TALLAPAKA PEDATIRUMALACHARYULU
269 పనిగొన నేర్చువారి భాగ్యముకొలఁది
యిది
(panigona panigona nērcuvāri bhāgyamukolaṃ̐di yidi)
తెలుగులో చదవడానికి ఇక్కడ నొక్కండి.
Introduction
Here, Tirumalacharya
unveils a profound insight:
To reach the Divine, one need not go far.
Our own mouth, mind, body, ears, nose, and eyes —
these are the gateways to the experience of God.
And yet, the paradox is striking —
these are the also the very sources of our downfall.
The Divine is not
distant;
He is here —
within our body, in our breath, and in everything around us.
Then why is it that we fail to see Him,
though He is so near?
Because our mind is veiled by judgment —
by the habit of constantly measuring and labelling.
In this song,
Tirumalacharya touches a truth
that is at once simple and supremely subtle:
“The same nose that
delights in fragrance
recoils from foul odour — it is one and the same organ.”
We cherish sweet
smells and despise the unpleasant,
but both are sensed through the same faculty.
Love and aversion —
they are merely two ends of the same thread of perception.
Tirumalacharya’s
message is crystal clear:
Our tendency to judge is our true bondage.
We have become slaves to the instrument of judgment.
Each of us plays the judge,
thinking — “I know what is good; I can reject what is bad.”
But that very confidence blinds us to truth.
Hence his quiet
instruction:
See without judgment.
Such vision alone is true service —
and in that vision alone,
the Divine is realized.
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అధ్యాత్మ కీర్తన
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Philosophical
Poem |
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రేకు: 49-2 సంపుటము: 15-276
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Copper Plate: 49-2 Vol: 15-276 |
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పనిగొన నేర్చువారి భాగ్యముకొలఁది యిది తనకు నెదిరికి నీ దైవమే గుఱి ॥పల్లవి॥ దిట్టుదిట్టేయందులకు దీవించేయందులకు నట్టనడుమను వొక్కనాలికే గుఱి అట్టే సంతోషమునకు నలిగివున్నందులకు మట్టు మీఱియున్న తన మనసే గుఱి ॥పని॥ పాపకర్మమునకు బలుపుణ్యమునకును దీపంచ రెంటికి నొక్క దేహమే గుఱి వోపి కొండెము వినఁగ నొగి ధర్మము వినఁగ యేపునఁ దమ వీనులు యివియే గుఱి ॥పని॥ పూవుల వాసనలకు పొంచి దుర్గంధములకు చేవమీఱ నొక్కట నాసికమే గుఱి శ్రీవేంకటేశు సేవించ జీవులను దర్శించ కైవసమైయున్నతమ కన్నులే గుఱి ॥పని॥
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panigona nērcuvāri bhāgyamukolaṃ̐di yidi
tanaku nediriki nī daivamē gu\ri ॥pallavi॥ diṭṭudiṭṭēyaṃdulaku dīviṃcēyaṃdulaku
naṭṭanaḍumanu vokkanālikē gu\ri
aṭṭē saṃtōṣamunaku naligivunnaṃdulaku
maṭṭu mī\riyunna tana manasē gu\ri ॥pani॥ pāpakarmamunaku balupuṇyamunakunu
dīpaṃca reṃṭiki nokka dēhamē gu\ri
vōpi koṃḍemu vinaṃ̐ga nogi dharmamu vinaṃ̐ga
yēpunaṃ̐ dama vīnulu yiviyē gu\ri ॥pani॥ pūvula vāsanalaku poṃci durgaṃdhamulaku
cēvamī\ra nokkaṭa nāsikamē gu\ri
śrīvēṃkaṭēśu sēviṃca jīvulanu darśiṃca
kaivasamaiyunnatama kannulē gu\ri ॥pani॥
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Telugu
Phrase
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Meaning
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పనిగొన నేర్చువారి భాగ్యముకొలఁది యిది
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It is the fortune of one who has learnt the art of
performing work
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తనకు నెదిరికి నీ దైవమే గుఱి
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When he realizes that, for himself and before him, God
alone is the constant and the goal.
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Literal Meaning:
It is the supreme fortune of one who has truly
learned how to act. For such a person, the apparent “other” ceases to be an
object of action, judgment, or emotion. He perceives the world as a mirror
reflecting his own self. Established in that vision of unity, his very
existence becomes a blessing to the world.
Interpretative
Notes:
“తనకు నెదిరికి” (“for the self and the one before him”)
The phrase (“for the self and the one before him”) carries a
subtle and luminous depth. It echoes the Bhagavad Gita verse (6.30):
యో
మాం పశ్యతి సర్వత్ర సర్వం చ మయి పశ్యతి ।
తస్యాహం న ప్రణశ్యామి స చ మే న ప్రణశ్యతి ॥6-30॥
“He
who sees Me in all beings, and all beings in Me —
I am never lost to him, nor is he ever lost to Me.”
For
such a one, there is nothing left to act upon — because the distinction between self and other has dissolved. The
apparent “other” is no longer an entity on which he could act. Because he understands that
If he perceives evil in others, he recognises it as a reflection of his
own unillumined shadow.
If he perceives good, he knows it
too arises from the same Divine source within.
Thus, seeing himself in all and all in himself, he transcends the illusion of relationship based on separation.
In that state, all are related only
through the Lord — not through personal affection, obligation, or identity.
The web of human relationships that the ordinary mind weaves is perceived
as Maya — a delicate mirage overlaying one indivisible Reality.
The Pallavi — the awakening of true perception: When man learns the art of action (పనిగొన నేర్చువాడు), he recognises there is no separate actor. In that recognition, the entire framework of “doership” collapses. This is the supreme fortune (భాగ్యం) —not something gained, but something realised. It is the stillness behind all action, where action and actor are one.
The Subsequent Stanzas — the instruments and their right alignment: The verses that follow reveal the means available to man — the mind, the body, the senses, and the moral faculties. Each of these can either bind or liberate.
When aligned with awareness and surrender, they become tools of
transformation;
when driven by desire or ignorance, they become obstacles of bondage.
First
Stanza:
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Telugu
Phrase
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Meaning
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దిట్టుదిట్టేయందులకు దీవించేయందులకు
నట్టనడుమను వొక్కనాలికే గుఱి
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Both cursing
and blessing issue from the same tongue. The direction of speech — whether it
wounds or heals — depends on the mind behind it.
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అట్టే సంతోషమునకు నలిగివున్నందులకు మట్టు
మీఱియున్న తన మనసే గుఱి
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It is one’s own
mind, rising beyond its limits, that gives rise to pleasure and pain. Only
the mind that stands balanced beyond agitation can direct life toward true
well-being.
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Literal Meaning:
The same mouth utters both praise and
blame; the same mind generates joy and sorrow. The pleasure and pain we experience is not the
words, nor the surrounding world, but due to one’s own restless mind. The excited
mind— maṭṭu mīriyunna —loses the clarity to perceive truth or
righteousness appropriately.
Interpretative Notes:
The expression మట్టు మీఱియున్న “maṭṭu mīriyunna” (crossing one’s limit) is a profound insight by Pedatirumalacharya. It reveals the subtle truth that human suffering springs form a disturbed mind. When the mind loses its equipoise and crosses its natural bounds — then it is stirred by likes and dislikes, pride and humiliation, or joy and grief. A disturbed mind cannot grasp truth; both elation and dejection arise from its turbulence.
Thus, Pedatirumalacharya points us inward: rather than judging the world or our words, we must turn attention to the mind that gives them birth. The same tongue that blesses can curse, depending on the state of the heart. True discipline lies not in restraining speech alone, but in purifying the source from which it springs.
When one observes this axis between
cursing and blessing — and speaks free of anger or agitation — such speech
becomes a sacred act. That is वाङ्मयं तपस् (vāṅmaya tapas) — the penance of speech.
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं
च यत् |
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते || 17-15||
anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ
cha yat
svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate
Words that cause no agitation, that are truthful, gentle, and beneficial, along with regular study of sacred scriptures — these constitute the discipline of speech.
When mind, word, and action are in harmony, speech becomes pure. Then the very tongue that once divided becomes divine; no harsh word can arise from it. The sanctity of life begins here — in speech born of balance, rooted in peace.
Second
Stanza:
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Telugu
Phrase
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Meaning
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పాపకర్మమునకు
బలుపుణ్యమునకును దీపంచ రెంటికి నొక్క దేహమే గుఱి
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It is this same
body that suffers the consequences of sin and also receives the rewards of
virtue. Thus, the body itself becomes both the instrument of action and the
receiver of its fruits.
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వోపి
కొండెము వినఁగ నొగి ధర్మము వినఁగ యేపునఁ దమ వీనులు యివియే గుఱి
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Whatever we
choose to listen to shapes our mind. When we listen to falsehood or adharma,
our mind becomes distorted; when we listen to words of truth and dharma, the
mind attains peace. Therefore, the senses determine the direction of our
life.
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This body is the field for both virtue and sin — the very medium through
which we experience both light and darkness. Our choices define our inner
state: Listening to falsehood corrupts, while openness to truth purifies. Thus,
our senses — especially hearing — are the tools that shape our life’s course
and moral direction.
Interpretative Notes:
Here, Pedda Tirumalacharya exposes an
important human folly. We show natural affinity and eagerness to listen to gossip, untruth, and
trivial matters. In fact, these are so attractive, we spend whole lot of time on
these. Do we ever pay similar attention to truth? Hardly. Most probably we shun it.
In today’s world, countless institutions and
individuals strive to spread good values, yet very few care to listen. If a
celebrity meets with a minor accident, and that news spreads like wildfire. This,
says the poet, is the way of the world — a mirror of our misplaced attention.
As mentioned earlier, we people have no real capacity to determine what is truly good deed (puṇya) — for that requires divine vision and detachment.
But, we do have the awareness to recognize and renounce sin (pāpa). That
act of conscious renunciation itself is yajña — an inner sacrifice. If
one does not treat this effort as a sacred offering, the mind will inevitably
return to its old habits.
Therefore —
- The one who has
awakened the awareness to let go of sin is already walking the path of
sādhanā.
- But the one who
still seeks “to earn virtue” continues to remain within the net of duality
— still bound by the subtle sense of gain and loss.
Essence:
If the body serves as the base for our virtuous
and sinful actions, then the ears serve as the compass for our direction. Our
sensory actions guide our life — and when they are dedicated to the service of
Lord Venkateswara, they become a sacred yajña.
In such a state, body, senses, and mind rise above dualities and unite in
dharma.
Third Stanza:
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Telugu
Phrase
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Meaning
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పూవుల
వాసనలకు పొంచి దుర్గంధములకు
చేవమీఱ
నొక్కట నాసికమే గుఱి
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The desire to enjoy
pleasant scents and the urge to avoid foul ones both arise from the same
sense organ — the nose. The real distinction lies not in the smells
themselves, but in the mind that judges them.
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శ్రీవేంకటేశు
సేవించ జీవులను దర్శించ
కైవసమైయున్నతమ
కన్నులే గుఱి
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The eyes that see all
living beings with equal vision, without distinction, as expressions of the
Divine — those are the eyes that have attained true sight. They are truly in
service of Lord Venkateshwara.
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Plain Prose Meaning:
The desire to enjoy pleasant scents and the urge to avoid foul ones — both arise from the same nose. The real distinction lies not in the smells themselves, but in the mind that judges them. The eyes that see all living beings with equal vision, without distinction, as expressions of the Divine — those are the eyes that have attained true sight. They are truly in the service of Lord Venkateshwara.
Interpretative notes:
The same nose that reaches out for the fragrance of flowers also recoils from foul smells. The same eyes that can see divisions and distinctions among beings can, when purified, behold the presence of the Divine equally in all. It is not the senses themselves that create these opposites of attraction and aversion — it is the mind that stands behind them, interpreting every sensation through its own filters of like and dislike.
Essence of the Stanza
The longing to enjoy fragrance and the impulse to turn away from stench both arise from the same source. The senses are merely instruments; the true movement is within the mind that judges. The idea of “pleasant” or “unpleasant” does not lie in the smell or the sight themselves. It is born from the impressions stored within us — the subtle records of our past experiences — that compare, classify, and label the present moment. Thus, the duality we perceive in the world is a reflection of our own divided consciousness.
But when the mind grows still — when it ceases to oscillate between attraction and repulsion — the senses regain their natural clarity. Then, perception itself becomes pure. It is in that purified state that the devotee truly serves the Lord, not by ritual alone but by vision — by seeing every living being as an embodiment of Sri Venkatesha. The eyes that can behold life with such evenness, without judgment or bias, are no longer ordinary eyes; they become the instruments of divine sight. They do not merely look — they see.
Pedathirumalacharya’s line శ్రీవేంకటేశు సేవించ జీవులను దర్శించ “to see all beings in service to Sri Venkatesha” reveals this deeper meaning of service: not action, but vision; not offering, but perception free of judgment. To serve the Divine is to see without distortion. The true devotee perceives the world — in all its chaos, contrast, and incomprehensible design — as nothing other than an integral part of the Divine.
When Annamacharya speaks of "ఆకాశ పాకాశ మరుదైన కూటంబు" “ākāśa-pākāśa-marudaina kūṭambu” (Apparent topsy-turvy world is an unimaginable composition). He points precisely to this — that the world which seems fragmented and confused to the ordinary mind is, in truth, one seamless divine order.
God exists here in this very world. So is the
man. This same earth is both heaven and hell — depending only on the eye that
sees. That apparent fantastic division in the indivisible is the illusion of
man.
The Bhagavad Gita echoes this vision in verse 13.28:
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं
परमेश्वरम् |
विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं य: पश्यति स पश्यति || 28||
“He who sees the Supreme Lord abiding equally in all beings, the imperishable
within the perishable — he alone truly sees.”
Such a vision transforms human sight into divine
insight. The eyes no longer serve as mere physical organs; they become the
clear windows of consciousness through which reality itself shines.
In this stanza, Pedathirumalacharya’s insight
flows effortlessly between sensory experience and spiritual truth. He leads us
from the simplest act — smelling a flower — to the highest realization — seeing
the Lord in all beings. The bridge between the two lies in the mind’s
stillness. When judgment falls away, the world reveals its true fragrance.
The Message of
this Poem
Peda Tirumalacharya’s poem lucidly unveils what obstructs man’s quest for Truth. He reminds us that the mind — restless, excited, and forever judging — is unfit for perceiving Reality as it is.
Truth does not dwell along the trembling axis that joins the opposites of like and dislike, pleasure and pain.
Through simple yet penetrating imagery, the poet leads us beyond the realm of opposites — beyond praise and blame, sin and virtue, fragrance and stench — to the still centre where all dualities dissolves.
There,
the senses are no longer instruments of bondage but gateways of revelation.
The tongue blesses, the ears discern, the eyes behold — not as divided organs,
but as radiant reflections of one inner consciousness.
Thus, this poem gently carries us from the visible to the invisible, from action to awareness, from judgment to vision — and finally, into that quiet realm of Truth, where man and the Divine are not two.
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