Appa rama bhakti - Tyagaraja Kritis (Eng)

Pallavi

appa0 rāma bhakti yentō gopparā mā (yappa) appa0 rāma bhakti entō gopparā mā (appa)

Wow! Devotion to Rama is indeed very great!

Anupallavi

trippaṭalanu dīrci kaṇṭi-reppa valenu kācu1 mā (yappa) trippaṭalanu tīrci kaṇṭi-reppa valenu kācu1 mā (appa)

(Devotion to Rama) which, bringing to an end the wanderings (of the mind), protects (the devotee) like the eye-lids, (is indeed very great!)

Charanams

1.

lakṣmi dēvi valacunā lakṣmaṇuṇḍu kolucunā sūkṣma buddhi gala bharatuḍu jūci jūci solasunā mā (yappa) lakṣmi dēvi valacunā lakṣmaṇuṇḍu kolucunā sūkṣma buddhi gala bharatuḍu jūci-jūci solasunā mā (appa)

Would Lakshmi Devi so fervently love Him? Would Lakshmana serve Him with such dedication? Would Bharata, having a sharp intellect, feel ecstatic by beholding Him again and again? (Devotion to...)

2.

śabari yeṅgiliccunā2 candra-dharuḍu meccunā3 abala swayamprabhaku4 daiva macala padaviniccunā mā (yappa) śabari eṅgili iccunā2 candra-dharuḍu meccunā3 abala swayamprabhaku4 daivamu acala padavini iccunā mā (appa)

Would Sabari offer already-tasted food? Would Siva extol Him? Would the Lord bestow eternal state to the lass Swayamprabha? (Devotion to...)

3.

kapi vāridhi dāṭunā5 kaliki rōṭa kaṭṭunā6 aparādhi tyāgarāju kānandamu heccunā mā (yappa) kapi vāridhi dāṭunā5 kaliki rōṭa kaṭṭunā6 aparādhi tyāgarājuku ānandamu heccunā mā (appa)

Can a monkey leap across the mighty ocean? Can an ordinary woman tie the Lord to a mortar? Can bliss be heightened for this sinner Thyagaraja? (Devotion to...)

Variations

• ¹kācu – kācunā: kācu is the appropriate word.
• ²śabari yeṅgiliccunā – śabari yeṅgiliniccunā

Commentary

• Thyagaraja mentions the instances in the Charanam as proofs of the greatness of Rama-bhakti.
• ⁰"appa" (though it literally means father) is most likely in this context an exclamation of amazement, as in "Wow, Rama-bhakti is indeed very great!" It is similar to the Tamil expression aḍēṅgappā.
• ²śabari eṅgiliccunā: 'eṅgili’ means leftover of eatables, defiled by contact with the mouth. (Tamil: eccil)
  • As per Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda, Chapter 74 (Rama meeting Sabari), there is no mention of Sabari offering bitten and tasted fruits.
  • The Sabari episode (folkore)
• ³candra-dharuḍu meccunā: The reference is to the phalaśruti of Vishnu Sahasranama where Parvathi asks Lord Siva the means for hearing the thousand(s of) names of Vishnu recited by the learned every day. The Lord Siva replies that simple repetition of the name of ‘Rama’ would be equal to reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama.
• ⁴abala swayamprabhā - The story of Swayamprabha comes in the Kishkinda Kanda of Ramayana. During their search of Sita, Anjaneya and others reach a divine cave, where they find a wonderful city guarded by an aged ascetic woman by name Swayamprabha. She is daughter of Merusavarni and has been granted boons by Gods. However, Valmiki Ramayana doesn’t seem to contain any further reference about her emancipation in the hands of Sri Rama. This is found in Adhyatma Ramayana – Kishkinda Kanda – 6th Chapter.
• ⁵kapi vāridhi dāṭunā – Before leaping over the ocean Anjaneya utters these words to the monkeys –

  "As an arrow loosed by Sri Rama would fly with the speed of wind, I too would likewise course to Lanka guarded by Ravana. If I don’t find Sita in Lanka, I shall certainly proceed with the same speed to heaven. If I don’t find Sita in heaven even after exerting myself, I shall bring Ravana, in chains. At all events I shall return successful with Sita" (Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kanda, Chapter 1, verses 38 – 42).

  • However, in spite of his best efforts he could not locate Sita – even though Asoka Vana, where Sita was kept as captive, was just in his sight. He becomes despondent and even contemplates of becoming an ascetic (ibid Chapter 13, verse 54). Then, drawing up courage, prays to Rama, Lakshmana and Sita and other Gods before venturing into Asoka Vana (ibid, verse 59). And, there, he finds Sita.
  • It is indeed strange that the grace of the very person who sent Anjaneya on this mission (Sri Rama) and the person searched (Sita) should be sought. Sri Thyagaraja enjoys this contradiction in the Krti 'rāma rāma nīvāramu gāmā’ – rāga ānanda bhairavi wherein he states - 'marugu jēsukonunaṭṭi mahima rārā’ – ‘O Lord who seems as if His Might is screened’. Sri Thyagaraja worshipped Sri Rama as Para Brahman.
  • The great Harikatha exponent Brahmasri T.S. Balakrishna Sastrigal explains (in his discourse on Thyagaraja Ramayana) the feat of leaping across the ocean as the effect of devotion of Anjaneya. But when the Bhakta develops ego and thus boastfulness, the job undertaken does not fructify. The boastful Anjaneya at the beginning of the journey understands his limits and hence prayer to Sri Rama and mother Sita for their grace – for searching Sita herself.
• ⁶kaliki rōta kaṭṭunā - The episode in Krishnavatara where Yasoda ties Sri Krishna, as a child, to a mortar is mentioned here. Srimad Bhagavatam, Book 10, Chapter 9, verses 18 and 21 are relevant:

  “Perceiving the over-exertion of His mother, whose body was bathed in perspiration, the wreaths tied around his braid fallen down, Sri Krishna allowed himself to be bound by Himself out of (sheer) compassion.

  • Lord Krishna is not so easily accessible in this world to those identified with their body or even to men of wisdom who have become one with Him; but only to those possessed of devotion to Him.”
  • Please also refer to Krti of Papanasam Sivan – ‘Enna Thavam Saidanai Yasoda’ wherein he wonders at the fortune of a milk-maid who could tie the Supreme Lord to a mortar.