Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Thyagaraja Kriti - Manavinaalakincha - Raga Nalina Kaanti

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

manavinAlakinca-naLinakAnti

In the kRti ‘manavinAlakinca’ – rAga naLina kAnti, SrI tyAgarAja exhorts his mind to understand the secrets of the Lord.

P 1manavin(A)lakinca 2rAdaTE
marmam(e)lla telpedanE manasA

A ghanuDaina 3rAma candruni
karuN(A)ntarangamu telisina nA (manavi)

C 4karma kANDa mat(5A)kRshTulai bhava
gahana cArulai gAsi jendaga
kani mAnav(A)vatAruDai
6kanipincinADE naData tyAgarAju (manavi)

Gist
O My Mind!
Won’t You listen to my appeal who knows the compassionate heart of the great SrI rAmacandra? I am revealing all the secrets.

Seeing the people suffer as wanderers in the forest of Worldly existence, attracted by the opinions as contained in the Section of Ritualistic Actions of vEdas, the Lord having embodied as a human being, exemplified the right conduct;
therefore, won’t You listen to the appeal of this tyAgarAja?

Word-by-word Meaning

P O My Mind (manasA)! Won’t (rAda) You (aTE) (rAdaTE) listen (Alakinca) to my appeal (manavini) (manavinAlakinca)? I am revealing (telpedanE) (literally informing) all (ella) the secrets (marmamu) (marmamella).

A O My Mind! Won’t You listen to my (nA) appeal who -
knows (telisina) the compassionate (karuNA) heart (antarangamu) (karuNAntarangamu) of the great (ghanuDaina) SrI rAma candra (candruni)?
I am revealing all the secrets.

C Seeing (kani) the people suffer (gAsi jendaga) as wanderers (cArulai) in the forest (gahana) of Worldly existence (bhava),
attracted (AkRshTulai) by the opinions (mata) (matAkRshTulai) as contained in the Section (kANDa) of Ritualistic Actions (karma) of vEdas,
the Lord having embodied (avatAruDai) as a human being (mAnava) (mAnavAvatAruDai) exemplified (kanipincinADE) the right conduct (naData); therefore,
O My Mind! Won’t You listen to the appeal of this tyAgarAja (tyAgarAju)? I am revealing all the secrets.

Notes –
Variations –
1 – manavinAlakinca – manavAlakinca – manavyAlakinca : 'manavAlakinca' is wrong. As 'manavinAlakinca' is given in all the books, the other version 'manavyAlakinca' – sung by many musicians - is considered an interpolation.

3 – rAma candruni –SrI rAma candruni.

References –
4 – karma kANDa – In this regard, the following verses of SrImad-bhagavad-gItA, Chapter 2 refer -

yAmimAM pushpitAM vAcaM pravadantyavipaScitaH
vEdavAdaratAH pArtha nAnyadastItivAdinaH 42

kAmAtmAnaH svargaparA janmakarma phalapradAM
kriyAviSEshabahulAM bhOgaiSvaryagatiM prati 43

bhOgaiSvaryaprasaktAnAM tayApahRtacEtasAM
vyasAyAtmikA buddhiH samAdhau na vidhIyatE 44

“O Partha, no set determination is found in the minds of those that are deeply attached to pleasure and power, and whose discrimination is stolen away by the flowery words of the unwise, who are full of desires and look upon heaven as their highest goal and who, taking pleasure in the panegyric words of the Vedas, declare that there nothing else. Their flowery words are exuberant with various specific rites as the means to pleasure and power and are the causes of (new) births as the result of their works (performed with desire). ”

(Notes) ‘Panegyric words of the vEdas’ : The karma kANDa or the sacrificial portion of the vEdas which lays down specific rules for specific actions and their fruits, and extols these latter unduly.
(Translation and notes by Swami Swarupananda)

Please also visit the website for clarifications – karma kANDa

Comments -
2 – rAdaTE – aTE is an intensive form of addressing a woman, particularly wife. SrI tyAgarAja addresses his mind in feminine form in many kRtis. The same feminine form is used again in the anupallavi ‘telpedanE’.

5 – AkRshTulai – attracted – attracted by the promise of heavenly enjoyments.

6 – kanipincinADE naData – exemplified by His conduct. SrI rAma is called maryAda purushOttama – please visit the website for a discourse of paramAcArya on SrI rAma –
maryAda purushOttama


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. मनवि(ना)लकिञ्च रादटे
मर्म(मॆ)ल्ल तॆल्पॆदने मनसा

अ. घनुडैन राम चन्द्रुनि
करु(णा)न्तरंगमु तॆलिसिन ना (म)

च. कर्म काण्ड म(ता)कृष्टुलै भव
गहन चारुलै गासि जॆन्दग
कनि मान(वा)वतारुडै
कनिपिञ्चिनाडे नडत त्यागराजु (म)

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. மனவி(னா)லகிஞ்ச ராத3டே
மர்ம(மெ)ல்ல தெல்பெத3னே மனஸா

அ. க4னுடை3ன ராம சந்த்3ருனி
கரு(ணா)ந்தரங்க3மு தெலிஸின நா (ம)

ச. கர்ம காண்ட3 ம(தா)க்ரு2ஷ்டுலை ப4வ
க3ஹன சாருலை கா3ஸி ஜெந்த3க3
கனி மான(வா)வதாருடை3
கனிபிஞ்சினாடே3 நட3த த்யாக3ராஜு (ம)

வேண்டுகோளைக் கேளாயோ அடியே?
மருமத்தையெல்லாம் தெரிவிக்கின்றேனடி, மனமே!

மேதகு இராமசந்திரனின்
கருணை யுள்ளத்தினை யறிந்த எனது
வேண்டுகோளைக் கேளாயோ அடியே?
மருமத்தையெல்லாம் தெரிவிக்கின்றேனடி, மனமே!

கருமத்துப் பாலின் கோட்பாடுகளினால் ஈர்க்கப்பட்டு,
பிறவியெனும் அடவியில் உழன்று, (மக்கள்) துயரடையக்
கண்டு, மனித அவதாரமெடுத்து,
காண்பித்தானே நடத்தையினை; தியாகராசனின்
வேண்டுகோளைக் கேளாயோ அடியே?
மருமத்தையெல்லாம் தெரிவிக்கின்றேனடி, மனமே!

அடியே - மனத்தினை பெண்பாலில் அழைக்கின்றார்
கருமத்துப் பால் - மறைகளில் சடங்கு முறைகள் அடங்கிய பகுதி
ஈர்க்கப்பட்டு - வானுலக இன்பங்கள் கிட்டுமென

Telugu

ప. మనవినాలకించ రాదటే
మర్మమెల్ల తెల్పెదనే మనసా

అ. ఘనుడైన రామ చంద్రుని
కరుణాంతరంగము తెలిసిన నా (మ)

చ. కర్మ కాండ మతాకృష్టులై భవ
గహన చారులై గాసి జెందగ
కని మానవావతారుడై
కనిపించినాడే నడత త్యాగరాజు (మ)

Kannada

ಪ. ಮನವಿನಾಲಕಿಂಚ ರಾದಟೇ
ಮರ್ಮಮೆಲ್ಲ ತೆಲ್ಪೆದನೇ ಮನಸಾ

ಅ. ಘನುಡೈನ ರಾಮ ಚಂದ್ರುನಿ
ಕರುಣಾಂತರಂಗಮು ತೆಲಿಸಿನ ನಾ (ಮ)

ಚ. ಕರ್ಮ ಕಾಂಡ ಮತಾಕೃಷ್ಟುಲೈ ಭವ
ಗಹನ ಚಾರುಲೈ ಗಾಸಿ ಜೆಂದಗ
ಕನಿ ಮಾನವಾವತಾರುಡೈ
ಕನಿಪಿಂಚಿನಾಡೇ ನಡತ ತ್ಯಾಗರಾಜು (ಮ)

Malayalam

പ. മനവിനാലകിഞ്ച രാദടേ
മര്മമെല്ല തെല്പെദനേ മനസാ

അ. ഘനുഡൈന രാമ ചന്ദ്രുനി
കരുണാന്തരങ്ഗമു തെലിസിന നാ (മ)

ച. കര്മ കാണ്ഡ മതാകൃഷ്ടുലൈ ഭവ
ഗഹന ചാരുലൈ ഗാസി ജെന്ദഗ
കനി മാനവാവതാരുഡൈ
കനിപിഞ്ചിനാഡേ നഡത ത്യാഗരാജു (മ)

Updated on 07 Apr 2009

19 comments:

എം.കെ.ഹരികുമാര്‍ said...

താങ്കളുടെ ബ്ലോഗ്‌ കണ്ടു,സ്ഥിരമായി വായിക്കാം.ആശംസകള്‍.
എം.കെ. ഹരികുമാര്‍

சமுத்ரா said...

great work! keep it up

v.v.r.sarma said...

some singers say kimpa insted of kinca.are both correct?

V Govindan said...

Dear Sri Sarma,
I have checked all the books referred by me. It is given as 'Alakincu' only. As per Telugu dictionary also 'Alakincu' is the appropriate form.

However, the verb ending 'incu' of may Telugu words is substituted as 'impu'. There are many such instances in the kRtis of Sri tyAgarAja also. Further, the ending 'impu' does not alter the meaning. Therefore, while there may not be any serious objection to use of 'Alakimpu' in place of 'Alakincu', the necessity for taking such liberties with the words of great vAggEyakkAra like SrI tyAgarAja is not understood.

Regards,
V Govindan

ramis said...

Instead of 'manavinAlakinca' most Telugu singers use 'manavi yAlakinca'.
Manavini+Alakincha when sandhi occurs becomes 'manavinAlakinca'.
Manavi Alakinca if used as such becomes 'manavi yAlakinca' as the vowel A becomes yA when occurring in the middle of a sentence.
Most native Telugu listeners like me would prefer 'manavi yAlakinca' to 'manavinAlakinca' intuitively.
'Manavyalakinca' as used by many singers may be correct gramaretically but does not sound like proper Telugu as we would never use that.

V Govindan said...

Dear Sri Ramis,
This has been a point of contention for long. As you said 'manaviyAlakinca' is a correct usage. I also agree that there is no variation between 'manavinAlakinca' and 'maniviyAlakinca' in terms of mAtra which can affect the metre. However, this version (manaviyAlakinca) is not given in any book which I referred. It is given either as 'manavinAlalakinca' or 'manavyAlakinca'. Therefore, I had to choose only either of these. As 'manavyAlakinca' was grammatically wrong, I chose 'manavinAlakinca'. I can only mention as to what is grammatically correct and not about the actual usage by musicians. There are also some other examples where certain incorrect grammatical usage is found - this may be due to incorrect usage of Telugu in Tamil Nadu. I am not competent enough to comment on that.
With Regards/Best Wishes,
V Govindan

ramis said...

Sri Govindan Sir,
Thanks for your kind clarification.
We are greatly indebted to you for the service.
Namaskaram
Ramis

Anonymous said...

Shri Chembai Vaidyanatha Bagawatar's version of this krithi is also starting with "Manavyala". Most of the ancient day singers start this krithi as "Manavyala". Including Maharajapuram Santhanam, MS Subbulakshmi and several others.

Regards,
GS Vijayan

Anonymous said...

Nice to see you have posted lyrics in Kannada Tamil Telugu and Malayam too


Thank you
Satish

Anonymous said...

I checked the Kannada version, and I believe that there has been an error in the second line of the pallavi. The English text says telpedanE, but in the Kannada text it says telvedanE. Can the Kannada please be corrected?

Vidhya said...

Very Useful blog.
We are enjoying the fruits of your hard work

Vidhya said...

Useful blog
We are enjoying the fruits of your hard work.
Namaskar

Sajith said...

Your blog is a great asset to students of music like me. Though I do not understand Telugu I am able to relate to what the poet composer meant, thanks to you. Would there be any reference to the period when the great composer wrote these songs, as the it helps understand his koods behind some of these compositions, and also the deeper meaning, as here he is clearly indicating his unhappiness on the rituals and Lso underlying the Manava avataram,.. thank you sir

V Govindan said...

Dear Sajith,
It would be nice if such a research is undertaken to chronologically list the kRtis, relating them to the period and circumstances, when each one was sung by SrI tyAgarAjA. But, that opportunity seems to have been lost because of lapse of time. The bhAgavatas like Sri TS Balakrishna Sastrigal have made some efforts in this regard - you may hear his 'Thyagaraja Ramayanam'. But, the kRtis selected to describe the cirumstances do not actually get reflected in the kRti itself. Therefore, they are not necessarily authentic.
With best wishes,
May Sri tyAgarAja bless us all.
V Govindan

Unknown said...

ತೆಲ್ಪೆದನೇ is correctly written in Kannada lyrics

Unknown said...

it is telpina in Telugu, plz correct it

Vidhan Sharma said...

Thank You So Much! Keep enlightening us with such translations. Thank You :)

Keeravani said...

Thank you, sir. I am teaching this song to some children to sing for Rama Navami. My guru is from Chembai bani and I have learnt this kriti as "ManavyAla kinchara". But my book (Kriti mani Malai in Tamil) says "ManavinAla kinchara". I usually correct the words as per the book but I just don't like the sound of it and felt unwilling to change it and taught it to the kids as "ManavyAla". I am so happy to read here that the meaning is still correct even if the grammar is wrong. It sounds softer and sweeter, I hope that Thyagarajaswamy will forgive me for refusing to change it! Many thanks for your wonderful and generous service! It is enlightening for many people including me.

rajan anantharaman said...


Dear Friend
Many thanks for this service in the name of the Saint Thyagaraja swami.

Learned people in Telugu or other musicians will debate on some words as above. But the greatness of this Saint is un diminished and only has grown .Keep up this good wotk