Monday, August 18, 2008

Thyagaraja Kriti - Raghuvara Nannu - Raga Pantuvarali

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

raghu vara nannu-pantuvarALi

In the kRti ‘raghu vara nannu marava’ – rAga pantuvarALi (tALa Adi), SrI tyAgarAja states that he has none but the Lord to protect him.

pallavi
raghu vara nannu marava 1tagunA


anupallavi
naga dhara bhakta jan(A)gha nivAraNa (raghu)


caraNam 1
talli taNDrul(a)nna 2tammul(u)nnA
polatiki(y)okaDu 3purushuND(au)nA (raghu)


caraNam 2
para daivamulu bAgu sommulu
sura nuta 4mangaLa sUtramul(au)nA (raghu)


caraNam 3
cEsina puNya cayamu 5brahmaNya
Asan(o)sangiti anupama lAvaNya (raghu)


caraNam 4
manasuna nIkE marulu-konnAnu
sajjana hita 6tyAgarAja nuta 7Subh(A)kara (raghu)


Gist

O Lord raghu vara! O Bearer of Mountain – mandara or gOvardhana! O Reliever of sins of devotees! O Lord praised by celestials! O Lord who is dear to brahmA or brAhmaNas! O Lord of Peerless beauty or handsomeness! O Lord well disposed to pious people! O Lord praised by this tyAgarAja! O Source of auspiciousness!

  • Is it proper to forget me?

    • For a woman, even if she has parents and brothers, would one be equal to husband?
    • (For a woman), would other Gods and fine ornaments be equal to mangaLa sUtra?


  • Probably because of merits earned (by me), that You fulfilled my desire.
  • In my mind, I have fallen in love with You.



Word-by-word Meaning

pallavi
raghu vara nannu marava tagunA

O Lord raghu vara! Is it proper (tagunA) to forget (marava) me (nannu)?


anupallavi
naga dhara bhakta jana-agha nivAraNa (raghu)

O Bearer (dhara) of Mountain (naga) – mandara or gOvardhana! O Reliever (nivAraNa) of sins (agha) of devotees (bhakta jana) (janAgha)!
O Lord raghu vara! Is it proper to forget me?


caraNam 1
talli taNDrulu-anna tammulu-unnA
polatiki-okaDu purushuNDu-aunA (raghu)

For a woman (polatiki), even if she has (unnA) parents - mother (talli) and father (taNDrulu) - and brothers - elder brothers (anna) (taNDrulanna) and younger brothers (tammulu) (tammulunnA),
would one (okaDu) (polatikiyokaDu) be equal to (aunA) husband (purushuNDu) (purushuNDaunA)?
O Lord raghu vara! Is it proper to forget me?


caraNam 2
para daivamulu bAgu sommulu
sura nuta 4mangaLa sUtramulu-aunA (raghu)

O Lord praised (nuta) by celestials (sura)! (For a woman), would other (para) Gods (daivamulu) and fine (bAgu) ornaments (sommulu),
be equal to (aunA) mangaLa sUtra (sUtramulu) (sUtramulaunA)?
O Lord raghu vara! Is it proper to forget me?


caraNam 3
cEsina puNya cayamu brahmaNya
Asanu-osangiti anupama lAvaNya (raghu)

O Lord who is dear to brahmA or brAhmaNas (brahmaNya)! Probably because of merits (puNya cayamu) earned (cEsina) (by me), that You fulfilled (osangiti) (literally bestowed) my desire (Asanu) (Asanosangiti);
O Lord of Peerless (anupama) beauty or handsomeness (lAvaNya)! O Lord raghu vara! Is it proper to forget me?


caraNam 4
manasuna nIkE marulu-konnAnu
sajjana hita tyAgarAja nuta Subha-Akara (raghu)

In my mind (manusuna), I have fallen in love (marulu-konnAnu) with You (nIkE);
O Lord well disposed (hita) to pious people (sajjana)! O Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! O Source (Akara) of auspiciousness (Subha) (SubhAkara)! O Lord raghu vara! Is it proper to forget me?


Notes –
Variations -
rAga – pantuvarALi - kAmavardhini.

1 – tagunA – tagunA O.

2 – tammulunnA – tammuluyunna.

3 – purushuNDaunA – purushuDuyaunA.

6 – tyAgarAja nuta –tyAgarAja vinuta.

7 – SubhAkara – Subhakara : If ‘Subhakara’ is correct, then it will be translated as ‘one who bestows auspiciousness’ (Subha-kara).

References -
5 – brahmaNya – One who is dear to brahmA or brAhmaNas. Please also refer to vishNu sahasranAmaM (661). The meaning as given in the following website is – ‘One who is a great friend of Brahman. The term Brahman includes in its connotation the Sastra, Tapas, Vedas, Truth, Knowledge, etc. Sree Narayana is a protector and friend of all these. Here Brahman means Jeeva-a friend of all individuals.’

Comments -
4 – mangaLa sUtramu – According to tradition, mangaLa sUtra (tAli or tAliboTTu – as is called in South India) is a simple thread with a piece of turmeric tied to it. It has now become an ornament of show. That is why SrI tyAgarAja compares it to ornament.

The whole kRti is in the kAntAsakti bhAva (love of God as that of a wife unto her husband) as defined in the ‘nArada bhakti sUtrAs’.



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. रघु वर नन्नु मरव तगुना

अ. नग धर भक्त ज(ना)घ निवारण (र)

च1. तल्लि तण्ड्रु(ल)न्न तम्मु(लु)न्ना
पॊलतिकि(यॊ)कडु पुरुषु(ण्डौ)ना (र)

च2. पर दैवमुलु बागु सॊम्मुलु
सुर नुत मंगळ सूत्रमु(लौ)ना (र)

च3. चेसिन पुण्य चयमु ब्रह्मण्य
आस(नॊ)संगिति अनुपम लावण्य (र)

च4. मनसुन नीके मरुलु-कॊन्नानु
सज्जन हित त्यागराज नुत शु(भा)कर (र)


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. ரகு4 வர நன்னு மரவ தகு3னா

அ. நக3 த4ர ப4க்த ஜ(னா)க4 நிவாரண (ர)

ச1. தல்லி தண்ட்3ரு(ல)ன்ன தம்மு(லு)ன்னா
பொலதிகி(யொ)கடு3 புருஷுண்(டௌ3)னா (ர)

ச2. பர தை3வமுலு பா3கு3 ஸொம்முலு
ஸுர நுத மங்க3ள ஸூத்ரமு(லௌ)னா (ர)

ச3. சேஸின புண்ய சயமு ப்3ரஹ்மண்ய
ஆஸ(னொ)ஸங்கி3தி அனுபம லாவண்ய (ர)

ச4. மனஸுன நீகே மருலு-கொன்னானு
ஸஜ்ஜன ஹித த்யாக3ராஜ நுத ஸு1(பா4)கர (ர)

இரகுவரா! என்னை மறக்கத் தகுமா?

மலை சுமந்தோனே! தொண்டர் பாவங்களைக் களைவோனே!
இரகுவரா! என்னை மறக்கத் தகுமா?

1. பெற்றோரும், உடன் பிறந்தோரும் இருந்தாலும்,
பெண்ணுக்கு ஒருவன் கணவனாவானா?
இரகுவரா! என்னை மறக்கத் தகுமா?

2. பிற தெய்வங்களும், சிறந்த நகைகளும்,
வானோரால் போற்றப் பெற்றோனே! தாலிக் கயிறாகுமா?
இரகுவரா! என்னை மறக்கத் தகுமா?

3. (நான்) செய்த புண்ணியங்களோ, அந்தணருக்கினியோனே!
(எனது) அவாவினை யளித்தாய்; ஒப்பற்ற எழிலோனே!
இரகுவரா! என்னை மறக்கத் தகுமா?

4. உள்ளத்தினில், உன்மீதே காதல் கொண்டேன்;
நல்லோருக்கினியோனே! தியாகராசன் போற்றும், மங்களச் சுரங்கமே!
இரகுவரா! என்னை மறக்கத் தகுமா?


Telugu

ప. రఘు వర నన్ను మరవ తగునా

అ. నగ ధర భక్త జనాఘ నివారణ (ర)

చ1. తల్లి తండ్రులన్న తమ్ములున్నా
పొలతికియొకడు పురుషుండౌనా (ర)

చ2. పర దైవములు బాగు సొమ్ములు
సుర నుత మంగళ సూత్రములౌనా (ర)

చ3. చేసిన పుణ్య చయము బ్రహ్మణ్య
ఆసనొసంగితి అనుపమ లావణ్య (ర)

చ4. మనసున నీకే మరులు-కొన్నాను
సజ్జన హిత త్యాగరాజ నుత శుభాకర (ర)



Kannada

ಪ. ರಘು ವರ ನನ್ನು ಮರವ ತಗುನಾ

ಅ. ನಗ ಧರ ಭಕ್ತ ಜನಾಘ ನಿವಾರಣ (ರ)

ಚ1. ತಲ್ಲಿ ತಂಡ್ರುಲನ್ನ ತಮ್ಮುಲುನ್ನಾ
ಪೊಲತಿಕಿಯೊಕಡು ಪುರುಷುಂಡೌನಾ (ರ)

ಚ2. ಪರ ದೈವಮುಲು ಬಾಗು ಸೊಮ್ಮುಲು
ಸುರ ನುತ ಮಂಗಳ ಸೂತ್ರಮುಲೌನಾ (ರ)

ಚ3. ಚೇಸಿನ ಪುಣ್ಯ ಚಯಮು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣ್ಯ
ಆಸನೊಸಂಗಿತಿ ಅನುಪಮ ಲಾವಣ್ಯ (ರ)

ಚ4. ಮನಸುನ ನೀಕೇ ಮರುಲು-ಕೊನ್ನಾನು
ಸಜ್ಜನ ಹಿತ ತ್ಯಾಗರಾಜ ನುತ ಶುಭಾಕರ (ರ)



Malayalam


പ. രഘു വര നന്നു മരവ തഗുനാ

അ. നഗ ധര ഭക്ത ജനാഘ നിവാരണ (ര)

ച1. തല്ലി തണ്ഡ്രുലന്ന തമ്മുലുന്നാ
പൊലതികിയൊകഡു പുരുഷുണ്ഡൌനാ (ര)

ച2. പര ദൈവമുലു ബാഗു സൊമ്മുലു
സുര നുത മങ്ഗള സൂത്രമുലൌനാ (ര)

ച3. ചേസിന പുണ്യ ചയമു ബ്രഹ്മണ്യ
ആസനൊസങ്ഗിതി അനുപമ ലാവണ്യ (ര)

ച4. മനസുന നീകേ മരുലു-കൊന്നാനു
സജ്ജന ഹിത ത്യാഗരാജ നുത ശുഭാകര (ര)



Updated on 12 Apr 2010

2 comments:

Govindaswamy said...

Dear Govindan
I came across the following posting in Rasikas.org

“In the neraval for Raghuvara, I heard many others singing Manasuna neekae and she sang Manasuna nee kai. Hailing from Telugu desam, her pronounciation must be correct only.”

I had also not fully understood the meaning of “manasuna nIkE marulu-konnAnu”. You had given the meanings as
1) உள்ளத்தினில்/ உன்மீதே/ காதல்/ கொண்டேன்/ and
2) In my mind (manusuna), I have fallen in love (marulu-konnAnu) with You (nIkE);

‘nIkE’ means ‘only to you’ உனக்கு மட்டும்.
‘nIpai’ means ‘ with you’ உன் மீது .
‘nIkai’ means ‘for you’ உனக்காக.

Out ot these the second one sounds moe appropriate to me.
We are not competent to judge the poetry of Thyagaraja.
Regards
Govindaswamy

V Govindan said...

Dear Sri Govindaswamy,
In all books it is given as 'nIkE' only. Further, if you see the previous caraNams where SrI tyAgarAja has given examples, the emphasis in the word 'nIkE' can be understood.
The reason why Telugu singer would have sung as 'nIkai' is that she might be singing only the last caraNam.
When singers are not ready to sing the whole kRti even if the last caraNam does not contain any worthwhile message, why should we bother as to how these singers pronounce these words? For singers, these kRtis are just meant for entertaining the audience. It is not so for Sri Tyagaraja.
It is a pity that you and I should be wasting our time discussing such renditions by singers who show scant regard for the vAggEyakkAra.It requires more than knowledge of music to render kRtis of tyAgarAja - bhAvA.

Regards,
V Govindan