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
svara rAga sudhA-SankarAbharaNaM
In the kRti ‘svara rAga sudhA’ – rAga SankarAbharaNaM (Adi tALa), SrI tyAgarAja states that devotion with knowledge of music will confer heaven and also liberation.
pallavi
svara rAga sudhA rasa yuta bhakti
svarg(1A)pavargamurA O manasA
anupallavi
paramAnandam(a)nE kamalamupai
2baka bhEkamu celagi(y)Emi O manasA (sva)
caraNam 1
3mUlAdhAraja nAdam(e)ruguTE
mudamagu mOkshamurA
kOlAhala 4sapta svara gRhamula
gurutE mOkshamurA O manasA (sva)
caraNam 2
5bahu janmamulaku paini jnAniyai
paraguTa mOkshamurA
6sahaja bhaktitO rAga jnAna
sahituDu 7muktuDurA O manasA (sva)
caraNam 3
8mardala 9tALa gatulu teliyakanE
mardincuTa sukhamA
Suddha manasu lEka pUja jEyuTa
sUkara vRttirA O manasA (sva)
caraNam 4
rajata gir(I)SuDu nagajaku telpu
10svar(A)rNava marmamulu
vijayamu gala tyAgarAjuD(e)rugE
viSvasinci telusukO O manasA (sva)
Gist
O My Mind!
- Devotion together with the nectarine juice of svara and rAga, is indeed heaven and also liberation.
- Of what avail a crane (and/or) a frog flourishing on the Lotus called Supreme Bliss (of nAda)?
- Knowing nAda originating from mUlAdhAra is, indeed the blissful liberation;
- Recognising the abodes (in the body) of the splendorous seven svaras is indeed liberation;
- It is also liberation to remain becoming a knower (of truth) after many births; but,
- one endowed with true knowledge (of/and) music together with innate (co-born) devotion is indeed liberated (while still alive);
- Is it enjoyable to thump the percussion instrument without even knowing beat and pace? Similarly, it is a piggish behaviour to perform worship without a pure mind.
- This victorious tyAgrAja knows the secrets of the treatise ‘svarArNava’ which Lord Siva conveys to pArvati; understand (what I convey) by trusting (tyAgarAja).
Word-by-word Meaning
pallavi
svara rAga sudhA rasa yuta bhakti
svarga-apavargamurA O manasA
O My Mind (manasA)! Devotion (bhakti), together with (yuta) the nectarine (sudhA) juice (rasa) of svara and rAga, is indeed heaven (svarga) and also liberation (apavargamu) (svargApavargamurA).
anupallavi
paramAnandamu-anE kamalamupai
baka bhEkamu celagi-Emi O manasA (sva)
O My Mind (manasA)! Of what avail (Emi) a crane (baka) (and/or) a frog (bhEkamu) flourishing (celagi) (celagiyEmi) on the Lotus (kamalamupai) called (anE) Supreme (parama) Bliss (Anandamu) (paramAnandamanE) (of nAda)?
O My Mind! Devotion, together with the nectarine juice of svara and rAga, is indeed heaven and also liberation!
caraNam 1
mUlAdhAraja nAdamu-eruguTE
mudamagu mOkshamurA
kOlAhala sapta svara gRhamula
gurutE mOkshamurA O manasA (sva)
Knowing (erugTE) nAda (nAdamu) (nAdameruguTE) originating from mUlAdhAra (mUlAdhAraja) is, indeed the blissful (mudamagu) liberation (mOkshamu) (mOkshamura);
O My Mind (manasA)! Recognising (gurutu) (gurutE) the abodes (gRhamula) (in the body) of the splendorous (kOlAhala) seven (sapta) svaras is indeed liberation (mOkshamu) (mOkshamurA);
O My Mind! Devotion, together with the nectarine juice of svara and rAga, is indeed heaven and also liberation!
caraNam 2
bahu janmamulaku paini jnAniyai
paraguTa mOkshamurA
sahaja bhaktitO rAga jnAna
sahituDu muktuDurA O manasA (sva)
It is also liberation (mOkshamu) (mOkshamurA) to remain (paraguTa) becoming a knower (of truth) (jnAniyai) after (paini) many (bahu) births (janmamulaku); but,
O My Mind (manasA)! one endowed with (sahituDu) true knowledge (jnAna) (of/and) music (rAga) together with innate (co-born) (sahaja) devotion (bhakti) (bhaktitO) is indeed liberated (muktuDu) (literally freed) (while still alive) (muktuDurA);
O My Mind! Devotion, together with the nectarine juice of svara and rAga, is indeed heaven and also liberation!
caraNam 3
mardala tALa gatulu teliyakanE
mardincuTa sukhamA
Suddha manasu lEka pUja jEyuTa
sUkara vRttirA O manasA (sva)
Is it enjoyable (sukhamA) (literally comfortable) to thump (mardincuTa) the percussion instrument (mardala) without even knowing (teliyakanE) beat (tALa) and pace (gati) (gatulu)? Similarly,
O My Mind (manasA)! it is a piggish (sUkara) behaviour (vRtti) (vRttirA) (literally rolling) to perform (jEyuTa) worship (pUja) without (lEka) a pure (Suddha) mind (manasu);
O My Mind! Devotion, together with the nectarine juice of svara and rAga, is indeed heaven and also liberation!
caraNam 4
rajata giri-ISuDu nagajaku telpu
svara-arNava marmamulu
vijayamu gala tyAgarAjuDu-erugE
viSvasinci telusukO O manasA (sva)
This victorious (vijayamu gala) tyAgarAja (tyAgarAjuDu) knows (erugE) (tyAgarAjuDerugE) the secrets (marmamulu) of the treatise ‘svarArNava’ (literally Ocean (arNava) of svara (svarArNava)) which Lord Siva – the Lord (ISuDu) of snow (rajata) (literally silver) mountain (giri) (girISuDu) conveys (telpu) to pArvati – daughter of mountain (naga) (nagajaku);
O My Mind (manasA)! understand (telusukO) (what I convey) by trusting (viSvasinci) (tyAgarAja);
O My Mind! Devotion, together with the nectarine juice of svara and rAga, is indeed the heaven and also liberation!
Notes –
Variations –
8 – mardala – maddaLa. In telugu it is called either ‘mardala’ or ‘maddela’ derived from saMskRta word ‘mardala’. In tamizh, this is called ‘mattaLam’. Therefore, the telugu word ‘mardala’ has been adopted here.
References –
3 – mUlAdhAra - graphic images of bodily cakras
5 – bahu janmamulaku – In this regard, the following verse of SrImad- bhagavad-gItA, Chapter 7 is relevant –
bahUnAM janmanAm-antE jnAnavAn-mAM prapadyatE
vAsudEvaH sarvam-iti sa mahAtmA su-durlabhaH 19
“At the end of many births, the man of wisdom takes refuge in Me, realising that all this is vAsudEva (the innermost Self). Very rare is that great soul.” (Translation by Swami Swarupananda)
9 – tALa gati
Comments -
1 – apavarga – a synonym of ‘mOksha’. For a detailed discussion on this word, please refer to kRti ‘kRpAlavAla’ rAga nAdavarAngiNi.
2 – baka bhEka – crane and frog - Honey-bee is the rightful enjoyer of nectarine juice of (Lotus) flower. Interposing the pallavi wherein svara - rAga has been compared to nectarine juice, ‘a person endowed with devotion together with knowledge of svara – rAga’ corresponds to ‘honey-bee’.
Therefore, the purport, in my humble opinion, is ‘only a person endowed with devotion and knowledge of svara - rAga can enjoy the nectarine juice of the Lotus called the Supreme Bliss (paramAnanda) of nAda’. Contrari-wise, anyone else – though knowledgeable in music but not having devotion – cannot enjoy the Supreme Bliss of nAda – indeed, is an usurper on music like crane and frog (baka bhEka) on Lotus flower.
In one book, rasika has been compared to the bee. In the kRti ‘rAma nIyeDa’ – rAga kharaharapriya, SrI tyAgarAja asks ‘tana saukhyamu tAnu erugakanu orulaku tagu bOdhana sukhamA?’ - even without one self experiencing one's happiness, can appropriate advice to others produce happiness (to those who receive it)? A practising musician who does not enjoy the paramAnanda of svara rAga himself cannot transport a rasika to such heights. At least a rasika is not appropriating the ‘lotus of supreme bliss’ (paramAnandamanE kamalamupai) like a frog and crane.
3 – mulAdhAraja nAdamu - "para nAda (vANi): (The Transcendental Sound) The Primal Sound’s seat is at the Muladhara plane of Kundalini. It is undifferentiated sound, though it is the source of root ideas or germ thoughts. It is not within the reach of ordinary consciousness. Nada Yogis claim that Para Nada is a high frequency sound, so high that it does not stir or produce vibrations; it is a still sound" -
“Anahata sounds are the mystic sounds heard by the Yogin during his meditation”. – ‘kuNDalini yOga’ by Swami Sivananda (download)
4 – sapta svara gRhamulu – It is not clear whether the seven cakras are meant to represent the sapta svaras; if that be so the correspondence would be – mUlAdhAra – sa; svAdhishThAna – ri; maNipUra - ga; anAhata - ma; viSuddhi - pa; AjnA - da; sahasrAra – ni.
In the kRti ‘SObhillu sapta svara’ – rAga jaganmOhini, SrI tyAgarAja identifies five body locations in the passage of nAda as ‘nAbhi hRt kaNTha rasana nAsAdulayandu SObhillu sapta svara’ – (the divinities of sapta svara effulgent at navel, heart, throat, tongue and nose etc.).
"It is the recognition of a system of Yoga, called Nada Yoga, that the sound actually starts from the region of the navel, where it has its root, and gradually rises up into more and more audible forms, until it is expressed through the physical sound-box and the lips, the tongue, and the mouth. These various stages of the manifestation or the development of sound, right from the navel onwards, are known in Sanskrit as Para, Pasyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari. Para is a soundless seed, as it were, the very possibility of the production of sound. Pasyanti is a little more pronounced. And the more intensified form is Madhyama; and the audible manifestation of it is Vaikhari....." nAda yOga
As sapta svara belong to the category of 'ahata nAda' (caused sound), it is only at vaikhari stage that nAda becomes audible.
“The notes are viewed to have an organic unity. Thus sa is said to be the atman, ri the head, ga the arms, ma the chest, pa the throat, dha the lips, and ni the feet. These seven limbs evoke a presence, and give birth to the devas.” sapta svara
Article in regard to sapta svaras and their relation to the seven cakras.
In the book ‘Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja’ by Sri C Ramanujachariar, ‘sapta svara gRhamulu’ has been translated as ‘various resonant sthAnas (parts of the body) from which emanate the glorious sapta svaras’.
"The ‘nAradIya Siksha’ presents this technical information in a colourful tapestry of mythological and cosmological references, in which each of the seven musical notes refers to a specific colour, animal cry, social class, place of resonance within the human body, sage and deity...." 'Garland Encyclopaedia of World Music' (South Asia - Indian Sub-continent) by James Porter et al - Page 32.
6 – sahaja bhakti – Though ‘sahaja’ may be translated as ‘natural’ or ‘innate’, in my humble opinion, the kind of devotion which one imbibes from the childhood as that of prahlAda is what meant here. In this regard, the kRti of SrI tyAgarAja ‘cinna nADE nA ceyyi paTTitivE’ (You held my hand from my very young days) is relevant. prahlAda, dhruva, mArkaNDEya, rukmaNi, rAdhA, mIrA, ANDAL and tirujnAna sambandar (tamizh saint) are a few other examples of child bhaktAs. The bhakti of these personages is what SrI tyAgarAja terms as ‘sahaja bhakti’.
7 – muktuDurA – liberated – Here it means ‘jIvan-mukta’ – living liberated. ‘jIvan mukti’ is also called ‘sadyO-mukti’ - instant liberation. sadyO-mukti
The wordings of caraNa 2 (as also pallavi), make it clear that devotion (sahaja bhakti) and/or jnAna (jnAniyai) might deliver one - but by the route of ‘krama mukti’ (liberation in stages over many births) (bahu janmamulaku paini). On the other hand, sahaja bhakti together with nectarine svara and rAga, bestows jIvan mukti – right here and now (sadyO-mukti) – through nAdOpAsana.
It may be noted that nAdOpAsana has a broader connotation transcending even music, which is called SrI-vidyA.
10 – svarArNava – Though literally this means ‘Ocean of svaras’, it is stated that a treatise by that name came in the possession of SrI tyAgarAja by the grace of sage nArada whom SrI tyAgarAja considered as his guru. The story of how the treatise came in the possession of SrI tyAgarAja is told by the great harikatha exponent Brahma Shri TS Balakrishna Sastrigal in his ‘Thyagaraja Charitram’.
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. स्वर राग सुधा रस युत भक्ति
स्व(र्गा)पवर्गमुरा ओ मनसा
अ. परमानन्द(म)ने कमलमुपै
बक भेकमु चॆलगि(ये)मि ओ मनसा (स्व)
च1. मूलाधारज नाद(मॆ)रुगुटे
मुदमगु मोक्षमुरा
कोलाहल सप्त स्वर गृहमुल
गुरुते मोक्षमुरा ओ मनसा (स्व)
च2. बहु जन्ममुलकु पैनि ज्ञानियै
परगुट मोक्षमुरा
सहज भक्तितो राग ज्ञान
सहितुडु मुक्तुडुरा ओ मनसा (स्व)
च3. मर्दल ताळ गतुलु तॆलियकने
मर्दिञ्चुट सुखमा
शुद्ध मनसु लेक पूज जेयुट
सूकर वृत्तिरा ओ मनसा (स्व)
च4. रजत गि(री)शुडु नगजकु तॆल्पु
स्व(रा)र्णव मर्ममुलु
विजयमु गल त्यागराजु(डॆ)रुगे
विश्वसिञ्चि तॆलुसुको ओ मनसा (स्व)
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. ஸ்வர ராக3 ஸுதா4 ரஸ யுத ப4க்தி
ஸ்வர்(கா3)பவர்க3முரா ஓ மனஸா
அ. பரமானந்த3(ம)னே கமலமுபை
ப3க பே4கமு செலகி3(யே)மி ஓ மனஸா (ஸ்வ)
ச1. மூலாதா4ரஜ நாத3(மெ)ருகு3டே
முத3மகு3 மோக்ஷமுரா
கோலாஹல ஸப்த ஸ்வர க்3ரு2ஹமுல
கு3ருதே மோக்ஷமுரா ஓ மனஸா (ஸ்வ)
ச2. ப3ஹு ஜன்மமுலகு பைனி ஞானியை
பரகு3ட மோக்ஷமுரா
ஸஹஜ ப4க்திதோ ராக3 ஞான
ஸஹிதுடு3 முக்துடு3ரா ஓ மனஸா (ஸ்வ)
ச3. மர்த3ல தாள க3துலு தெலியகனே
மர்தி3ஞ்சுட ஸுக2மா
ஸு1த்3த4 மனஸு லேக பூஜ ஜேயுட
ஸூகர வ்ரு2த்திரா ஓ மனஸா (ஸ்வ)
ச4. ரஜத கி3(ரீ)ஸு1டு3 நக3ஜகு தெல்பு
ஸ்வ(ரா)ர்ணவ மர்மமுலு
விஜயமு க3ல த்யாக3ராஜு(டெ3)ருகே3
விஸ்1வஸிஞ்சி தெலுஸுகோ ஓ மனஸா (ஸ்வ)
சுர, ராக அமுதச் சாறு கூடின பக்தி
வானுலகமும், மோக்கமுமாகுமடா, ஏ மனமே!
பேரானந்தமெனும் கமலத்தின் மீது
கொக்கும் தவளையும் திகழ்ந்தென்ன (பயன்), ஏ மனமே?
சுர, ராக அமுதச் சாறு கூடின பக்தி
வானுலகமும், மோக்கமுமாகுமடா, ஏ மனமே!
1. மூலாதாரத்திலெழும் நாதத்தினையறிதலே
களிப்புடை மோக்கமடா!
(உடலில்) கோலாகலமான ஏழு சுரங்களின் இருப்பிடங்களைத்
தெரிதலே மோக்கமடா, ஏ மனமே!
சுர, ராக அமுதச் சாறு கூடின பக்தி
வானுலகமும், மோக்கமுமாகுமடா, ஏ மனமே!
2. பல பிறவிகளுக்குப் பின்னர் ஞானியாகித்
திகழ்தல் மோக்கமடா!
உடன் பிறந்த பக்தியுடன், ராக ஞானமும்
உடையோன் முத்தனடா, ஏ மனமே!
சுர, ராக அமுதச் சாறு கூடின பக்தி
வானுலகமும், மோக்கமுமாகுமடா, ஏ மனமே!
3. மத்தளத்தின் தாள நடைகளறியாமலே
(மத்தளத்தினை) அடித்தல் சுகமா?
தூய உள்ளமின்றி வழிபாடு செய்தல்
பன்றியொழுக்கமடா, ஏ மனமே!
சுர, ராக அமுதச் சாறு கூடின பக்தி
வானுலகமும், மோக்கமுமாகுமடா, ஏ மனமே!
4. பனி மலையீசன் மலைமகளுக்குத் தெரிவிக்கும்
சுரக்கடலின் மருமங்கள்
வெற்றியுடைத் தியாகராசன் அறிவானே!
நம்பித் தெரிந்துகொள்வாய், ஏ மனமே!
சுர, ராக அமுதச் சாறு கூடின பக்தி
வானுலகமும், மோக்கமுமாகுமடா, ஏ மனமே!
மூலாதாரம் - ஆறு ஆதாரத்திலொன்று - குதத்தானம்
உடன் பிறந்த பக்தியுடன் ராக ஞானமும் - 'உடன் பிறந்த பக்தியுடன் ராகமும் ஞானமும்' என்றும் கொள்ளலாம்.
பனி மலையீசன் - சிவன்
மலைமகள் - பார்வதி
சுரக்கடலின் மருமங்கள் - 'ஸ்வரார்ணவம்' என்ற நூலின் மருமங்கள் என்றும் கொள்ளலாம்.
Telugu
ప. స్వర రాగ సుధా రస యుత భక్తి
స్వర్గాపవర్గమురా ఓ మనసా
అ. పరమానందమనే కమలముపై
బక భేకము చెలగియేమి ఓ మనసా (స్వ)
చ1. మూలాధారజ నాదమెరుగుటే
ముదమగు మోక్షమురా
కోలాహల సప్త స్వర గృహముల
గురుతే మోక్షమురా ఓ మనసా (స్వ)
చ2. బహు జన్మములకు పైని జ్ఞానియై
పరగుట మోక్షమురా
సహజ భక్తితో రాగ జ్ఞాన
సహితుడు ముక్తుడురా ఓ మనసా (స్వ)
చ3. మర్దల తాళ గతులు తెలియకనే
మర్దించుట సుఖమా
శుద్ధ మనసు లేక పూజ జేయుట
సూకర వృత్తిరా ఓ మనసా (స్వ)
చ4. రజత గిరీశుడు నగజకు తెల్పు
స్వరార్ణవ మర్మములు
విజయము గల త్యాగరాజుడెరుగే
విశ్వసించి తెలుసుకో ఓ మనసా (స్వ)
Kannada
ಪ. ಸ್ವರ ರಾಗ ಸುಧಾ ರಸ ಯುತ ಭಕ್ತಿ
ಸ್ವರ್ಗಾಪವರ್ಗಮುರಾ ಓ ಮನಸಾ
ಅ. ಪರಮಾನಂದಮನೇ ಕಮಲಮುಪೈ
ಬಕ ಭೇಕಮು ಚೆಲಗಿಯೇಮಿ ಓ ಮನಸಾ (ಸ್ವ)
ಚ1. ಮೂಲಾಧಾರಜ ನಾದಮೆರುಗುಟೇ
ಮುದಮಗು ಮೋಕ್ಷಮುರಾ
ಕೋಲಾಹಲ ಸಪ್ತ ಸ್ವರ ಗೃಹಮುಲ
ಗುರುತೇ ಮೋಕ್ಷಮುರಾ ಓ ಮನಸಾ (ಸ್ವ)
ಚ2. ಬಹು ಜನ್ಮಮುಲಕು ಪೈನಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಿಯೈ
ಪರಗುಟ ಮೋಕ್ಷಮುರಾ
ಸಹಜ ಭಕ್ತಿತೋ ರಾಗ ಜ್ಞಾನ
ಸಹಿತುಡು ಮುಕ್ತುಡುರಾ ಓ ಮನಸಾ (ಸ್ವ)
ಚ3. ಮರ್ದಲ ತಾಳ ಗತುಲು ತೆಲಿಯಕನೇ
ಮರ್ದಿಂಚುಟ ಸುಖಮಾ
ಶುದ್ಧ ಮನಸು ಲೇಕ ಪೂಜ ಜೇಯುಟ
ಸೂಕರ ವೃತ್ತಿರಾ ಓ ಮನಸಾ (ಸ್ವ)
ಚ4. ರಜತ ಗಿರೀಶುಡು ನಗಜಕು ತೆಲ್ಪು
ಸ್ವರಾರ್ಣವ ಮರ್ಮಮುಲು
ವಿಜಯಮು ಗಲ ತ್ಯಾಗರಾಜುಡೆರುಗೇ
ವಿಶ್ವಸಿಂಚಿ ತೆಲುಸುಕೋ ಓ ಮನಸಾ (ಸ್ವ)
Malayalam
പ. സ്വര രാഗ സുധാ രസ യുത ഭക്തി
സ്വര്ഗാപവര്ഗമുരാ ഓ മനസാ
അ. പരമാനന്ദമനേ കമലമുപൈ
ബക ഭേകമു ചെലഗിയേമി ഓ മനസാ (സ്വ)
ച1. മൂലാധാരജ നാദമെരുഗുടേ
മുദമഗു മോക്ഷമുരാ
കോലാഹല സപ്ത സ്വര ഗൃഹമുല
ഗുരുതേ മോക്ഷമുരാ ഓ മനസാ (സ്വ)
ച2. ബഹു ജന്മമുലകു പൈനി ജ്ഞാനിയൈ
പരഗുട മോക്ഷമുരാ
സഹജ ഭക്തിതോ രാഗ ജ്ഞാന
സഹിതുഡു മുക്തുഡുരാ ഓ മനസാ (സ്വ)
ച3. മര്ദല താള ഗതുലു തെലിയകനേ
മര്ദിഞ്ചുട സുഖമാ
ശുദ്ധ മനസു ലേക പൂജ ജേയുട
സൂകര വൃത്തിരാ ഓ മനസാ (സ്വ)
ച4. രജത ഗിരീശുഡു നഗജകു തെല്പു
സ്വരാര്ണവ മര്മമുലു
വിജയമു ഗല ത്യാഗരാജുഡെരുഗേ
വിശ്വസിഞ്ചി തെലുസുകോ ഓ മനസാ (സ്വ)
Updated on 08 Oct 2009
