Sri Tyagaraja Kriti Series: Kriti:cUtamu rArE yI vEDkanu Raga:kApi

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

SrI raghunandana parabraHmaNe namaH

Song cUtAmu rArE yI vEDkanu

raaga kApi

In the kRti ‘cUtAmu rArE’ – rAga kApi, srI tyAgarAja describes the ecstasy of gOpis as seen by the celestial damsels.

(Background – This is part of the dance-drama ‘nauka caritraM’ – The Boat Story. The gOpis meet kRSNa at the yamunA river and contemplate of travel in a boat. kRSNa says that it is not within the capacity of the women to steer boat and says he will do the job; however, the gOpis do not believe Him and think that He is upto some trick. After Lord convinces them, they all travel in the boat. kRSNa sports with each of the Gopi individually (taking so many forms). gOpis wonder as to what penances did they perform in order to enjoy like this with the Lord. As kRSNa exhorts them to row the boat in the Westerly direction, gOpis think that this is another ruse of kRSNa and they tell their minds to him. As the gOpis are enamoured by each other to be Lord hari Himself, the celestial damsels come to watch the spectacle).

Pallavi:

cUtAmu rArE(y)I vEDkanu

sudatulAra nEDu

Anupallavi:

puruhUt(A)dulak(a)rudaina(y)ODalO

yuvatul(e)lla harini gUDi(y)ADedaru (cUtAmu)

caraNam 1:

okarik(o)karu gandhamun(a)ladedaru

okarik(o)karu tilakamu diddedaru

okarik(o)karu viDem(o)sagedaru

okarik(o)karu hAramu vEsedaru (cUtAmu)

caraNam 2:

okarik(o)karu valuvalu kaTTedaru

okarik(o)karu ravikalu toDigedaru

okarik(o)karu kaugiTa kUrcedaru

okarik(o)karu tamalO sokkedaru (cUtAmu)

caraNam 3:

okarik(o)karu pATalu pADedaru

okarik(o)karu sarasamul(A)Dedaru

okarik(o)karu hari(y)ani cUcedaru

okarik(o)karu kAnaka bhramasedaru (cUtAmu)

Gist

O Fine Toothed damsels! Come, today let us watch this spectacle. All the damsels (gOpis) are dancing in the boat, united with Hari who is rare even for indra and others. They are applying sandal-paste to one another; they are setting right the mark on the fore-head of one another; they are offering betel-nut tAmbUla to one another; they are garlanding one another. They are tying garments to one another; they are putting on blouses to one another (Or snatching blouses of one another); they are embracing one another; they are enamoured with one another among themselves. They are singing songs to one another; they are merry-making with one another; they are beholding one another as Hari; then they are stunned unable to see (themselves) one another.

 

Word-by-word Meaning

P O Fine Toothed damsels (sudatulAra)! Come (rArE), today (nEDu) let us watch (cUtAmu) this (I) (rArEyI) spectacle (vEDkanu).

A All (ella) the damsels (yuvatulu) (yuvatulella) are dancing (ADedaru) in the boat (ODalO), united (gUDi) (gUDiyADedaru) with hari (harini) who is rare (arudaina) even for indra (puruhUta) and others (Adulaku) (puruhUtAdulakarudainayODalO); O Fine Toothed damsels! Come, today let us watch this spectacle.

C 1: They are applying (aladedaru) sandal-paste (gandhamu) (gandhamunaladedaru) to one (okaru) another (okariki) (okarikokaru); they are setting right (diddedaru) the mark on the fore-head (tilakamu) of one another (okarikokaru); they are offering (osagedaru) betel-nut tAmbUla (viDemu) (viDemosagedaru) to one another (okarikokaru); they are garlanding (hAramu vEsedaru) one another (okarikokaru); O Fine Toothed damsels! Come, today let us watch this spectacle.

C 2 They are tying (kaTTedaru) garments (valuvalu) to one another (okarikokaru); they are putting on (toDigedaru) blouses (ravikalu) to one another (okarikokaru); (Or wearing blouses of one another); they are embracing (kaugiTa kUrcedaru) one another (okarikokaru); they are enamoured (sokkedaru) with one another (okarikokaru) among themselves (tamalO); O Fine Toothed damsels! Come, today let us watch this spectacle.

C 3: They are singing (pADedaru) songs (pATalu) to one another (okarikokaru); they are merry-making (sarasamulu ADedaru) (sarasamulADedaru) with one another (okarikokaru); they are beholding (cUcedaru) one another (okarikokaru) as (ani) hari (hariyani); then they are stunned (bhramasedaru) unable to see (kAnaka) (themselves) one another (okarikokaru); O Fine Toothed damsels! Come, today let us watch this spectacle.

 

Notes –

General – this is the only kRti where the ‘stamp’ of SrI tyAgarAja is not given.

General – In the book of TSV/AKG, the rAga is given as ‘karnATaka kApi’. This needs to be checked. Any suggestions ???

A – puruhUtAdula – the word ‘puru’ is given in brackets in the book of TKG; however, in the book of TSV/AKG, no brackets are given. This needs to be checked. Any suggestions ??? It is better without brackets (V.Sadagopan)

A – yuvatulella – this is how it is given in the book of TSV/AKG. However, in the book of TKG, this word is given as ‘yuvidalella’. The appropriate word is ‘yuvati’; therefore ‘yuvatulella’ is correct. Any suggestions ???

C2 – toDigedaru – this is how it is given in all the books. There are two similar words in telugu – toDuku – to seize, snatch, bite etc; toDugu – to put on or wear. Though both words seem to fit in the context, in view of the previous line ‘valuvalu kaTTedaru’, the meaning ‘put on’ has been adopted, the alternative meaning is also given. Any suggestions?

 

Additional Comments By SrI V Sadagopan:

The gopis were intoxicated with the bliss of the Lord's company and the special attention that KrishNa gave to each of them. Krishna gave the impression to each Gopi that He was by their side. They were drunk with the divine love as it were. KrishNa looked like streaks of lightning amidst dark clouds, while He was amidst them.Celestials were watching this divine play of the Lord with the Gopis on the Boat moving on the Yamuna river. Thyaga Brahmam developed his inspiration for this Kaapi raaga kriti of Nouka charitram from the Raasa Kreedaa (the carnival of Raasa dance: Srimad Bhaagavatham X.33). There, Sukha Brahmam says that the sky was full of aerial chariots of devAs and their consorts enjoying the Raasa dance with great eagerness. The kettle drums (dhundhubhis) sounded then and showers of celestial flowers fell from the heaven. “ Seeing these love sports of Krishna, the celestial women observing from above were overcome with passion, and the Moon shining amidst the stars stood still in amazement (thus prolonging the duration of the night†---Srimath Bhagavatham:X.33.19). Thyaga Brahmam recalled the many scenes of Raasa kreeDaa and jala KreeDaa of Srimath Bhagavatham in this kriti and described the blissful anubhavam of the celestials, who were fortunate enough to witness and enjoy this blissful interplay (“amorous dalliancesâ€) between the Lord and the Gopis on the boat moving on the waters of Yamuna river. This Kriti is set as a dialog between the celestial damsels inviting each other to enjoy the many pleasurable scenes of the love sports of the Lord with His beloved gopis.

 

Namo Sri raghunandanaaya

Dasan Oppiliappan Koil V.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/cUtAmu_rAtE.doc

PDF:

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

AUDIO

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