Ethaavuna Nerchitivo - Tyagaraja Kritis (Eng)

Pallavi

ē tāvuna nērcitivō rāma endukinta gāsi ē-tāvuna nērcitivō rāma enduku-inta gāsi

O Lord Sri Rama! Where did You learn (this drama)? Why this much trouble?

Anupallavi

sītā lakṣmaṇa bharata ripughna 1vātātmajulatōnāḍu nāṭakam(ē tāvuna) sītā lakṣmaṇa bharata ripughna vātātmajula-tōnu-āḍu nāṭakamu-(ē tāvuna)

Where did You learn the drama You are enacting together with Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Satrughna and Anjaneya – son of Vayu? Why this much of trouble?

Charanam

ālu vajrāla sommulaḍigirō anujulu 2tali-daṇḍrulannamaḍigirō śīlulaina vara 3bhaktulu pilicirō cira kālamu tyāgarāja nuta nīv(ē tāvuna) ālu vajrāla sommulu-aḍigirō anujulu tali-daṇḍrulu-annamu-aḍigirō śīlulaina vara bhaktulu pilicirō cira kālamu tyāgarāja nuta nīvu-(ē tāvuna)

Did Your wife ask for diamond jewellery? or did (younger) brothers and parents ask for food? or did the blessed pious devotees call You? O Lord praised by this Thyagaraja! Where did You learn this drama for a long time?

Variations

• ¹vātātmajulatōnāḍu – vātājamajulatōnāḍē
• ²tali daṇḍrulu – talli taṇḍrulu

Commentary

• ³bhaktulu pilicirō – In the Kriti ‘evarikai avatāramettitivo’ – rāga dēvamanōhari, Sri Thyagaraja, implicitly, praises Ravana for having called the Lord to come to the Earth. Therefore, the implication of this Kriti, is this -
  • ‘Have You come to the Earth to procure jewellery for Your wife or food for Your brothers, mothers and father; or have You come because devotees called You? No, You came here to protect the virtuous people from the wicked. As You are not carrying out Your own charter – in that You have failed to protect me, it seems to me that You are enacting a drama.’
  • It is also possible that the last question ‘have You come because pious devotees called You?’ may itself be the answer to the question raised in Anupallavi.