263 వెరవకువే యింత వెరగేలా నీకు
(veravakuvē yiṃta veragēlā nīku)
తెలుగులో చదవడానికి ఇక్కడ నొక్కండి.
Introduction
Annamacharya’s words are like Tom Riddle’s diary in the Harry Potter story. When Harry begins to write, Tom Riddle himself appears in the book and responds. In the same way, when we start reading Annamacharya’s songs, his heart gradually unfolds before us.
One may ask: “What is so special about this? Do not all great writers reveal themselves through their works?” True — but there is a difference. Most writers take us from the known something extendable, or imaginable realm. Annamacharya, however, reveals to us something beyond imagination itself.
As we have noted many
times, Annamacharya is extraordinarily frugal with words — not a single
syllable is wasted. In this song, he devotes three whole stanzas to exploring
the meaning of a single word. That alone underlines the significance of this
word.
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శృంగార కీర్తన
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Romantic Poem
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రేకు: 66-4 సంపుటము: 5-208
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Copper Plate: 66-4 Vol: 5-208
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వెరవకువే యింత వెరగేలా నీకు
నెఱిఁ గురిసీఁ గొప్పున నీలాలు ॥పల్లవి॥ పగడాలు వాతెరఁ బాయక కురియఁగ
మొగిఁ గురిసీఁ గన్నుల ముత్యాలు
మగువ నీవిభుని ప్రేమపుఁగూటమి గన్నుల
మగుడఁ గురిసీ నింక మాణికాలు ॥వెర॥ పడఁతి నీపుట్టానఁ బచ్చలు గురియఁగా
వడిసీని నీమేన వజ్రాలు
కడఁగి నీరమణుని కాఁకలఁ గూడఁగ
తొడరీ నీగోళ్ళతుదఁ గెంపులు ॥వెర॥ హితవైన తిరువేంకటేశుకౌఁగిట మోహ-
రతులఁ బొడమె నవరత్నాలు
ప్రతలేని లప్పలైన పచ్చి కస్తూరి శయ్య
మితిలేక రాలెనే గోమేధికాలు ॥వెర॥
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veravakuvē yiṃta
veragēlā nīku
ne\riṃ̐ gurisīṃ̐
goppuna nīlālu ॥pallavi॥ pagaḍālu vāteraṃ̐
bāyaka kuriyaṃ̐ga
mogiṃ̐ gurisīṃ̐
gannula mutyālu
maguva nīvibhuni
prēmapuṃ̐gūṭami gannula
maguḍaṃ̐ gurisī
niṃka māṇikālu ॥vera॥ paḍaṃ̐ti nīpuṭṭānaṃ̐
baccalu guriyaṃ̐gā
vaḍisīni nīmēna
vajrālu
kaḍaṃ̐gi nīramaṇuni
kāṃ̐kalaṃ̐ gūḍaṃ̐ga
toḍarī nīgōḻḻatudaṃ̐
geṃpulu ॥vera॥ hitavaina
tiruvēṃkaṭēśukauṃ̐giṭa mōha-
ratulaṃ̐ boḍame
navaratnālu
pratalēni lappalaina
pacci kastūri śayya
mitilēka rālenē gōmēdhikālu ॥vera॥
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Details and Discussions:
Chorus (Pallavi):
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Telugu Phrase
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Meaning
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వెరవకువే యింత వెరగేలా నీకు
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Do not be so afraid, why such trembling for you?
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నెఱిఁ
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In distortion/deformation (read as that change, that
transformation)
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గురిసీఁ గొప్పున నీలాలు
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sapphires will be shining on your head.
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Literal Meaning:
It is as if the Lord Himself is saying
through Annamacharya: “Do not be so afraid, why such trembling for you? In that
very distortion (in that transformation), your head will be shining like sapphires.”
Interpretative
Notes:
Neri (నెఱిఁ): means undergoing distortion — bending, breaking, turning. This is not physical distortion, but the correction of the mind’s crookedness. A mind that is rigid, proud, and upright cannot undergo transformation. In the narrow path of divine grace, it cannot proceed unless it becomes humbled. Only when it bends — meaning only when it wholeheartedly accepts change — can it pass. What appears like humiliation to the ego, says Annamacharya, becomes a crown of sapphires before God. That very deformation becomes radiant transformation.
The Narrow Path: The idea of a “narrow way” is found in the Katha Upanishad (1.3.14), in the Yoga Vasishta, and in Annamacharya’s songs in many places. The Bible too speaks of the “narrow gate.” Jiddu Krishnamurti spoke of aloneness and choiceless awareness — the same vision in another tongue. From birth to death is the ordinary cycle of life. But great souls walk the narrow path and reach an extraordinary state — there the old mind, its thoughts and attachments, are discarded. Even the memory of “I” dissolves. That breaking is painful, hence the fear. Yet the soul, by walking through that passage, undergoes transformation.
Control as Obstacle: That is why Jiddu Krishnamurti said: “I do not mind what happens.” Control over outcomes is the true obstacle for man; letting go is the real path. True surrender cannot be conditional — it cannot be “I accept, if it suits me.” Real surrender means acceptance of whatever happens. At first, this surrender looks frightening, because it cancels self-will. Yet here alone arises a profound trust in oneself and in the divine.
Crucial Point: This Pallavi must be seen as central
and the subtlest point for the inner revolution. The sapphires mentioned here,
and the other jewels and ornaments referred to later in the song, are not
external. They symbolize the highest inner states. These cannot be achieved by
effort; they are bestowed as divine grace. Man’s role is only to stand in
silent surrender. God is ever willing to provide, the problem is from the man’s
side.
Bhagavat-Gita Similar idea can be seen in Bhagavat-Gita verse: यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् | तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम् || 37|| (That which seems like poison at first, but tastes like nectar in the end, is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness. It is generated by the pure intellect that is situated in self-knowledge).
ORDER AND CHAOS: To understand this pallavi more deeply,
let us look at M.C. Escher’s Order and Chaos (1950). In the center, he
places a shining stellated dodecahedron (a crystal) inside a glass sphere.
Around it lie scattered, broken fragments. The crystal signifies the secret
order of creation, while the fragments signify disorder and chaos.
M C Escher suggests that even in the disorder of
the visible world, a hidden order, a deeper law persists. Jiddu Krishnamurti
too often spoke of such an “intrinsic order.” Such a rare order is exactly what
Annamacharya points to by the word neelalu (sapphires). Thus, “Veravakuve
yinta veragela neeku” depicts the trembling, confused state of the ordinary
mind, while “Neri gurisi goppuna neelalu” reveals the emergence of that
rare crystal-like order after transformation.
THE FLAUTIST: But how does this transformation occur? For this, we may turn to Remedios Varo’s The Flautist (1955). Here a solitary musician, almost like a monk, stands before a broken, irregular tower. His body is long, delicate, almost merged into the dark stones of the jagged tower. The flute he plays produces invisible vibrations — symbols of inner transformation.
Narrow Passage: In the distance, a tower rises with three stairways, each narrowing as they ascend — an image of the “narrow passage.” The tower and stairs are not built of bricks or mortar; it is half architectural, half composed of some mysterious material. The side facing the flautist glows with light — the realm of the known. The other side lies in shadow — the unknown. At its base are scattered stones, waiting as if to be lifted into place by the force of music itself.
The tower: has an octagonal design, suggesting musical octaves. Thus, the flautist’s song is assembling the stones, constructing a new order. What was once broken is restored, what was once scattered is made whole. In this impossible work, the flautist is utterly absorbed, unaware of what is happening around him. He has surrendered fully to his music.
THE NEW ORDER: This echoes Annamacharya’s “neri.”
The mind too feels as if it is being forcibly dragged into change, yet it does
not know how the change is happening. The desire to “know” is already
surrendered. It is not human will that builds this tower — it is divine will.
Partly on what is known (the body), partly on what is unknown, the construction
goes on. Man will never reach the perfection. However, any movement in that
direction is a bliss.
First
Stanza:
Literal Meaning:
Annamacharya paints the pictures the
lady’s transformation through divine love. Corals, pearls, rubies — not
external ornaments, but symbols of inner radiance. As her eyes touch divine
love, they become pearls of purity, rubies of ardour.
Interpretative
Notes:
Look again at The Flautist. The
octagonal tower without a foundation is drawn only for us to see; it stands
neither on earth nor in air. In truth, it exists only in the mind of the
flute-player. The shining light within him and around him are symbols of his
inner state. This is precisely what Annamacharya is expressing in this stanza.
Second
Stanza:
Literal Meaning:
Annamacharya describes the lady’s bodily blossoming as an offering to God.
Her tender buds (budding femininity, innocence) mature into diamonds; her union
with the Lord turns even the smallest parts — like the tips of her toenails —
into radiant emeralds.
Interpretative
Notes:
The ladies blossoming is to be noted as
the complete transformation mentioned earlier. Annamacharya is saying that such
exalted souls feel life in their entire body from the toenails to edge of the
hair. In our ordinary existence, we only experience, life indirectly.
Third Stanza:
Plain Prose Meaning:
In the loving embrace of Lord Venkatesha, all
delights become nine different types of precious
stones (Navaratnas). Upon the bed of musk, which has no equal, precious stones
like topaz (gomédhika) rain in abundance.
Interpretative notes:
Both Annamacharya and Jiddu Krishnamurti stated
such a feeling of life, vivacity and fullness is unimaginable from our present state.
The Message of this Poem
X-X-The
END-X-X
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