Thyagaraja Kriti - Tappaganae - Raga Suddha Bangaala

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

tappaganE-SuddhabangALa

In the kRti ‘tappaganE vaccunA’ – rAga Suddha bangALa, SrI tyAgarAja detests himself for the pretences of worship.

P ¹tappaganE vaccunA
²tanuvuku lampaTa nI kRpa

A meppulakai ³koppulu-gala
⁴mETi janula jUci bhajana (tappa)

C rUkalakai paiki manci kOkalakai(y)AhAramunaku
nUkalakai ⁵dhyAninciti tyAgarAja nutuni bhajana (tappa)

Gist
Will Your grace come unless I leave off craving for the body?

Will Your grace come unless I leave off (such ostentatious) chanting of names done for the sake of fame looking at the rich having mansions?

I concentrated my mind only for money, nice clothes for the body and cereals for food; will Your grace come if I leave off chanting of the names of Lord praised by this tyAgarAja?

Word-by-word Meaning

P Will Your (nI) grace (kRpa) come (vaccunA) unless I leave off (tappaganE) craving (lampaTa) for the body (tanuvuku)?

A Will Your grace come unless I leave off (such ostentatious) chanting of names (bhajana) done for the sake of fame (meppulakai) looking at (jUci) the rich (mETi janula) (literally lords) having (gala) mansions (koppulu) (literally crest on the roof)?

C I concentrated (dhyAninciti) my mind only for money (rUkalakai), nice (manci) clothes (kOkalakai) for the body (paiki) and cereals (nUkalakai) (literally broken-rice) for food (AhAramunaku) (kOkalakaiyAhAramunaku);
Will Your grace come if I leave off chanting of the names (bhajana) of Lord praised (nutuni) by this tyAgarAja?

Notes –
Variations –
¹ – tappaganE – tappakanE. 'tappaganE' means 'if left off'; 'tappakanE' means 'if not left off' (negative meaning). In this kRti, both forms are applicable. The meaning in pallavi and (when joined to) anupallavi is ‘unless I leave off’ (tappakanE); the meaning when joined to caraNa is ‘if I leave off’ (tappaganE).

References –

Comments -
² – tanuvuku lampaTa – The saMskRta word 'lampaTa' means ‘desire’, ‘craving’ etc.; the same telugu word means ‘pain, trouble’. However, ‘lampaTuDu’ means ‘one who has much craving’. In view of the preceding word ‘tanuvuku’ (for the body), the meaning ‘craving’ seems to be appropriate.

When joining anupallavi and caraNa to pallavi, ‘tanuvuku lampaTa’ is superfluous. However, the statements contained in anupallavi - 'meppulakai' (for fame), and caraNa - 'rUkalakai kOkalakai nUkalakai' (for money, clothes, food), are amplification of 'tanuvuku lampaTa' (craving for the body). This is how SrI tyAgarAja develops his theme in his kRtis.

In all the books, the pallavi has been translated as ‘the body will be subjected to trouble if the grace of the Lord fails to come’. However, in view of the word ‘vaccunA’ (‘will it come?’), such a meaning does not seem to be appropriate.

³ – koppu – This word also has two meanings – ‘chignon or tuft on the head’ and ‘crest on the roof’. It is not clear whether this is a euphemism for the head-gear (talapAga) worn by the Kings and rich. It has been translated as ‘mansions’ – being the implied meaning of palaces and mansions of Kings and rich where a crest (kalaSa) is placed at the top as an indication of their regality. The tamizh word ‘koppu’ has a meaning of ‘kombu’ meaning ‘branch’ or ‘horn’. In Tamil Nadu, a very proudy person is derided saying ‘he has horns’. Maybe SrI tyAgarAja is using ‘koppu’ in that sense. Further, even ‘mETi janulu’ would be sufficient to convey the meaning. However, in view of the adding further ‘koppu gala’, this clearly indicates ridicule.

⁴ - mETi janulu – Here SrI tyAgarAja means kings and rich.
⁵ – dhyAninciti – (meditation) this is another euphemism for concentrating one’s mind towards securing one’s welfare. This cannot be added to ‘tyAgarAja nutuni’ – otherwise the thrust of the kRti would be lost.


Devanagari

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. तप्पगने वच्चुना
तनुवुकु लम्पट नी कृप

अ. मॆप्पुलकै कॊप्पुलु-गल
मेटि जनुल जूचि भजन (त)

च. रूकलकै पैकि मञ्चि
कोकलकै(या)हारमुनकु
नूकलकै ध्यानिञ्चिति
त्यागराज नुतुनि भजन (त)

Tamil

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. தப்பக3னே வச்சுனா
தனுவுகு லம்பட நீ க்ரு2ப

அ. மெப்புலகை கொப்புலு-க3ல
மேடி ஜனுல ஜூசி ப4ஜன (த)

ச. ரூகலகை பைகி மஞ்சி
கோகலகை(யா)ஹாரமுனகு
நூகலகை த்4யானிஞ்சிதி
த்யாக3ராஜ நுதுனி ப4ஜன (த)

உடலுக்கு ஆசையினை விடாமலே,
வருமோ உனது கிருபை?

பெயருக்கென, கொப்புகளுடை
மேன்மக்களைக் கண்டு, வழிபாட்டினை
விடாமலே, வருமோ உனது கிருபை?

பணத்திற்கென, அணிய சிறந்த
ஆடைகளுக்கென, ஊணுக்கு
நொய்க்கென தியானித்தேன்;
தியாகராசனால் போற்றப் பெற்றோனின் வழிபாட்டினை
விட்டாலே, வருமோ (உனது) கிருபை?

கொப்பு - அரசர் அல்லது செல்வந்தர் மாளிகைக் கூரையுச்சிக் கலயம்
மேன்மக்கள் - அரசர் அல்லது செல்வந்தர் - (இகழ்ச்சியாக)
மேன்மக்களைக் கண்டு - அவர்கள் புகழ்வதற்கென
தியானித்தேன் - இது கேலியாகப் பகர்வது

Telugu

ప. తప్పగనే వచ్చునా
తనువుకు లంపట నీ కృప

అ. మెప్పులకై కొప్పులు-గల
మేటి జనుల జూచి భజన (త)

చ. రూకలకై పైకి మంచి
కోకలకైయాహారమునకు
నూకలకై ధ్యానించితి
త్యాగరాజ నుతుని భజన (త)

Kannada

ಪ. ತಪ್ಪಗನೇ ವಚ್ಚುನಾ
ತನುವುಕು ಲಂಪಟ ನೀ ಕೃಪ

ಅ. ಮೆಪ್ಪುಲಕೈ ಕೊಪ್ಪುಲು-ಗಲ
ಮೇಟಿ ಜನುಲ ಜೂಚಿ ಭಜನ (ತ)

ಚ. ರೂಕಲಕೈ ಪೈಕಿ ಮಂಚಿ
ಕೋಕಲಕೈಯಾಹಾರಮುನಕು
ನೂಕಲಕೈ ಧ್ಯಾನಿಂಚಿತಿ
ತ್ಯಾಗರಾಜ ನುತುನಿ ಭಜನ (ತ)

Malayalam

പ. തപ്പഗനേ വച്ചുനാ
തനുവുകു ലമ്പട നീ കൃപ

അ. മെപ്പുലകൈ കൊപ്പുലു-ഗല
മേടി ജനുല ജൂചി ഭജന (ത)

ച. രൂകലകൈ പൈകി മഞ്ചി
കോകലകൈയാഹാരമുനകു
നൂകലകൈ ധ്യാനിഞ്ചിതി
ത്യാഗരാജ നുതുനി ഭജന (ത)


Updated on 08 Mar 2009