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204 TYAGARAJA KIRTANAS
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“UNDEDI RAMUDU OKADU” (Harikambhdji)
There is Rama, the one Lord; Oh mind! do ‘not get
needlessly ruined. He shines with brilliance in the heart
of the blazing Sun; He is free from Tamasa Guna: -He is
the soul of all Dharmas. He looks evenly upon all. He
bestows welfare: He is the beloved of Tyágará&ja.
NIVANTI DAIVAMU” (Bhairavi)
Oh Rama! After deep mental reflection, I see it is
impossible for me to find another God like you. If one
wants to speak, one should speak about you; if one wants to
sing one must sing of you alone; if one wants to associate
with anybody, one must associate with you alone. I now
know your heart:
"SYAMA SUNDARA" (951788)
© Lord of beautiful swarthy limbs! You are the
embodiment of all power, you Ráma who shine in the world
as the Lord full of all excellences and devoid of the Tamo-
guna! who destroys the pride of the wicked demons, and
also sports in the hearts of the virtuous! You alone are my
favourite deity. Is Tyágaràja different from you?
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“ RAGHUVARA NANNU” (Pantuvaráli)
Oh Raghuvara! Is it proper for you to forget me? Can
the parents, brothers and other relations of a woman stand
to her on the same focting as her husband? Can all the
ornaments which she wears stand on the same footing as
her Mangala Sütra? As the result of my meritorious deeds
in my previous birth, you have roused a desire in me and 1
have cherished deep love for you alone in my mind;
“RAMA EVA DAIVATAM” (Balahamsa)
Rama aloneis my God. Heis the destroyer of the
mental distress of devotees.
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“RAMA NI SAMANA” (Khareharepriyà).
Rama! Who is there equal to you? You are the beloved
parrot in the cage of Sità's Bhakti. You are yourself gentle
in speech and have brothers whose words drip with honey.
You are Ty&qaraja’s family deity:
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"VEREVVARE" (Surati)
Who else but you, Oh Sitápati, the prop of the
fourteen worlds, can ever be the refuge for all Devas,
Munis, Suka, Sanaka, Narada etc. and to Gods like Brahma,
Siva, Indra etc. and Tyagaraja ?
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" TALLIDANDRULU" (Balahamsa)
Is there any God equal to you in the world? You had
parents only in name. Your abode is the milk ocean ; your
consort is Siti; Siva, Brahma, Indra, Sun, Moon and other
Devas serve you as Vánaras; Chakra and Adisesha have
become your brothers and are serving you.
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" MUMMÜRTULU" (Atina)
Listen to the beautiful and concerted praise of the
Trimürtis of Sri Rama’s gunas, which they found to
outweigh their own gunas in worth, on weighing them both
in the balance in a spirit of rivalry. Having. heard that he
9 TYAGARAJA KIRTANAS
was only a king's son, they were.ataloss to know how he
could possess these gunas; and their doubts were not
cleared.
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" KARUVELPULU" (Kalyáni)
No God of this Universe can be equal to you. To
compare any one of them to you will be like comparing
the fine quality of table rice to worthless chaff, the small
light to the torch, the channel to the river Kaveri, the stars
to the moon, the man to Manmatha, the lake to the sea.
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“ITARA DAIVAMULA" (Chayatarangini)
Is happiness possible of attainment through other gods,
Oh Rama! tome, whose mind, without harbouring any
prejudice against other faiths, is constantly and passiona-
tely in love with you?
Istand resigned in you, whether you, who know my
mind, protect me or neglect me. I have only to say that
this is just the time for you to treat me as yours:
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"MADILONA YOCHANA" (Kol&halam)
Ihave always regarded your Rama Avatàra as the
best of your ten Avatars
(See below)
"EVARIKAI AVATARAM" (Dévamanóhari)
For whom did you take this incarnation? Tell me now
at least, Oh Rama! I prostrate before the blessed one at
whose instance you incarnated, exhibiting both the aspects
of King and Rishi, with a name adored by the Vedas, with a
transcendantal form more glorious than those of Brahma
and Rudra and with heroic deeds full of bliss ?
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TYAGARAJA KIRTANAS
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"DORAKUNA" (Bilahari)
Will it ever be possible for even Brahmans and gods
who have only alittle Tapas to their credit, to have the
blessed privilege of such a Darsana as that of Hari being
rocked on Adisesha as his bed with Tumburu and Narada
singing the glory of his gunas, with Ambarisha and others
chanting his holy name and strewing jasmine flowers, with
beautiful celestial damsels dancing, with Brahma and Indra
standing on either side and proclaiming the divine glory
and with celestial women fanning with the jingling of their
ornaments, a darsana as that of the repository of all beauty
with his emarald-like body clad in shining golden garments,
with the colour of his foot-nails outshining the rays of the
moon; with brilliant anklets, with dazzling diamond rings
on his fingers, with pearl-garlands on his chest, with face
radiant with glowing ear-ornaments and charming smile,
curly forelocks, glossy cheeks, and with lovely tilaka on the
forehead, a darsana as that of Sri Rama seated on the golden
swing with Sità, the fulfiller of devotees’ desires, trans-
ported to ecstacy at the sight of the Lord, with great Rishis
standing bewildered unable even to praise his glories and
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with Tyàgaràja; son of Rama Brahmam, singing before Him,
while the swing is moving.
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"ENDUNDI VEDALITIVO " (Darbh&r)
1 am at a loss to guess even your nativity and whence
you have come. Pray, let me know it now atleast: Your
beauty and qualites are a class by themselves and your
ways transcend the three Gunas: It is not likely that you
are from Sivalóka where even those who err slightly are
punished.
It may not be even Vaikuntham of Vámana, who decei-
ved Bali.
It cannot be the heaven of Brahma who spoke amo-
rously to his own daughter Sarasvati and had his head
chopped off by Rudra.
You are of the divine form, possessed of immeasurable
prowess, following Dharma, devoted to unfailing truth,
clothed with gentle words: .
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"INTANUCHU VARNIMPA" (Gundakriyà)
Is it possible even for Brahma, Indra and others to
describe your beauty, you, the father of the god of love?
Is it possible to describe the beauty of your benign look,
your charming face that surpasses the moon in splendour,
your sweet and soft words, your hand that blesseth and
your natural gunas? Even the Gods and the Vedas
and Saetras cannot have any conception of the glory of
your prowess, which easily subdues the haughty kings,
grown arrogant by securing boons from other gods as a
result of their terrible penances.
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"MUDDU MÓMU" (Süryakàntam)
How did Sri Ráma's face of captivating beauty shine
when he blessed with His Darsan the devotees who had
been for long looking forward eagerly with panting hearts
tor His advent, and how did even the sages get enchanted
with it? Was it the effect of ardent worship of pure minded
Brahmans, or of penance done in previous births or the
Lord's own divine nature ?
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“ENDU EOUGALINTURÁ" (Suddhadési)
Which portion of your body am I to embrace and how
am I to describe; O beautiful Rama whom Lakshmi has
treasured in Her heart? Your speech alone is speech; your
smile alone is smile; your brilliance alone is brilliance:
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"SRI RAMA PADAMA " (Amritavahini)
Oh Rama's blessed feet! It is enough if I secure your
grace. Come and makemy mind your abode. All the
great ones, Brahma, Sanaka, Sanandana, Indra and others
worship you. Taking compassion on the long repenting
Ahalya who had been cursed ‘into a stone, lying on your
way, you, as a hero, redeemed her. Bless me also similarly.
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SANDEHAMUNU " (R&mapriyà)
Oh Rama! Pray, clear my doubt. Are your holy feet,
worshipped by Nanda, great, or are your elegant sandals
great? The great sages that worshipped your feet secured
Vaikuntham—your abode; but Bharata, who worshipped
your sandals, got you yourself.
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" ALAKALALLA LADA" (Madhyamavati)
What rapturous enjoyment did Visvamitra have, gazing
on the waving of the curly forelocks playing on Rama's
face when he subjugated Máricha and when he broke
Siva’s bow understanding the direction of the gesture of
Visvàmitra's eye!
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""LAVANYA RAMA” (Rudrapriya)
Oh charming Rama! Bless me with your benign looks.
Your mental disposition, your charms and your methods
are unigue. Why should one seek protection from Tamasic
(lower) gods?
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" SOGASU JUDA TARAMA " (Kannadagowla)
Is it possible to see such beauty as that of your face
shining with glossy cheeks, your feet worshipped by Devas,
your hands that offer protection, your lip (nether) which
resembles*a ripe Bimba fruit, your chest adorned with
garlands of Vakula flowers, your smiles, your forelocks
and the brilliance of your eyes ?
230 TYAGARAJA KIRTANAS
“MOHANA RAMA” (Móhana)
Oh! Rama of universally captivating beauty! Speak to
me sweetly; you are the foremost Lord: Your form has an
inexplicable attraction for me. Hearing the glory of your
human form all the Gods from Brahma downwards came
down to the earth and took in love the forms of birds, beasts
and monkeys and long enjoyed your Darsan with rivetted
eyes and ecstacy:
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"MARAVAKARA" (Dévagandhari)
Oh Mind! Don’t forget Rama of bewitching beauty,
his dignified bearing, his soft words, the brilliance of his
eyes, the disposition of the cloth across his body——
his graceful jerks, the jingling noise of his foot orna-
ments, the gloss of his cheeks, his bow, its ringing bells,
his floral abode, unimpeded Darsan, his hand, the rings on
the fingers, his golden swing, the consort by his side=
his arrows, golden garments, his chest adorned by
Lakshmi, his alerfness in protecting devotees.
I shall worship him with the lotus of my heart all my
lite.
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“MERU SAMANA DHIRA" (Mayamalvagowla)
Oh Rama, firm like the Meru mountain! Pray, come
tome so that I may feast my eyes with the captivating
beauty of your form - your graceful gait - your shining blue
body - the lovely curls on your forehead - the attractive
shape of your tilaka - your blooming cheeks - the brilliance
of your face - the golden jewels that adorn your neck.
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" NI MUDDU MOMU" (Kamalà Monóhari)
Oh Lotusreyed Rama! Have compassion on me and
show me your beautiful face, shining like the Moon, to
cheer my heart; I shall instal you there.
It is only to wor-
ship you with ecstatic ardour; 1 shall never forget you
even in my dream: I am deeply drawn to you.
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“PALUKU KANDA CHAKKERANU " (Navarasakannada)
The sweetness of his speech is sweeter than sugar
candy:
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“EMANI MATADITIVO" (Todi)
Oh Rama! How wonderful was your power of winning
people by sweet words, suited exactly to the mental dispo-
sition of each, softly, sternly, sweetly— parents, women,
servants, kings, munis, the famous Ashta Dikpalak4s, Suras,
Asuras, Moon, Sun,—so much so they felt bound to follow
the words !
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EVARICHCHIRIRA " (Madhyamavati)
Oh glorious Kodandapani! Who gave you your bow
and arrows? Were they with you when you were born?
Or, did you acquire them after coming down to the Earth ?
Your arrow,had the wonderful merit of getting multi-
plied into tens, hundreds and thousands, rushing in all
directions and destroying the enemies: When they were
aimed at the wicked KakAsura, even the Trimürtis drew
back from protecting him. When they were used on the
Samudra Raja, they killed all the Rakshasas of Drumakulya.
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