல பூ(ஜே)மி ஜேயுனு

அ. க4ன து3ர்மது3டை3 தா முனிகி3தே
காவேரி மந்தா3கினி(யெ)டு ப்3ரோசுனு (ம)

ச. ஸோமித3ம்ம ஸொக3ஸு-கா3ண்ட்3ர கோரிதே
ஸோம யாஜி ஸ்வர்(கா3)ர்ஹு(டௌ3)னோ
காம க்ரோது4டு3 தபம்(பொ3)னர்சிதே
காசி ரக்ஷிஞ்சுனோ த்யாக3ராஜ நுத (ம)

மனதையடக்கத் திறமையின்றேல்,
இனிய மணி (மற்றும்) மலர்களின் பூசையென்ன செய்யும்?

மிக்கு தீய செருக்குடைத்து, தான் முழுகினால்,
காவேரியும் மந்தாகினியும் எவ்விதம் காக்கும்?
மனதையடக்கத் திறமையின்றேல், இனிய
மணி (மற்றும்) மலர்களின் பூசையென்ன செய்யும்?

சோமயாசியின் மனையாள், காதலனை விழைந்தால்,
சோமயாசி வானுலகத்திற்குத் தகுதி பெறுவானோ?
இச்சை, சினம் இவை யுடையோன் தவமியற்றினால்,
பழுத்துக் காக்குமோ?தியாகராசனால் போற்றப் பெற்றோனே!
மனதையடக்கத் திறமையின்றேல் இனிய
மணி (மற்றும்) மலர்களின் பூசையென்ன செய்யும்?

மணி - வழிபாட்டில் அடிக்கு மணி
முழுகு - புனித நீராடல்
மந்தாகினி - கங்கையின் மற்றொரு பெயர்
சோமயாசி - சோமயாகமெனும் வேள்வி இயற்றுபவன்
காதலன் - கள்ளக் காதலன்
இச்சை, சினம் ஆகியவை - உட்பகை ஆறு
பழுத்து - தவத்தைக் குறிக்கும்


Telugu Version

ప. మనసు నిల్ప శక్తి లేక పోతే
మధుర ఘంట విరుల పూజేమి జేయును

అ. ఘన దుర్మదుడై తా మునిగితే
కావేరి మందాకినియెటు బ్రోచును (మ)

చ. సోమిదమ్మ సొగసు-గాండ్ర కోరితే
సోమ యాజి స్వర్గార్హుడౌనో
కామ క్రోధుడు తపంబొనర్చితే
కాచి రక్షించునో త్యాగరాజ నుత (మ)


Kannada Version

ಪ. ಮನಸು ನಿಲ್ಪ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಲೇಕ ಪೋತೇ
ಮಧುರ ಘಂಟ ವಿರುಲ ಪೂಜೇಮಿ ಜೇಯುನು

ಅ. ಘನ ದುರ್ಮದುಡೈ ತಾ ಮುನಿಗಿತೇ
ಕಾವೇರಿ ಮಂದಾಕಿನಿಯೆಟು ಬ್ರೋಚುನು (ಮ)

ಚ. ಸೋಮಿದಮ್ಮ ಸೊಗಸು-ಗಾಂಡ್ರ ಕೋರಿತೇ
ಸೋಮ ಯಾಜಿ ಸ್ವರ್ಗಾರ್ಹುಡೌನೋ
ಕಾಮ ಕ್ರೋಧುಡು ತಪಂಬೊನರ್ಚಿತೇ
ಕಾಚಿ ರಕ್ಷಿಂಚುನೋ ತ್ಯಾಗರಾಜ ನುತ (ಮ)


Malayalam Version

പ. മനസു നില്പ ശക്തി ലേക പോതേ
മധുര ഘണ്ട വിരുല പൂജേമി ജേയുനു

അ. ഘന ദുര്മദുഡൈ താ മുനിഗിതേ
കാവേരി മന്ദാകിനിയെടു ബ്രോചുനു (മ)

ച. സോമിദമ്മ സൊഗസു-ഗാണ്ഡ്ര കോരിതേ
സോമ യാജി സ്വര്ഗാര്ഹുഡൌനോ
കാമ ക്രോധുഡു തപമ്ബൊനര്ചിതേ
കാചി രക്ഷിഞ്ചുനോ ത്യാഗരാജ നുത (മ)

Updated on 11 Dec 2008

4 comments:

Govindaswamy said...

Dear Sri Govindan
You appear to be avoiding Granta letters by giving பூசை, சோமயாசி etc. At the same time the letter ஹ occurs.
While going through our earlier exchange it is noted that I ha not responded to couple of your queries. For the sake of othe followers of your blog I am reproducing this exchange in full and giving my responses in the end.
QUOTE
Dear Sri Govindan
                   Re : manasu nilpa
 Does not the pallavi sound like this Tamil song ?
நட்ட கல்லைத் தெய்வமென்று நாலு புஷ்பம் சாற்றியே
சுற்றி வந்து முணுமுணுத்துச் சொல்லும் மந்த்ரம் ஏதடா
நட்ட கல்லும் பேசுமோ நாதன் உள்ளிருக்கையில்
சுட்ட சட்டி சட்டுவம் கறிச் சுவையறியுமோ
 
Can kAci in C be taken as kASi (VaRaNASi) ?
While transcribing from Telugu to Tamil this change could have taken place.
Regards
Govindaswamy
 
Dear Sri Govindaswamy,
It is apt Tamil song. Most importantly the last line is reproduced exactly by SrI tyAgarAja in his kRti 'enta muddO' - rAga bindu mAlini where he says 'dutta pAla ruci teliyu sAmyamE' - the pot cannot know the taste of milk. Thanks for this quotation. I shall incorporate in the said kRti. Whose lines are these? Please let me know.
 
Re ; kAci - I do not know how 'kASi' fits in here. The lines are -
 
                kAma krOdhuDu tapamb(o)narcitE
          kAci rakSincunO tyAgarAja nuta (manasu)
 
    "If a person given to desire (lust) and anger undertakes austerities will it (austeries) protect him by fructifying (kAci)?"
There is no change in the word 'kAci' in any of the books. In any case, kASi does not seem to fit in here. What is the meaning you derive 'kASi'? 
 
Thanks for your suggestion
May Saint Thyagaraja Bless us all
V Govindan
UNQUOTE

My replies are given below.
1 The author of the Tamil poem is சிவவாக்கியர். In the second line முணுமுணென்று is correct instead of முணுமுணுத்து.

2 For kAci (kASi) I was wondering if the meaning can be taken as
“If a person given to desires (or lust) (kAma) and anger (krOdhuDu), performs (onarcitE) penance (tapambu) (tapambonarcitE), (at) kASi (vAraNaSi) will it protect (rakshincunO) him?
Regards
Govindaswamy

V Govindan said...

Dear Sri Govindaswamy,

I shall correct the Tamil quote of Sivi Vakkiyar when this kRti comes up for revision.

Regarding 'kAci', it is given as such in all books, and I am of opinion that this word seems to be more appropriate than 'kAsi'.

Regards,
V Govindan

Sridharan K S said...

Dear Sir,
It is simply great that you are providing the kirtanas of Sri Tyagaraja in 6 language scripts with meaning.
All music lovers are indebted to you for this.
At the same time,I feel it would be more useful if you can provide the prose order of the lyrics before giving the word to word meaning ,as is done in the case of Sanskrit poems.This can be done in both Devanagari and English scripts.
I feel this will be of much help in some possible doubts getting clarified easily.
Thanking you
Sridharan.K.S.Bangalore

V Govindan said...

Dear Sridharan,
Can you kindly clarify as to what exactly you mean by 'prose order'? Can you please give an example?
Best wishes,
V Govindan