311 ముచ్చటకెవ్వరు లేరు మోహమిది బలుదూరు
(muccaṭakevvaru
lēru mōhamidi
baludūru)
INTRODUCTION
This poem
outwardly appears as a romantic lament of a heroine separated from her beloved.
Yet Annamacharya uses this familiar imagery to reveal a deeper weakness of the
human mind. The longing that once burns intensely gradually weakens. Like the
fading fragrance of perfume, devotion slowly loses its force, and ordinary
desire quietly returns. Through the voice of the estranged lover, the poet
exposes the fragile nature of human aspiration.
In the
devotional songs of Tallapaka Annamacharya, "Muchchata Kevvaru
Leru" stands as a profound
psychological analysis of longing. Annamacharya recognized that songs of
separation (Viraha Geetalu) leave a lasting imprint on the mind because
they touch a chord of loss and deep yearning. n this composition, he uniquely
balances the romantic state of a heroine (Śṛṅgāra) with the inner state of a
devotee (Ādhyātma), without one overshadowing the other. Both interpretations
remain natural and equally meaningful. A significant portion of his
compositions are written in the language of śṛṅgāra (romantic love),
particularly through the voice of the nāyika experiencing separation from
her beloved.
Another
striking feature of these compositions is that the same sharp observations
found in his spiritual songs appear here as well. A single phrase may carry
both romantic and philosophical meaning.
For
example, in this poem the line “Pavvalinche tillu chuchi pranamu niluparadu”
in the romantic sense suggests that the heroine cannot rest peacefully in the
chamber of flowers meant for comfort because she longs for her beloved.
In the
spiritual interpretation, it points to something deeper: The decorated chamber
itself symbolizes attachment. the devotee cannot easily detach from his
attachment to life and the body. That love of life itself binds him and
prevents true surrender.
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శృంగార సంకీర్తన
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రేకు: 76-3
సంపుటము: 5-267
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ముచ్చటకెవ్వరు లేరు మోహమిది బలుదూరు యెచ్చట నెవ్వరులేరు యేఁటికే నాపేరు ॥పల్లవి॥
మంచముపై నుండరాదు మలఁగుపైఁ బొద్దువోదు నించిన వుయ్యైలలోనా నిద్దుర రాదు అంచెలఁ గన్నుల నీరు ఆఁపరాదాతనిఁబాసి యించుకంత నిలువలే నెట్లు ధరియింతునే ॥ముచ్చ॥
పవ్వళించేటిల్లు చూచి ప్రాణము నిలుపరాదు దివ్వెచూచి తాలిమైనఁ దిప్పఁగరాదు దువ్వటపుఁ బయ్యదపైఁ దోఁగిన తట్టు పుణుఁగు పువ్వుటమ్ము బాసటమై పొక్కెనేమిసేతునే ॥ముచ్చ॥
చింతతో ధరించరాదు చెల్లఁ బో మేనైనఁ బోదు ఇంతటఁ జెలులకైన యెఱుక లేదు ఇంతలోనె వేంకటేశుఁడింతి మరుఁగుననుండి యెంతసేసెఁ గలికి వీఁడేమని చెప్పుదునే ॥ముచ్చ॥
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ROMANTIC POEM
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Copper Plate: 76-3 Volume: 5-267
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muccaṭakevvaru lēru mōhamidi baludūru yeccaṭa nevvarulēru yēṃ̐ṭikē nāpēru ॥pallavi॥
maṃcamupai nuṃḍarādu malaṃ̐gupaiṃ̐ bodduvōdu niṃcina vuyyailalōnā niddura rādu aṃcelaṃ̐ gannula nīru āṃ̐parādātaniṃ̐bāsi yiṃcukaṃta niluvalē neṭlu dhariyiṃtunē ॥mucca॥
pavvaḻiṃcēṭillu cūci prāṇamu niluparādu divvecūci tālimainaṃ̐ dippaṃ̐garādu duvvaṭapuṃ̐ bayyadapaiṃ̐ dōṃ̐gina taṭṭu puṇuṃ̐gu puvvuṭammu bāsaṭamai pokkenēmisētunē ॥mucca॥
ciṃtatō dhariṃcarādu cellaṃ̐ bō mēnainaṃ̐ bōdu iṃtaṭaṃ̐ jelulakaina ye\ruka lēdu iṃtalōne vēṃkaṭēśuṃ̐ḍiṃti maruṃ̐gunanuṃḍi yeṃtasēseṃ̐ galiki vīṃ̐ḍēmani ceppudunē ॥mucca॥
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Details
and Discussions:
Chorus (Pallavi):
ముచ్చటకెవ్వరు
లేరు మోహమిది బలుదూరు
యెచ్చట నెవ్వరులేరు యేఁటికే నాపేరు ॥పల్లవి॥
muccaṭakevvaru
lēru mōhamidi baludūru
yeccaṭa
nevvarulēru yēṃ̐ṭikē nāpēru ॥pallavi॥
In romantic poetry, the Pallavi expresses the loneliness of a heroine separated from her beloved. With no confidante to share her feelings, her longing deepens and becomes difficult to contain. In devotional interpretation, the same voice may represent the soul experiencing an intense yearning for the Divine. Such longing is inward and often incomprehensible to the ordinary world.
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Romantic
Meaning
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Philosophical
/ Devotional Meaning
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A lady deeply in love with her beloved (the Lord) waits and
laments: There is no one with whom I can share the feelings of my heart. (She
feels shy that her friends may laugh if she speaks openly of her love for the
Lord.) My longing for my beloved has grown intense and overwhelming.
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A devotee’s intense longing for the Lord: There is no one
with whom I can share this inner yearning. (The devotee hesitates, thinking
friends may ridicule such devotion, asking: “How can God become your
beloved?”) The longing for the Divine has become powerful and all-consuming.
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There is no one anywhere who understands my condition. (my
friends may disapprove such a longing). Without his company I feel I have no
separate existence.
“యేఁటికే నాపేరు” (What use is of my
name): For here, the distance from beloved is
inconceivable. Hence she says “there is no need for a name (to he body) – for
a life without him”.
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People around do not recognize this inner spiritual
struggle. (The devotee fears they may try to dissuade him from this path.) I
see no one but You. Yet outwardly I still carry a name and identity in the
world. That very identity seems to stand as a barrier between You and me, and
I do not know how it can disappear..
"యేఁటికే నాపేరు “Why then should I still have a name?” If
You and I are not truly separate, why should I remain as another person (with
a name attached) before You? Perhaps this very sense of separateness sustains
the feeling of distance. I do not know how it can disappear.
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First Stanza:
మంచముపై
నుండరాదు మలఁగుపైఁ బొద్దువోదు
నించిన వుయ్యైలలోనా
నిద్దుర రాదు
అంచెలఁ గన్నుల
నీరు ఆఁపరాదాతనిఁబాసి
యించుకంత
నిలువలే నెట్లు ధరియింతునే ॥ముచ్చ॥
maṃcamupai
nuṃḍarādu malaṃ̐gupaiṃ̐
bodduvōdu
niṃcina
vuyyailalōnā niddura rādu
aṃcelaṃ̐
gannula nīru āṃ̐parādātaniṃ̐bāsi
yiṃcukaṃta
niluvalē neṭlu dhariyiṃtunē ॥mucca॥
Explanation:
This stanza portrays the restless condition of the mind in separation. Physical
comforts such as the bed, soft cushions, or the swing cannot bring peace. The
mind remains absorbed in the thought of the beloved or the Divine, and tears
flow naturally from that intense longing.
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Romantic
Meaning
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Philosophical
/ Devotional Meaning
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మంచముపై నుండరాదు మలఁగుపైఁ బొద్దువోదు
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The heroine finds no comfort anywhere. Even
lying on the bed of flowers brings no rest.
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The comforts of
the world cannot bring peace to the devotee whose mind longs for the Divine.
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Even during sleep the mind does not truly rest.
What we experience is only a temporary release from fatigue and agitation.
True stillness does not arise. A similar idea appears in Salvador Dalí’s
surreal painting Sleep (1937).
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నించిన వుయ్యైలలోనా నిద్దుర రాదు
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The "ఊయల swing"
symbolizes a state of constant doubt—swinging between "He loves me"
and "He loves me not". Still the comfort of ornamental swing can’t
make her forget her beloved.
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The mind engaged
in devotion often forgets the outer comforts. Such a person often found sleeping
less and always looking forward to meeting the Lord.
Here the swing (ఊయల) is indicative of a state of a life caught between the
manifest and the unmanifest.
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అంచెలఁ గన్నుల నీరు ఆఁపరాదాతనిఁబాసి
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Tears roll
continuously as she remembers her separation from the beloved.
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The
devotee feels insurmountable distance between him and Devine. He can’t bear
the with idea of not meeting “HIM”. Therefoe, there is no end to his tears.
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Now request the readers to have a clean look at the
surreal painting
“Elective Affinities” by Rene Magritte
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She knows she is
in the cage. She knows not how to break open. Her inability to break-free
makes the tears to flow. The tragedy is not the lack of ability to escape the
cage, but the reluctance to abandon its security. The mind desires both
freedom and safety at the same time. This contradiction is the real source of
sorrow.
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The Devotee
feels the distance between him and the Devine. He understands the cage he is
enclosed. He only reacts to the separation. He does not pause and feel that
the Devine is all knowing. Does HE not know the mind of the Devotee? Whatever
action taken by the devotee is an action belonging to his present existence
(Gita 6-2). Therefore unsuitable. He simply must leave it to God in complete
faith. and stay put in his condition. We often fail in doing so.
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యించుకంత నిలువలే నెట్లు ధరియింతునే
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She cannot
remain steady even for a moment. The pain of separation overwhelms her.
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The mind of the
devotee remains filled with anticipation of His coming. It can’t settle.
Neither he can bear the waiting.
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Let us connect
back to the Pallavi: “యేఁటికే నాపేరు” (What use is of my name?) The Divine seems to observe “why
do you wear my name on your tongues?”
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Second
Stanza:
పవ్వళించేటిల్లు
చూచి ప్రాణము నిలుపరాదు
దివ్వెచూచి
తాలిమైనఁ దిప్పఁగరాదు
దువ్వటపుఁ
బయ్యదపైఁ దోఁగిన తట్టు పుణుఁగు
పువ్వుటమ్ము
బాసటమై పొక్కెనేమిసేతునే ॥ముచ్చ॥
pavvaḻiṃcēṭillu cūci prāṇamu
niluparādu
divvecūci tālimainaṃ̐ dippaṃ̐garādu
duvvaṭapuṃ̐
bayyadapaiṃ̐ dōṃ̐gina taṭṭu puṇuṃ̐gu
puvvuṭammu bāsaṭamai
pokkenēmisētunē ॥mucca॥
Using the imagery of estranged lover, Annamacharya reveals the weakness
and gradual decline of human aspiration. In this stanza the emotional tension
deepens. Even the chamber meant for rest cannot bring relief. Time passes and
the sense of urgency grows stronger. Gradually the earlier intensity of
remembrance weakens, and the mind becomes vulnerable to new impulses and
desires. (పవ్వళించేటిల్లు (restless longing)
→ దివ్వెచూచి (time passes)→ దోఁగిన తట్టు పుణుఁగు (devotion fades slowly)→ పువ్వుటమ్ము (desire replaces devotion)
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Romantic
Meaning
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Philosophical
/ Devotional Meaning
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"పవ్వళించేటిల్లు చూచి ప్రాణము నిలుపరాదు"
పవ్వళించేటిల్లు = Bedroom, the body (psychologically)
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Even the chamber meant for rest offers no comfort. In separation
from her beloved, even holding her life itself becomes meaningless.
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The devotee cannot easily detach from his attachment to
life and the body. The desire to continue living still binds him.
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"దివ్వెచూచి తాలిమైనఁ దిప్పఁగరాదు"
(దివ్వెచూచి= seeing
torch (flambeau) i.e. the sun had set; people have lighted lamps)
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Night falls and
lamps are lit, yet the beloved does not arrive. Courage fades.
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Evening
approaches — symbolizing the later stage of life. The final phase of life
begins to appear. (implying that time moves on without our realisation)
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"దువ్వటపుఁ బయ్యదపైఁ దోఁగిన తట్టు పుణుఁగు"
దువ్వటపుఁ = like a shawl, like a outer covering; తట్టు పుణుఁగు = perfume.
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The traces of
the beloved fade slowly, like the fading fragrance of perfume. (Time passing
by and no indication of the beloved.)
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In the devotee’s
mind, the signs of the Divine gradually begin to fade. (He forgot the Divine
and his traces of his devotion as well)
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Observe use of words: Annamacharya is saying that our
devotion is like shawl, an outer covering. As the perfume’s intensity fades
our resolve to be with beloved fades. Our devotion to God is no different
from this.
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"పువ్వుటమ్ము బాసటమై పొక్కెనేమిసేతునే"
పువ్వుటమ్ము – arrow
of flowers; పొక్కెనే = seeping
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Now the lady
gradually forgets the beloved. The flower-arrow of Cupid becomes her support
in life. Alas! What a transformation?
(She turned
ordinary and what can be done?)
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With devotion
gone, the devotee becomes vulnerable to the arrows of desire. That has now
seeped into the heart of the devotee. What can be said of such a person?
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We may love God,
yet we often fail in the trials that devotion demands. Slowly and almost
imperceptibly, time carries us back into the very life we once hoped to
transcend.
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The
transformation of human life from an ardent devotee into an ordinary person.
Clearly this is the continuous decline we suffer.
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Let us connect
back to the Pallavi: “యేఁటికే నాపేరు” (What use is of my name?) When devotion fades and ordinary desires quietly return, what meaning remains in repeating the Divine name?
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మూడవ చరణం
చింతతో ధరించరాదు
చెల్లఁ బో మేనైనఁ బోదు
ఇంతటఁ జెలులకైన
యెఱుక లేదు
ఇంతలోనె
వేంకటేశుఁడింతి మరుఁగుననుండి
యెంతసేసెఁ
గలికి వీఁడేమని చెప్పుదునే ॥ముచ్చ॥
ciṃtatō dhariṃcarādu
cellaṃ̐ bō mēnainaṃ̐ bōdu
iṃtaṭaṃ̐
jelulakaina ye\ruka lēdu
iṃtalōne vēṃkaṭēśuṃ̐ḍiṃti
maruṃ̐gunanuṃḍi
yeṃtasēseṃ̐ galiki vīṃ̐ḍēmani
ceppudunē ॥mucca॥
In the final
stanza the emotional tension reaches its climax. Until now the heroine has been
restless with doubt and longing. Neither she nor those around her understand
the nature of this inner struggle. Suddenly the Divine appears unexpectedly. In
that moment the entire struggle collapses. The experience is beyond
description. What seemed like separation dissolves instantly.
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Romantic Meaning
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Philosophical / Devotional Meaning
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చింతతో ధరించరాదు చెల్లఁ బో మేనైనఁ బోదు
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So far, the poet
was an observer. Now he and the heroine are now representing the same voice. It
is saying: “All these days I was doubting if he loves me? As long as that
doubt exists, He does not appear!” the body remains attached to the
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Unknown voice says: “you have separated me by worrying
about my existence. As long as you separate me from yourself, the body may
go, never you are near to the Divine”
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Annamacharya always said "కర్మము దేహికిఁ గాణాచి" = natural work is assigned to the embodied.
There is no other duty to the embodied. The body and its
reactions pull us in other directions. One
should be aware that anything other than the natural work is a deviation. All
the cognizable feelings and actions are unnatural. Yet without body, the
embodied has no separate existence.
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ఇంతటఁ జెలులకైన యెఱుక లేదు
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This all around me did not recognise.
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Neither me, nor the other devotees could recognise this
fact.
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ఇంతలోనె వేంకటేశుఁడింతి మరుఁగుననుండి
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Suddenly the poet recognises he is the heroine he described
so far. “Venkateshwara came from nowhere and taken over me”
Now poet’s mind is clear. All his efforts were unnecessary,
instead he should have submitted to Divine before.
The iota of difference between complete acceptance (of
truth) and doubt is the world we experience.
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యెంతసేసెఁ గలికి వీఁడేమని చెప్పుదునే
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Unknown voice says: “I just cannot describe this
unimaginable ecstasy”
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Let us connect back to the Pallavi: “యేఁటికే నాపేరు” (Why use my name?): The Divine appears to ask ”When there
is no separation from me and you, what purpose does it bring to use my name?”
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The
hidden progression of the poem:
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Stage
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Meaning of “యేఁటికే
నాపేరు”
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Pallavi
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Pain of separation
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Stanza 1
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Inner contradiction
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Stanza 2
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Decline of devotion
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Stanza 3
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Dissolution of separation
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This
is very elegant.
The
question begins in confusion,
passes through psychological exposure,
and ends in realization.
X-X-The
END-X-X