Thyagaraja Kriti - Munnu Ravana - Raga Todi

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

munnu rAvaNa-tODi

In the kRti ‘munnu rAvaNa bAdha’ – rAga tODi (tALa jhampa), SrI tyAgarAja praises Lord SrI rAma.

pallavi
munnu rAvaNa bAdhan(O)rvaka
vibhIshaNuDu mora peTTaga rAmacandra

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anupallavi
¹mannintun(a)nucu ²kula birudulanu pogaDina
mATala maracitivO SrI rAmacandra (munnu)

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caraNam 1
munu ³vajra bAdhalan(O)rva jAlakanu
inajuNDu ninu rAmacandra
koniyADa paritApamunu jUci
vAni madi kodava tIrcina rAmacandra (munnu)

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caraNam 2
munu hEma kaSipu bAdhala sahimpaga lEka
⁴mura hari(y)ana rAmacandra
canuvutO prahlAdu santApamunu
tIrci saukhyam(o)sagina rAmacandra (munnu)

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caraNam 3
munnu nI mahima nE vinnadi kAni
sanmuni vandya SrI rAmacandra
pannag(A)dhipa Sayana pAlinci nA vetalu
pariharincavE rAmacandra (munnu)

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caraNam 4
rAja rAja ⁵vi-rAja vAha ravi kula jaladhi
rAja rAghava rAmacandra
rAjIva nEtra bhava stuta tyAga-
rAja ⁶vandita rAmacandra (munnu)

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Gist

• O Lord SrI rAmacandra!
  
• O Lord worshipped by great ascetics! O Lord reclining on SEsha!
  
• O Emperor! O Lord who has garuDa as carrier! O Lord rAghava – the Moon of the ocean of Solar dynasty! O Lotus Eyed! O Lord extolled by Lord Siva! O Lord worshipped by this tyAgarAja!
  
  
  • Earlier, unable to bear the troubles created by his elder brother rAvaNa, when vibhIshaNa entreated You, eulogising the appellations of Your dynasty, You said that ‘I shall honour him’ (vibhIshaNa).
    
  • Earlier, unable to bear the troubles created by vAli, when sugrIva extolled You, seeing his pitiable state, You redressed his grievance.
    
  • Earlier, unable to bear the troubles created by (his father) hiraNya kaSipu, when prahlAda entreated You as “O slayer of demon mura!”, You, kindly bestowed him comfort by relieving his affliction.
  
  
  
• I have only heard of Your earlier glories.
  
• Have You forgotten Your words about appellations of Your dynasty?
  
• Please relieve my distress by protecting me too.

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Word-by-word Meaning

pallavi
munnu rAvaNa bAdhanu-Orvaka
vibhIshaNuDu mora peTTaga rAmacandra

O Lord SrI rAmacandra! Earlier (munnu), unable to bear (Orvaka) the trouble(s) (bAdhanu) (bAdhanOrvaka) created by his elder brother rAvaNa, when vibhIshaNa (vibhIshaNuDu) entreated (mora peTTaga) You,

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anupallavi
mannintunu-anucu kula birudulanu pogaDina
mATala maracitivO SrI rAmacandra (munnu)

O Lord SrI rAmacandra! have You forgotten the (maracitivO) words spoken (mATala) by You eulogising (pogaDina) the appellations (birudulanu) of Your dynasty (kula) and saying that (anucu) ‘I shall honour (mannintunu) (mannintunanucu) him’ (vibhIshaNa)?

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caraNam 1
munu vajra bAdhalanu-Orva jAlakanu
inajuNDu ninu rAmacandra
koniyADa paritApamunu jUci
vAni madi kodava tIrcina rAmacandra (munnu)

O Lord SrI rAmacandra! Earlier (munu), unable (jAlakanu) to bear (Orva) the troubles (bAdhalanu) (bAdhalanOrva) created by vAli – son of indra (vajra), when sugrIva – son of sUrya (inaja) (inajuNDu) extolled (koniyADa) You (ninu),
O Lord SrI rAmacandra, who seeing (jUci) his pitiable state (paritApamunu), redressed (tIrcina) his (vAni) grievance (madi kodava) (literally mental grievance)!

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caraNam 2
munu hEma kaSipu bAdhala sahimpaga lEka
mura hari-ana rAmacandra
canuvutO prahlAdu santApamunu
tIrci saukhyamu-osagina rAmacandra (munnu)

O Lord SrI rAmacandra! Earlier (munu), unable (lEka) to bear (sahimpaga) the troubles (bAdhala) created by (his father) hiraNya (hEma) kaSipu, when prahlAda (prahlAdu) entreated (ana) You as “O slayer (hari) (hariyana) of demon mura!”,
O Lord SrI rAmacandra, who kindly (canuvutO) bestowed (osagina) him comfort (saukhyamu) (saukhyamosagina) by relieving (tIrci) his affliction (santApamunu)!

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caraNam 3
munnu nI mahima nE vinnadi kAni
sanmuni vandya SrI rAmacandra
pannaga-adhipa Sayana pAlinci nA vetalu
pariharincavE rAmacandra (munnu)

O Lord SrI rAmacandra worshipped (vandya) by great ascetics (sanmuni)! I have only (kAni) heard (vinnadi) of Your (nI) earlier (munnu) glories (mahima);
O Lord SrI rAmacandra reclining (Sayana) on SEsha – King (adhipa) of snakes (pannaga) (pannagAdhipa)! please relieve (pariharincavE) (literally remedy) my (nA) distress (vetalu) by protecting (pAlinci) me too.

(Your earlier exploits in protecting vibhIshaNa and prahlAda should not be only history. Please relive Your glory now by relieving by distress also.)

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caraNam 4
rAja rAja vi-rAja vAha ravi kula jaladhi
rAja rAghava rAmacandra
rAjIva nEtra bhava stuta tyAga-
rAja vandita rAmacandra (munnu)

O Emperor (rAja rAja) (literally king of kings)! O Lord who has garuDa – king (rAja) of birds (vi) (virAja) as carrier (vAha)! O Lord rAghava – the Moon (rAja) of the ocean (jaladhi) of Solar (ravi) dynasty (kula)! O Lord SrI rAmacandra!
O Lotus (rAjIva) Eyed (nEtra)! O Lord extolled (stuta) by Lord Siva (bhava)! O Lord worshipped (vandita) by this tyAgarAja! O Lord SrI rAmacandra!

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Notes –
Variations –
⁶ - vandita rAmacandra – vandita SrI rAmacandra.

References –
² - kula birudulanu pogaDina – The words spoken by SrI rAma regarding surrender of vibhIshaNa, after holding consultations with others, are contained in SrImad vAlmIki rAmAyaNa, yuddha kANDa – Chapter 18. He quotes the statement Rshi kaNDu son of Rshi kaNva as under –

baddhAnjalipuTaM dInaM yAcantaM SaraNAgataM
na hanyAd-AnRSaMsyArtham-api SatruM paraMtapa
ArtO vA yadi vA dRptaH parEshAM SaraNaM gataH
ariH prANAn parityajya rakshitavyaH kRtAtmanA
sa cEd bhayAd vA mOhAd vA kAmAd vApi na rakshati
svayA SaktyA yathAnyAyaM tat-pApaM lOka-garhitaM
vinashTaH paSyatas-tasya rakshiNaH SaraNaM gataH
AnAya sukRtaM tasya sarvaM gacchEd-arakshitaH
EvaM dOshO mahAn-atra prapannAnAmarakshaNE
asvargyaM cAyaSasyaM ca bala-vIrya-vinASanaM
karishyAmi yathArthaM tu kaNDOr-vacanam-uttamaM
dharmishThaM ca yaSasyaM ca svargyaM syAt tu phalOdayE 27 – 32

“In the name of humanity, one should not strike even an enemy arrived at one’s door and piteously soliciting protection with joined palms.
An enemy come for protection against his enemies, be he distressed or even proud, should be protected even at the cost of one’s life by one who has subdued one’s mind.
If from fear of folly or even from desire (of some gain) a man does not justly protect a refugee according to his capacity, the sin incurred by him is despised in the World.
If remaining unprotected, a refugee perishes before the eyes of the man who is able to protect him, the former takes away all his merit.
In this way a major sin is incurred by failure to protect refugees under such circumstances; for such failure shuts out heaven, brings infamy and puts an end to one’s strength and virility.
I shall follow the excellent counsel of kaNDu, which is in accordance with facts, is exceedingly righteous and is conducive to fame and actually leads to heaven at the time of reward.”

(Translation of the chapter)

⁵ - virAja –As per sthala purANa of tiruvahIndipuraM (near Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu), garuDa brought virAja river from vaikuNTha and SEsha brought pAtALa tIrthaM to the kshEtra. The name of the river there is ‘garuDa nadhi’ – now colloquially called ‘gaDilaM’.


Comments -
Pallavi by itself is not complete in meaning unless joined with anupallavi. Therefore, it is possible that pallavi and anupallavi put together forms a single unit. In my opinion, anupallavi should be merged with pallavi; consequently, there may not be any anupallavi.

¹ – mannintunani – this word has meanings ‘respect’, ‘honour’ and ‘forgive’. Generally, ‘forgive’ is the meaning assigned to this word. However, as vibhIshaNa has not committed any crime directly against SrI rAma, the meaning ‘forgive’ may not be appropriate. Therefore, the meaning ‘respect’ has been adopted.

³ – vajra – This is how it is given in all books. vAli is the son of indra; ‘vajra’ (thunderbolt) is the weapon of indra; ‘vajra’ also means ‘hard’, ‘adamantine’ etc. vAli’s chest is renowned as impregnable like vajra. In the present context, though the word refers to vAli only, the reason why SrI tyAgarAja has used it, is not clear. It is possible that there is an error in the kRti.

⁴ - mura hari – hari – though a name of vishNu, it may not be taken as such because of the preceding word ‘mura’. Therefore, the secondary meaning - yama or take away – has been used for translation. Generally, the epithet is murAri (mura+ari) or mura hara.

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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. मुन्नु रावण बाध(नो)र्वक
विभीषणुडु मॊर पॆट्टग रामचन्द्र

अ. मन्निन्तु(न)नुचु कुल बिरुदुलनु पॊगडिन
माटल मरचितिवो श्री रामचन्द्र (मु)

च1. मुनु वज्र बाधल(नो)र्व जालकनु
इनजुण्डु निनु रामचन्द्र
कॊनियाड परितापमुनु जूचि
वानि मदि कॊदव तीर्चिन रामचन्द्र (मु)

च2. मुनु हेम कशिपु बाधल सहिम्पग लेक
मुर हरि(य)न रामचन्द्र
चनुवुतो प्रह्लादु सन्तापमुनु
तीर्चि सौख्य(मॊ)सगिन रामचन्द्र (मु)

च3. मुन्नु नी महिम ने विन्नदि कानि
सन्मुनि वन्द्य श्री रामचन्द्र
पन्न(गा)धिप शयन पालिञ्चि ना वॆतलु
परिहरिञ्चवे रामचन्द्र (मु)

च4. राज राज वि-राज वाह रवि कुल जलधि
राज राघव रामचन्द्र
राजीव नेत्र भव स्तुत त्याग-
राज वन्दित रामचन्द्र (मु)

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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. முன்னு ராவண பா3த4(னோ)ர்வக
விபீ4ஷணுடு3 மொர பெட்டக3 ராமசந்த்3ர

அ. மன்னிந்து(ன)னுசு குல பி3ருது3லனு பொக3டி3ன
மாடல மரசிதிவோ ஸ்ரீ ராமசந்த்3ர (மு)

ச1. முனு வஜ்ர பா3த4ல(னோ)ர்வ ஜாலகனு
இனஜுண்டு3 நினு ராமசந்த்3ர
கொனியாட3 பரிதாபமுனு ஜூசி
வானி மதி3 கொத3வ தீர்சின ராமசந்த்3ர (மு)

ச2. முனு ஹேம கஸி1பு பா3த4ல ஸஹிம்பக3 லேக
முர ஹரி(ய)ன ராமசந்த்3ர
சனுவுதோ ப்ரஹ்லாது3 ஸந்தாபமுனு
தீர்சி ஸௌக்2ய(மொ)ஸகி3ன ராமசந்த்3ர (மு)

ச3. முன்னு நீ மஹிம நே வின்னதி3 கானி
ஸன்முனி வந்த்3ய ஸ்ரீ ராமசந்த்3ர
பன்ன(கா3)தி4ப ஸ1யன பாலிஞ்சி நா வெதலு
பரிஹரிஞ்சவே ராமசந்த்3ர (மு)

ச4. ராஜ ராஜ வி-ராஜ வாஹ ரவி குல ஜலதி4
ராஜ ராக4வ ராமசந்த்3ர
ராஜீவ நேத்ர ப4வ ஸ்துத த்யாக3-
ராஜ வந்தி3த ராமசந்த்3ர (மு)

முன்னம், இராவணின் தொல்லையைத் தாளாது,
விபீடணன் முறையிட, இராமசந்திரா!

(அவனை) மதிப்பேனென, (உனது) குல விருதுகளைப் புகழ்ந்த
சொற்களை மறந்தனையோ, இராமசந்திரா?

1. முன்னம், வாலியின் தொல்லைகளைத் தாள இயலாது,
பரிதி மைந்தன், உன்னை, இராமசந்திரா!
கொண்டாட, (அவனது) பரிதாபத்தினைக் கண்டு
அவனது மனக் குறையினைத் தீர்த்த, இராமசந்திரா!

2. முன்னம், இரணிய கசிபுவின் தொல்லைகளைப் பொறுக்காது,
'முரனை வதைத்தோனே' யென்று அழைக்க, இராமசந்திரா!
கனிவுடன், பிரகலாதனின் துன்பத்தினைத்
தீர்த்து, சௌக்கியமளித்த, இராமசந்திரா!

3. முன்னம், உனது மகிமைகளினை நான் கேட்டது தான்;
நன்-முனிவர்கள் வந்திக்கும் இராமசந்திரா!
அரவரசன் அணையோனே! பேணி, எனது வேதனைகளப்
போக்குவாயய்யா, இராமசந்திரா!

4. பேரரசே! கருட வாகனனே! பரிதி குலக் கடலின்
மதியே, இராகவா! இராமசந்திரா!
கமலக்கண்ணா! சிவனால் துதிக்கப் பெற்றோனே!
தியாகராசன் வந்திக்கும் இராமசந்திரா!

குல விருதுகள் - குலத்தின் கோட்பாடுகள்
பரிதி மைந்தன் - சுக்கிரீவன்
முரனை வதைத்தவன் - அரி

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Telugu

ప. మున్ను రావణ బాధనోర్వక
విభీషణుడు మొర పెట్టగ రామచంద్ర

అ. మన్నింతుననుచు కుల బిరుదులను పొగడిన
మాటల మరచితివో శ్రీ రామచంద్ర (ము)

చ1. మును వజ్ర బాధలనోర్వ జాలకను
ఇనజుండు నిను రామచంద్ర
కొనియాడ పరితాపమును జూచి
వాని మది కొదవ తీర్చిన రామచంద్ర (ము)

చ2. మును హేమ కశిపు బాధల సహింపగ లేక
ముర హరియన రామచంద్ర
చనువుతో ప్రహ్లాదు సంతాపమును
తీర్చి సౌఖ్యమొసగిన రామచంద్ర (ము)

చ3. మున్ను నీ మహిమ నే విన్నది కాని
సన్ముని వంద్య శ్రీ రామచంద్ర
పన్నగాధిప శయన పాలించి నా వెతలు
పరిహరించవే రామచంద్ర (ము)

చ4. రాజ రాజ వి-రాజ వాహ రవి కుల జలధి
రాజ రాఘవ రామచంద్ర
రాజీవ నేత్ర భవ స్తుత త్యాగ-
రాజ వందిత రామచంద్ర (ము)

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Kannada

ಪ. ಮುನ್ನು ರಾವಣ ಬಾಧನೋರ್ವಕ
ವಿಭೀಷಣುಡು ಮೊರ ಪೆಟ್ಟಗ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ

ಅ. ಮನ್ನಿಂತುನನುಚು ಕುಲ ಬಿರುದುಲನು ಪೊಗಡಿನ
ಮಾಟಲ ಮರಚಿತಿವೋ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ (ಮು)

ಚ1. ಮುನು ವಜ್ರ ಬಾಧಲನೋರ್ವ ಜಾಲಕನು
ಇನಜುಂಡು ನಿನು ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ
ಕೊನಿಯಾಡ ಪರಿತಾಪಮುನು ಜೂಚಿ
ವಾನಿ ಮದಿ ಕೊದವ ತೀರ್ಚಿನ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ (ಮು)

ಚ2. ಮುನು ಹೇಮ ಕಶಿಪು ಬಾಧಲ ಸಹಿಂಪಗ ಲೇಕ
ಮುರ ಹರಿಯನ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ
ಚನುವುತೋ ಪ್ರಹ್ಲಾದು ಸಂತಾಪಮುನು
ತೀರ್ಚಿ ಸೌಖ್ಯಮೊಸಗಿನ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ (ಮು)

ಚ3. ಮುನ್ನು ನೀ ಮಹಿಮ ನೇ ವಿನ್ನದಿ ಕಾನಿ
ಸನ್ಮುನಿ ವಂದ್ಯ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ
ಪನ್ನಗಾಧಿಪ ಶಯನ ಪಾಲಿಂಚಿ ನಾ ವೆತಲು
ಪರಿಹರಿಂಚವೇ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ (ಮು)

ಚ4. ರಾಜ ರಾಜ ವಿ-ರಾಜ ವಾಹ ರವಿ ಕುಲ ಜಲಧಿ
ರಾಜ ರಾಘವ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ
ರಾಜೀವ ನೇತ್ರ ಭವ ಸ್ತುತ ತ್ಯಾಗ-
ರಾಜ ವಂದಿತ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ (ಮು)

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Malayalam

പ. മുന്നു രാവണ ബാധനോര്വക
വിഭീഷണുഡു മൊര പെട്ടഗ രാമചന്ദ്ര

അ. മന്നിന്തുനനുചു കുല ബിരുദുലനു പൊഗഡിന
മാടല മരചിതിവോ ശ്രീ രാമചന്ദ്ര (മു)

ച1. മുനു വജ്ര ബാധലനോര്വ ജാലകനു
ഇനജുണ്ഡു നിനു രാമചന്ദ്ര
കൊനിയാഡ പരിതാപമുനു ജൂചി
വാനി മദി കൊദവ തീര്ചിന രാമചന്ദ്ര (മു)

ച2. മുനു ഹേമ കശിപു ബാധല സഹിമ്പഗ ലേക
മുര ഹരിയന രാമചന്ദ്ര
ചനുവുതോ പ്രഹ്ലാദു സന്താപമുനു
തീര്ചി സൌഖ്യമൊസഗിന രാമചന്ദ്ര (മു)

ച3. മുന്നു നീ മഹിമ നേ വിന്നദി കാനി
സന്മുനി വന്ദ്യ ശ്രീ രാമചന്ദ്ര
പന്നഗാധിപ ശയന പാലിഞ്ചി നാ വെതലു
പരിഹരിഞ്ചവേ രാമചന്ദ്ര (മു)

ച4. രാജ രാജ വി-രാജ വാഹ രവി കുല ജലധി
രാജ രാഘവ രാമചന്ദ്ര
രാജീവ നേത്ര ഭവ സ്തുത ത്യാഗ-
രാജ വന്ദിത രാമചന്ദ്ര (മു)

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Updated on 17 Sep 2010