136 నటనల భ్రమయకు నామనసా (naTanala bhramayaku nAmanasA)

 

ANNAMACHARYULU

136 నటనల భ్రమయకు నామనసా

(naTanala bhramayaku nAmanasA)

 Drama of Life

Those interested in Telegu Version may press this link

 

Introduction:   In this marvellous composition, every word is used like a bullet. Probably he wanted to implant those difficult concepts in our impregnable hearts directly by piercing our consciousness. Annamacharya, no doubt, is at his elemental best.

Hence, this verse is difficult to describe in words. I have resorted to paintings by famous artists to illustrate the multifaceted concepts of this hymn. Therefore, attempted to explain it visually. Masters René Magritte (1898-1967), MC Escher (1898-1972) and Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978) were able to capture the human state of mind in their art, making it as simple as life, transmitting directly to the heart.

 

కీర్తన: రాగిరేకు:  354-3  సంపుటము: 4-317

POEM Copper Leaf:  354-3     Volume: 4-317

నటనల భ్రమయకు నామనసా ఘటియించు హరియే కలవాఁడు ॥పల్లవి॥   ముంచిన జగమిది మోహినీగజము పొంచినయాస పుట్టించే దిది వంచనల నిజమువలెనే వుండును మంచులు మాయలే మారునాఁడు ॥నట॥   సరిసంసారము సంతలకూటమి సొరిదిఁ బచారము చూపే దిది గరిమ నెప్పుడుఁ గలకలమనుచుండును మరులగువిధమే మాపటికి ॥నట॥   కందువదేహము గాని ముదియదిది అందినబహురూప మాడేదిది యెందును శ్రీవేంకటేశ్వరుఁడుండును డిందుపడఁగనిదె తెరమరఁగు ॥నట॥

naTanala bhramayaku nAmanasA ghaTiyiMchu hariyE kalavADu ॥pallavi॥   muMchina jagamidi mOhinIgajamu poMchinayAsa puTTiMchE didi vaMchanala nijamuvalenE vuMDunu maMchulu mAyalE mArunADu ॥naTa॥   sarisaMsAramu saMtalakUTami soridi bachAramu chUpE didi garima neppuDu galakalamanuchuMDunu marulaguvidhamE mApaTiki ॥naTa॥   kaMduvadEhamu gAni mudiyadidi aMdinabahurUpa mADEdidi yeMdunu SrIvEMkaTESvaruDuMDunu DiMdupaDaMganide teramaragu ॥naTa॥

 

Details and Explanations:

 

నటనల భ్రమయకు నామనసా

ఘటియించు హరియే కలవాఁడు ॥పల్లవి॥

 

naTanala bhramayaku nAmanasA

ghaTiyiMchu hariyE kalavADu ॥pallavi॥

 

Word to Word meaning: నటనల (naTanala) = కపటప్రవర్తనములలో, pretension, feign; భ్రమయకు (bhramayaku) = do not mislead, delude; నామనసా (nAmanasA) = O My Mind; ఘటియించు (ghaTiyiMchu) = the one that is making it happen; హరియే (hariyE) = only Lord Hari; కలవాఁడు (kalavADu) = is existing.

 

Literal meaning: O mind! Do not mislead me into pretensions. The creator of these illusions is the only one existing. 

 

Explanation: Why mind should mislead? First, we get influenced by what we see. The seen object creates certain reaction (good or bad) in the mind. This action and reaction are due to our memory and structures of associative recollection in the mind. It’s like the famous Pavlov’s dog’s response^$1 (see the notes at the end of explanation). Without active participation by mind, these responses are inevitable. Our state of active mind is an exertion of energy. For example, see the camels in the picture below. The shade formed by camel appear as real camels and actual camels seen as mere dots. We find camels after a bit of exertion.

 

Discussion on word ఘటియించు (ghaTiyiMchu = the one that is making it happen): As laymen, we do not understand the positions of pieces in a chess board of the grand masters. It would be daunting to estimate who is going to win. Thus sir, the great grand master called God is even more tough to understand. History is replete with unexpected meetings of men. Its sufficient for us to appreciate that These are not isolated incidents but were part of the God’s plan. 

It seems that this universe is existing for 14 billion years, earth for 4 billion, life forms for 3.5 billion and man for the last 2 lakh years. The natural lifespan of a human being is only 80 years. That which has existed since the beginning of such vast time must have been formless. Our Vedas also indicate the same. Therefore, కలవాఁడు (kalavADu) is indicative of that one which remains after all the transient elements and structures get even with time. Therefore, should be taken that Annamacharya is referring to timeless truth.  

Implied Meaning: O mind, let go illusion. Discover the truth that exists.

ముంచిన జగమిది మోహినీగజము

పొంచినయాస పుట్టించే దిది

వంచనల నిజమువలెనే వుండును

మంచులు మాయలే మారునాఁడు ॥నట॥

 

muMchina jagamidi mOhinIgajamu

poMchinayAsa puTTiMchE didi

vaMchanala nijamuvalenE vuMDunu

maMchulu mAyalE mArunADu ॥naTa॥

 

Word to Word meaning: ముంచిన (muMchina) = submerged; జగమిది (jagamidi) = this world; మోహినీగజము (mOhinIgajamu) = దొడ్డదైన​, పెద్దదైన మోహముతొ అను అర్ధములో ఇక్కడ వాడారు. juggernaut of hypnotism, fascination, weakness of intellect; పొంచినయాస (poMchinayAsa) = the desire ready to ambush;  పుట్టించే దిది (puTTiMchE didi) = it gives birth, it generates; వంచనల (vaMchanala) = cheating and fraud; నిజమువలెనే (nijamuvalenE) = resemble real; వుండును (vuMDunu) = happens;  మంచులు (maMchulu) = mist or fog (here used in the sense of gloom); మాయలే (mAyalE) = illusions; మారునాఁడు (mArunADu) = the next day. 

Literal meaning: This world is swamped in fascination and weakness of intellect. It generates the desires that are ever ready to ambush your resolve. The imposter resembles the real.   Next day they leave trail of gloom and remorse. 

Explanation: Carefully examine M C Escher's "Relativity" picture below. Although many characters are present in the drawing, these characters are usually immersed in their own personal worlds in different directions and focus on the task at hand. They seem unaware or uninterested in the existence of others. There is minimal interaction between the characters. The impossible structural backdrop emphasizes such a psychological divide between people who exist in different realities with different perspectives and laws of gravity. This is what Annamacharya suggested with ‘muMchina jagamidi mOhinIgajamu’ 'ముంచిన జగమిది మోహినీగజము'. It means that we are all submerged in our own world just like those characters. 

These are essentially created to illustrate impossible constructions, seem to convey Escher’s perception of the difficulties people have to reach out and understand each other at the same time. But it is evident that every character is engrossed in some work and has the intention of completing it. This is what Annamayya succinctly said as " poMchinayAsa puTTiMchE didi "పొంచినయాస పుట్టించే దిది". 

సరిసంసారము సంతలకూటమి

సొరిదిఁ బచారము చూపే దిది

గరిమ నెప్పుడుఁ గలకలమనుచుండును

మరులగువిధమే మాపటికి ॥నట॥

 

sarisaMsAramu saMtalakUTami

soridi bachAramu chUpE didi

garima neppuDu galakalamanuchuMDunu

marulaguvidhamE mApaTiki ॥naTa॥

 

Word to Word meaning: సరిసంసారము (sarisaMsAramu) = on even view this family life; సంతలకూటమి (saMtalakUTami) = సంతలో కొనేవాళ్ళు, అమ్మేవాళ్ళు కలుసుకోవడం, పలకరించుకోవడం వంటిది.  (పనిముగిసిన పిదప ఎవరిదారిని వారు వెళ్ళిపోతారు). meeting in the market place. They deal with each other plainly and selfishly after cursory greetings; సొరిదిఁ (soridi) = వరుస,  క్రమము, queue, order; బచారము (bachAramu) = అంగిడి, దుకాణము shop, bazar; చూపే దిది (chUpE didi) = it shows;  గరిమ నెప్పుడుఁ (garima neppuDu) = ఎప్పుడూ తన ప్రభావము, మహత్వము ఎత్తి చూపు, always shows its importance (or heaviness) గలకలమనుచుండును (galakalamanuchuMDunu) = 'బాధపడు' అనే అర్థంలో వాడబడే అనుకరణపదం, it leaves person in discomfort;  మరులగువిధమే (marulaguvidhamE) = shaping up  to become barren land; మాపటికి (mApaTiki) = by night. 

Literal meaning: On even view, this family life is like meeting in the marketplace. They deal with each other plainly and selfishly after cursory greetings. The world always appears like well decorated marketplace to attract. Yet by the night, this place transforms to barren land. 

Explanation: This world is like a marketplace where we meet certain people. Though we greet them sweetly and talk to them earnestly, we are somehow engaged in our own world (as explained in first stanza).  Man takes his relationship with his family is so intensely intertwined that they are inseparable. Not only Annamacharya but also many philosophers and painters expressed that it is not true. 

Check out the picture above titled ‘Lovers’ by René Magritte. In it, a young couple can be seen kissing passionately. The painter makes it clear that they do not know each other by covering their heads with veils Although they appear to be close enough in that moment, actually are not. Isn't it not a true reflection of సంతలకూటమి (saMtalakUTami)?

 

కందువదేహము గాని ముదియదిది

అందినబహురూప మాడేదిది

యెందును శ్రీవేంకటేశ్వరుఁడుండును

డిందుపడఁగనిదె తెరమరఁగు ॥నట॥

 

kaMduvadEhamu gAni mudiyadidi

aMdinabahurUpa mADEdidi

yeMdunu SrIvEMkaTESvaruDuMDunu

DiMdupaDaMganide teramaragu ॥naTa॥

 

Word to Word meaning: కందువదేహము (kaMduvadEhamu) = this just shows up trace of peculiarly cunning body (here Annamacharya is not implying SOUL or the Feeling of ‘I’ or ‘Me’);  గాని (gAni) = but, except; ముదియదిది (mudiyadidi) = does not get old (here it is implying that our attitude remains same despite ageing); అందినబహురూపము (aMdinabahurUpamu) = bequeathed multirole;  ఆడేదిది (ADEdidi) = acts that role, plays that role;  యెందును (yeMdunu) = everywhere; శ్రీవేంకటేశ్వరుఁడుండును (SrIvEMkaTESvaruDuMDunu) = Lord Venkateswara is there;   డిందుపడఁగనిదె (DiMdupaDaMganide) = is at the bottom of all these, can be seen when mind is at rest (not making movements), can be felt by decrease of ego;  తెరమరఁగు (teramaragu) = = its behind veil; 

Literal meaning: This is nothing but peculiarly cunning body. Our attitude remains same despite ageing. It continues acting bequeathed multi roles. Lord Venkateswara is there behind curtain. He is found at the bottom of all these (when mind is not making movements and with cessation of Ego). 

Explanation: ‘కందువదేహము’ (kaMduvadEhamu) is indicating the body, mind and soul put together as one unit. Annamacharya used the said word to signify that body is only an indicator (like the arms of a wall clock) of the remaining two. 

To explain the central idea of this stanza, I am presenting a beautiful painting (titled ‘the Masks”) by Giorgio de Chirico, who claims to be doing Metaphysical Painting. To appreciate Metaphysical Painting, two fundamental concepts are necessary: 1) Enigma (embracing that which Giorgio de Chirico calls “revelation”) and 2) Melancholy. Together they constitute the principal of his painting.

 

Chirico said, “To live in the world as in a museum of strange things, full of strange colourful toys that change their aspect and that sometimes, like children, we break to see what they are made of and disappointingly find that they are empty.” 

In the picture 'Two Masks', when a man examines himself, he becomes under extreme tension when he recognizes and removes the many statuesque and imposed masks in himself. As an extremity, the mask of anonymity features an oval empty head in which nothing else can be discerned, in which the mysterious white image of a triangle is shown hovering over the depths of the void. 

Now it becomes clear that it is not simply a question of shedding the veils of the self, but an insurmountable step of transcending the self. Pieces of gear in the human silhouette are filled with squares, geometry and machines of 'Chirico' time. They have become an integral part of contemporary humanity, and the tragedy of man's pain to let go of the concept of 'I' is vivid. 

Annamacharya said that even when a human realizes duality within themselves, they cannot let go of it, as explained above. Beyond all this, he says, when the mind is still, when the ego is still in the heart, when man gives up all for truth, wisdom can dawn. 

 

Additional Notes: Ivan Pavlov’s Experiment: Classical conditioning was stumbled upon by accident. Ivan Pavlov was conducting research on the digestion of dogs when he noticed that the dogs’ physical reactions to food subtly changed over time. At first, the dogs would only salivate when the food was placed in front of them. However, later they salivated slightly before their food arrived. Pavlov realized that they were salivating at the noises that were consistently present before the food arrived; for example, the sound of a food cart is approaching.

To test his theory, Pavlov set up an experiment in which he rang a bell shortly before presenting food to the dogs. At first, the dogs elicited no response to the bells. However, eventually, the dogs began to salivate at the sound of the bell alone.

 

 

Summary of this Keertana: 

Chorus: O mind! Do not mislead me into pretensions. The creator of these illusions is the only one existing. Implied Meaning: O mind, let go illusion. Discover the truth that exists.    

Stanza 1: This world is swamped in fascination and weakness of intellect. It generates the desires that are ever ready to ambush your resolve. The imposter resembles the real.   Next day they leave trail of gloom and remorse. 

Stanza 2: On even view, this family life is like meeting in the marketplace. They deal with each other plainly and selfishly after cursory greetings. The world always appears like well decorated marketplace to attract. Yet by the night, this place transforms to barren land. 

Stanza 3: This is nothing but peculiarly cunning body Our attitude remains same despite ageing. It continues acting bequeathed multi roles. Lord Venkateswara is there behind curtain. He is found at the bottom of all these (when mind is not making movements and with cessation of Ego).