182 eMdunu bOrA dIsaMsAramu (ఎందును బోరా దీసంసారము)

 ANNAMACHARYULU

182 ఎందును బోరా దీసంసారము

(eMdunu bOrA dIsaMsAramu)

for Telegu (తెలుగు) Version press here

 

Summary of this Poem:

Chorus: Oh, People!! We cannot achieve significant progress in this world or in life with our current way of living. Oh, God! it is truly impossible to break free from the web of illusion you've expertly woven. 

Stanza 1: Man! Understand that thing, when possessed, distorts the mind; when lacking, brings sorrow; and which create obstructions that life cannot continue without the sustenance of the body. 

Stanza 2: O people! Drawn to the transitory allure of youth, you yearn to linger within it forever. Yet, as the end approaches, you find yourself a helpless spectator. Throughout your life, you relentlessly chase after elusive wealth, which comes and goes. Despite all this, hunger remains unconquered despite all your efforts. 

Stanza 3: O People, why are you so driven by the pursuit of money, wealth, and recognition? How many endeavours will you immerse yourself in?  Lord Venkateswara, you stand at the core of everything. We earnestly request your protection for the sake of the serenity found in your gaze. 

Detailed Presentation

Introduction: Annamacharya didn't pen these poems; he instead imbued words with vitality. There is virtually no distinction to be found between his life, his verses, and his connection with the divine. Annamacharya attempted to dissolve the barriers built in the minds of human beings. 

కీర్తన: రాగిరేకు:  380-1 సంపుటము: 4-464

POEM Copper Leaf:  380-1 Volume: 4-464

ఎందును బోరా దీసంసారము కందువ నీ మాయ గడవఁగ వశమా॥పల్లవి॥   కలిమే చిత్త వికార హేతు ఎది అలర లేమి దైన్య హేతువు పలు లంపటములు బంధ హేతువులు తలఁగిన నడవదు తనుపోషణము ॥ఎందు॥  మదవికార మిదె మహిత యౌవనము తుద వార్ధకమే దురంతము యిదె యర్థార్జన యాతాయాతన అదియు మానితే నాఁకలి ఘనము ॥ఎందు॥   యెన్ని గడియించే వెన్నిట ముంచే - విన్నిట శ్రీ వేంకటేశ్వరుఁడ అన్నిట నంతర్యామివి నీవే కన్ను దనియ ననుఁ గావఁగదే ॥ఎందు॥

eMdunu bOrA dIsaMsAramu kaMduva nI mAya gaDavaga vaSamA ॥pallavi॥   kalimE chitta vikAra hEtu edi alara lEmi dainya hEtuvu palu laMpaTamulu baMdha hEtuvulu talagina naDavadu tanupOshaNamu ॥eMdu॥   madavikAra mide mahita yauvanamu tuda vArdhakamE duraMtamu yide yarthArjana yAtAyAtana adiyu mAnitE nAkali ghanamu ॥eMdu॥   yenni gaDiyiMchE venniTa muMchE - vinniTa SrI vEMkaTESvaruDa anniTa naMtaryAmivi nIvE kannu daniya nanu gAvagadE ॥eMdu॥

Details and Explanations: 

ఎందును బోరా దీసంసారము

కందువ నీ మాయ గడవఁగ వశమా ॥పల్లవి॥

eMdunu bOrA dIsaMsAramu

kaMduva nI mAya gaDavaga vaSamA ॥pallavi॥ 

Word to word meaning: ఎందును (eMdunu) = nowhere; బోరా దీసంసారము (bOrA dIsaMsAramu) =to go in this world / universe / life; కందువ (kaMduva) = efficiently; నీ (nI) = your; మాయ (mAya) = illusion; గడవఁగ వశమా (gaDavaga vaSamA) = impossible to cross/overcome. 

Literal meaning: Oh, People!! We cannot achieve significant progress in this world or in life with our current way of living. Oh, God! it is truly impossible to break free from the web of illusion you've expertly woven. 

వివరణము: Annamacharya consistently maintained that there is only one world. However, we often spend our time holding false hopes about the existence of heaven, hell, or Vaikuntham after death. Annamacharya underscores the immense challenge of breaking free from this worldly existence. Jiddu Krishnamurti said “no one can get free by effort. It is the truth that liberates the man”.

As there are no two worlds, whatever existing is in front of our eyes. But we are not able to see properly due to many distortions and veils we have created in our minds. Often repeated statement in the Bhagavad Gita."य: पश्यति स पश्यति (yaḥ paśhyati sa paśhyati " = He who sees thus, is the true seer) is in a way stating the same. 

Thus, it is emphasised that man while being part of this world, should not engage himself into any of the activities belonging to this world.  Such an occupation may be termed as meditation. Annamacharya advocated meditation to glorifying God. This is also the devotion mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita.

We do not internally accept that we must be unaware of those activities of meditation. Our inquisitiveness to guess such activities leads to duality. Our engagement with this world may be compared to the picture below.

In the above picture, two walls support the ‘swing’. One of the walls is due to actual world in front of us. The other wall is built up by our mind. Though the ‘swing’ appearing there is impossible, we tend to believe that girl is really enjoying. Our interaction with the world often follows a similar pattern of reasoning.

 

కలిమే చిత్త వికార హేతు ఎది

అలర లేమి దైన్య హేతువు

పలు లంపటములు బంధ హేతువులు

తలఁగిన నడవదు తనుపోషణము         ॥ఎందు॥

kalimE chitta vikAra hEtu edi

alara lEmi dainya hEtuvu

palu laMpaTamulu baMdha hEtuvulu

talagina naDavadu tanupOshaNamu   ॥eMdu॥ 

Word to word meaning: కలిమే (kalimE) really the wealth (used to indicate feeling of life in the body); చిత్త వికార (chitta vikAra)= distorting your mind; హేతు (hEtu) = reason for; ఎది (edi) = which; అలర (alara) = generate, emanate; లేమి (lEmi) = not having; దైన్య హేతువు (dainya hEtuvu)  = reason for sorrow; పలు లంపటములు (palu laMpaTamulu) = Two wooden logs hung around the neck to prevent the stray cows from running away, impediments, obstructions;  బంధ హేతువులు (baMdha hEtuvulu) = leading to bondage; తలఁగిన (talagina) = if not there; నడవదు (naDavadu) = do not sustain; తనుపోషణము (tanupOshaNamu) = this body of existence;  

Literal meaning: Man! Understand that thing, when possessed, distorts the mind; when lacking, brings sorrow; and which create obstructions that life cannot continue without the sustenance of the body.

Explanation: The term "ఎది" (edi = which) doesn't blend seamlessly with the rest of the stanza. It could be inferred that Annamacharya deliberately left it as such to signify that this particular ‘entity’ doesn't smoothly integrate with the rest of the body but still coexists with it.

Annamacharya is urging individuals to seek out that singular entity, the absence of which leaves a sense of emptiness, the one that must be found while one is alive, and the one that remains untouched by both sorrow and happiness. 

మదవికార మిదె మహిత యౌవనము

తుద వార్ధకమే దురంతము

యిదె యర్థార్జన యాతాయాతన

అదియు మానితే నాఁకలి ఘనము ॥ఎందు॥

madavikAra mide mahita yauvanamu

tuda vArdhakamE duraMtamu

yide yarthArjana yAtAyAtana

adiyu mAnitE nAkali ghanamu  ॥eMdu॥ 

Word to word meaning: మదవికార (madavikAra) = distortion due to love and desire; మిదె (mide)= this one; మహిత (mahita) = great; యౌవనము (yauvanamu) = youth; తుద వార్ధకమే (tuda vArdhakamE) = old age at the end; దురంతము (duraMtamu) = disastrous end; యిదె (yide) = this; యర్థార్జన (yarthArjana) = material (money) acquisition;  యాతాయాతన (yAtAyAtana) = coming and going;  అదియు (adiyu) = even that; మానితే (mAnitE) = when stopped; నాఁకలి (nAkali) = hunger;  ఘనము (ghanamu) = strong (here used in the sense of impossible to overcome)    

 

Literal meaning: O people! Drawn to the transitory allure of youth, you yearn to linger within it forever. Yet, as the end approaches, you find yourself a helpless spectator. Throughout your life, you relentlessly chase after elusive wealth, which comes and goes. Despite all this, hunger remains unconquered despite all your efforts.

Explanation: Life persists without our intervention, as though time and actions are beyond human command. How can one lead a meaningful life in the absence of control? Is humanity merely a marionette in the grasp of fate? What tools are at our disposal? It appears that no matter how many times great minds have emphasized life's fundamental principles, we struggle to grasp them. Let's revisit the profound truths of existence through the renowned woodcut artwork "Metamorphos" crafted by M. C. Escher.

Dutch artist Escher painted and produced several works with great emphasis on the dualities in life. 'Metamorphos' is an amazing piece of art. Escher revised it three times during his lifetime. Listeners can see its beauty and size (20 cm wide by 390 cm long) in the picture below. I have also attached a beautiful video on this. Watch and enjoy. 

"Metamorphosis unfolds as a captivating journey of evolution, where animals and objects seamlessly transition into one another. It commences with the emergence of 'Metamorphose' within a dark rectangle, followed by the assembly of numerous smaller 'Metamorphose' rectangles, forming an intricate grid. This grid then morphs into a striking black-and-white checkered motif, which subsequently evolves into a mesmerizing series of tessellations featuring reptiles, a honeycomb, insects, fish, birds, and an arrangement of three-dimensional blocks crowned with vibrant red tops."

"These blocks serve as the foundation for the layout of Atrani, an enchanting coastal town in Italy. Atrani is linked to a waterfront tower by way of a bridge, resembling a rook positioned on a chessboard. Scattered across the water are various other chess pieces, turning the entire expanse into a living chessboard. This chessboard gradually transitions into a checkered wall, ultimately leading us back to the word 'metamorphoses,' completing the poetic transformation."

Metamorphose is a Dutch word signifying metamorphosis or transformation. The interlocking tiles (patterns) symbolise the inextricable interrelationship of inert living things and life on this planet. This is what Annamacharya implied by “బ్రహ్మమొక్కటే పరబ్రహ్మమొక్కటె” (brahmamokkaTE parabrahmamokkaTe). See the relevant stanza below: 

కందువగు హీనాధికములిందు లేవు

అందరికి శ్రీహరే అంతరాత్మ

ఇందులో జంతుకుల మింతా నొకటే

అందరికి శ్రీహరే అంతరాత్మ ॥తంద॥

 

Under Srihari's benevolent gaze, we find our place,

No distinction of high or low, only endless grace,

In His boundless love, all creatures share the same,

Equality and unity, united in His name.

 

It is known that creation is changing in a regular manner, however that change is beyond our perception. The process of metamorphosis shows the living inert materials transform interchangeably and asserts that there is no difference between the two. But Annamacharyu said "వెనకేదో ముందరేదో వెఱ్ఱి నేను" venakEdO muMdarEdO ve~r~ri nEnu = My foolish desires are preventing me from comprehending the divine order of the things.

The chess configurations depicted in the artwork are intriguing as well. These positions align with the image provided. Black, in a strategic move, has sacrificed the queen to ensure a checkmate in response to White's obligatory move. The resulting checkmate is of the "smothered" variety, wherein the beleaguered king is hemmed in by friendly pieces, rendering it immobile. Moreover, the black knight, in the final position, ingeniously targets both White's king and queen, executing a brilliant double attack known as a "royal fork."

 

Thus, MC Escher may be warning the people that this is the last chance. If you continue playing the same old game, there is no possibility for victory. Man should try something else altogether. 

Think of chess as the sport of 'the world as we know it'. That is, not to continue the game, not from the front of chess, but to do work that is not related to those things. That is meditation. But how can a human being do something he does not know? In other words, meditation is doing nothing and being still. But if the mind is moving here and there with all kinds of illusions, it is not meditation at all.   Compare this with 'వెన్నచేతబట్టి నేయి వెదకనేలా' ‘venna chEtabaTTi nEyi vedakanElA’ = (implied meaning) Man! figure out what is pure and unadulterated action.

యెన్ని గడియించే వెన్నిట ముంచే -

విన్నిట శ్రీ వేంకటేశ్వరుఁడ

అన్నిట నంతర్యామివి నీవే

కన్ను దనియ ననుఁ గావఁగదే     ॥ఎందు॥

yenni gaDiyiMchE venniTa muMchE -

vinniTa SrI vEMkaTESvaruDa

anniTa naMtaryAmivi nIvE

kannu daniya nanu gAvagadE   ॥eMdu॥

 

Word to word meaning: యెన్ని (yenni) = how much, how many; గడియించే (gaDiyiMchE) = acquire;  వెన్నిట (venniTa) = in what all; ముంచే (muMchE) = you get immersed; -విన్నిట (vinniTa) = in so many things; శ్రీ వేంకటేశ్వరుఁడ (SrI vEMkaTESvaruDa) = O Lord Venkateswara; అన్నిట (anniTa) = In all these; నంతర్యామివి (naMtaryAmivi) = inside dweller, the soul;  నీవే (nIvE) = yourself;  కన్ను (kannu) = eyes;  దనియ (daniya) = full satisfaction; ననుఁ (nanu) = me;  గావఁగదే (gAvagadE) = save me.     

Literal meaning: People, why are you so driven by the pursuit of money, wealth, and recognition? How many endeavours will you immerse yourself in?  Lord Venkateswara, you stand at the core of everything. We earnestly request your protection for the sake of the serenity found in your gaze. 

వివరణము: The greatest thing a human being can achieve in his life is stillness of mind. It happens without human control. So, there should be no other way than leaving all the avocations and surrendering.  Sirs, please understand that “awareness that one’s mind” is still not mediation.

So, it is profound. Let us recall the words of wisdom from Bhagavad-Gita. कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: | स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ||4-18|| karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśhyed akarmaṇi cha karma yaḥ / sa buddhimān manuṣhyeṣhu sa yuktaḥ kṛitsna-karma-kṛit PURPORT: Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans.

Let's delve into the concept of surrender. Our current life's purpose is to bring certainty to the future, even though we cannot predict what it holds. We strive to facilitate a smoother transition into the unknown. Surrendering to God means embracing the natural flow of life. In doing so, we entrust control from the familiar world to the unfamiliar. In the artwork of Escher, the shift from one tile to another appears unclear and unfinished, much like life's transitions.

The transition from certainty to uncertainty carries the essence of adventure, rather than recklessness. It demands courage, making it inaccessible to the fearful. Onlookers may certainly deem such attempts as foolish. Consequently, many individuals pass through life without ever contemplating its deeper meaning. This is precisely why Annamacharya stated, "చూడరెవ్వరు దీని సోద్యంబు పరికించి" (chUDarevvaru dIni sOdyaMbu parikiMchi), = None takes a careful look at this amazing thing called (self). Without deep understanding, you cannot find comfort in it.

-x-x-x-