49th Kriti : Sri Tyagaraja Kriti Series: Kriti: calamElarA sAkEta rAmA Raga:mArgahindOLaM

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SrI:

SrI raghunandana parabraHmaNe namaH

 

Song calamElarA sAkEta rAmA

raaga mArgahindOLaM

In the kRti ‘calamElarA sAkEta rAma’ – rAga mArgahindOLaM srI tyAgarAja pleads to Lord not to delay his grace.

 

Pallavi:

calam(E)larA sAkEta rAma

Anupallavi:

valaci bhakti mArgamutOnu ninnu

varNincuc(u)nna nAtO (calamu)

CaraNam:

endu pOdu nE(n)Emi sEyudunu

eccOTa nE mora peTTudunu

dandanalatO proddu pOvalenA

tALa jAlarA tyAgarAja nuta (calamu)

Gist

O Lord srI rAmA of ayOdhya! O Lord Praised by this tyAgarAja! Why are You cross with me who, adopting the path of devotion, is ever engaged in extolling You lovingly? Where shall I go? What shall I do? In which place (with whom) shall I complain? Should I be wasting away my time putting up with Your tricks? I am unable to bear any more.

Word-by-word Meaning

P O Lord srI rAmA of ayOdhya (sAkEta)! Why (ElarA) are You cross (calamu) (calamElarA) with me?

A O srI rAmA of ayOdhya! Why are You cross with me (nAtO) who, adopting the path (mArgamutOnu) of devotion (bhakti), is ever engaged (unna) in extolling (varNincucu) (varNincucunna) You (ninnu) lovingly (valaci)?

C Where (endu) shall I go (pOdu)? what (Emi) shall I (neNu) (nEnEmi) do (sEyudunu)? in which place (with whom) (eccOTa) shall I (nE) complain (mora peTTudunu)? should I be wasting away (pOvalenA) (literally spend) my time (poddu) putting up with Your tricks (dandanalatO)? O Lord Praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! I am unable (jAlarA) to bear (tALa) anymore; O Lord srI rAma of ayOdhya! Why are You cross with me?

Notes -

A – nAtO – this is how it is given in all books other than that of TKG, wherein it is given as ‘nApai’. This needs to be checked. Any suggestions?

C – eccOTa nE – this is how it is given in all books other than that of TKG, wherein it is given as ‘eccOTani’. This needs to be checked. Any suggestions?

Additional Comments By SrI V Sadagopan:

This is a Kriti set in the nirvEda (Dejection/Despondency) Mood. SwamigaL asks with great sadness: “Oh SaakEta Raama! Why are You angry at me? I have adored You with great bhakti all my life and am singing Your praises without let. Oh Lord! if you reject me, where can I go and what can I do? Should I be complaining to anyone about Your unfair treatment? If You do not protect me, what is the point of seeking other protectors? If You protect me, where is the need for any other protectors? Should my time here be wated in all this trickery of Yours? I cannot bear it anymoreâ€. Borrowing the namaskaraNams from another nirvEdha Kriti, one can see the depth of devotion of the despondent ThyAgarAja SwamigaL. In that PoorNa chandrika Kriti (Sri Raama Raama JagadhAtma Raama SriRaama, RaghurAama paahi), SwamigaL addresses the Lord endearingly this way:†JyOthirmayAkhaNdha-roopa Raama! SarvagrahaadhAra bhUta Raama! Yogijana-hrudhayaabhjamitra Raama! SrI DhAnta! BhavasAgarOttaraNa Raama! Saaratara!†and declares that he knows nothing beyond the Lord of AyOddhi and there is no refuge for him except the Lord (thvAm vinaa naanyatra jaanE Raama! thvAm vinaa kO gatirjAnakeejAnE?â€. In a similar nirvEdha mood, he will blame his past karmas as the reasons for the Lord’s indifference (SvaraavaLi raga Kriti: prAraBdha miDDuNDaga nOrula nana Bani lEdhu neevuNDaga). In another nirvEdha kriti set in Gokiladhavani (toli nEnu jEsina poojaa phala meelagE), SwamigaL would declare that his worship of the Lord was fruitless because he started his role as Bhaktaa of the Lord at an inauspicious time.

VaishNavite theology points out that there is no sattaa (existence on its own) for a Jeevan and is entirely dependent on the Lord (Master) as His servant. The Jeevan has no stithi (sustenance) and Pravritti (activities) without the Lord, who controls. The individual soul is absolutely dependent (atyanta paaratantrya) on the Lord for its Satthaa, stithi and Pravritti. The jeevan exists solely to serve the God and please Him and feels like a bride wedded to the Lord. When the ultimate goal of the individual Jeevan to untie with the Lord is thwarted, it experiences Viraham and nirvEdham and pours out its heart in despair. This is the cause for the nirvEdha kritis to emerge. The separation from the Lord (VislEsham) causes immense grief. The despondent jeevan seeks as a total dependent on the Lord seeks His Aartha rakshaNam (protection of the grief stricken) and wants to have intimate relation with the Lord as His dependent (AaSrita Ekarasyam). When these sought goals are not realized and get delayed, grief and anger sprout. The different stages of “Theistic mysticism†experienced by an individual Jeevan are Para-Bhakti (beginning stage of mental perception of the Lord) which leads to Para Jn~Ana with its parts of vislEsha and samslEsha) and culminates in Parama Bhakti that secures the nitya kaimkaryam for the Lord after being liberated from samsAric bondage. ThyAgarAja SwamigaL as one of the most evolved souls underwent these three stages of Theistic Mysticism during his Saadhanaa.

Raama DhAsan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

NOTE: Those who prefer to have a PDF or WORD document copy of this write-up can download either of the format from the following links:

 

WORD doc:

http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/tyagaraja_kritis_project/word_docs/calamelarA.doc

 

PDF:

http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/tyagaraja_kritis_project/pdf/calamelarA.pdf

 

AUDIO

http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/tyagaraja_kritis_project/audio/chalamElarANedunuri.mp3