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Ela Teliya Lero - Tyagaraja Kritis (Eng)

Pallavi

1ēla teliya lērō 2pūrva karmam-
ēlāguna jēsirō rāmayya
O Lord Rama! Why did they not understand You? How did they perform earlier actions (that they could not understand You)?

Anupallavi

bāla śaśāṅka 3kalālaṅkṛta nuta
nīla varṇa suguṇālaya nī mahimal(ēla)
O Lord praised by Lord Siva – one who is adorned with the digit of the young moon – the hare marked! O (Dark) blue hued! O Abode of virtues! O Lord Rama! Why did they not understand Your greatness?

Charanams Combined

1. bāla tanamuna śūla dharuni
viśāla dhanuvunu līlagā bhū-
pālakulu kana kēla viraci
kuśālugā śrīnēlina ninn(ēla)

2. nālugoka padi vēla kañcu
rathāla sura ripu mūla balamula
līlagān4oka kōlanēsi
kāla yama puri pālu jēsina ninn(ēla)

3. rāja śēkharuniyī jagatilō
5rājasambuna pūja sēyu
rājulanu gaja rājulaku mṛga
rāja tyāgarāja nuta ninn(ēla)
1. O Lord Rama! Why did they not understand You who, in His youth itself, as the kings – Lords of the Earth - watched, by breaking sportingly by His hands the huge bow of Lord Siva – one who wields of trident - happily became the consort of Sita?


2. O Lord Rama! Why did they not understand You, who sportingly dispatched to the abode of the Lord Death – the controller of time – the fourteen – four and a ten - thousand (warriors in) bronze chariots and the core strengths of Ravana – the enemy of celestials, by shooting just a single arrow?

3. O Lion – king of animals – to those king elephants called kings – who in this World, endowed with passion, worship Lord Siva – one who wears the (digit) of the moon on the head! O Lord praised by this Tyagaraja! O Lord Rama! why did they not understand You?

References

  • 3kalā – a digit is equivalent to 1/16th portion of anything, especially, moon.

Commentary

  • 1ēla teliya lērō – 'why did they not understand' – In the Kriti 'ramā ramaṇa bhāramā' – rāga vasanta bhairavi, Sri Tyagaraja states – 'marmamerigi nammukona lēraṇṭi dharmādi mōkṣa varamulosaṅgi bhakta varula kācina kīrti viṇṭi' - I heard about your fame, of protecting the great devotees, by conferring on them that kind of boons (which are otherwise attainable only as a result of the objects of human pursuit - Purushartha) of righteous conduct etc (dharma, artha, kāma) and also emancipation; people in the Earth would not believe such acts (excepting by) knowing the secrets (of Your true nature).
  • Even Sri Rama denies existence of any such special powers with him – please refer to Srimad-Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, Chapter 117 - 'Sita's fire ordeal' –
ātmānaṃ mānuṣaṃ manyē rāmaṃ daśarathātmajam |
sō(a)haṃ yaśca yataścāhaṃ bhagavāṃstad bravītu mē || 11 ||
  • "I account myself a human being, Rama (by name), sprung from the loins of (Emperor) Dasartha. And (yet) let the glorious lord (Brahma) tell me that which I as such (really) am and whence I have come."
  • 2pūrva karmamēlāguna jēsirō – 'how did they perform earlier actions' – Ravana and other demons could not recognise Sri Rama to be the Lord incarnate. In this connection, the statement of Mandodari lamenting about the death of Ravana wherein she pities her husband for not recognising Sri Rama to be the Lord Vishnu incarnate, is relevant. Please refer to Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, Chapter 111.
  • Read in conjunction with caraNa 3 'rājasambuna pūjalu sēyu', it is clear that Sri Tyagaraja implies what is stated in Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 3 (please also refer to note below) –
yajnārthātkarmaṇō(a)nyatra lōkō(a)yaṃ karma bandhanaḥ |
tadarthaṃ karma kauntēya mukta saṅgaḥ samācara || 9 ||
  • “The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of Yajna; do thou, therefore, O son of KuntI, perform action for Yajna alone, devoid of attachment.” (Translation by Swami Swarupananda)
  • 4oka kōlanēsi – The killing of fourteen thousand demons in a matter of hour and a half is praised by Devas – Srimad Valmiki Ramayana – Aranya Kanda – Chapter 30 refers.
  • Ibid Yudddha Kanda – Chapter 93 (verses 27, 31-33) describes the exploits of Sri Rama – “The aforesaid ogres for their part beheld thousands of Rama on the battle field, while at other times they saw only one Rama – a scion of Kakutstha. (27) In the eighth part of a day (one hour and a half) an army of ogres capable of changing their form at will, consisting of a myriad chariots possessing the swiftness of the wind, also eighteen thousand fleet-footed elephants, fourteen thousand horses with their riders, and a full two lakhs of ogres fighting on foot, was exterminated by Sri Rama single-handed with his arrows resembling tongues of fires. (31-33)”
  • However, the statement of Sri Tyagaraja about ‘fourteen thousand bronze chariots’ is not readily traceable.
  • 5rājasambuna pūja sēyu rājulu – This would, generally, refer to all those demons who sought boons from Lord Siva for their personal aggrandisement – hence Rajasa. However, here this would specifically refer to Ravana.