3R తొల్లి కలవే ఇవియు తొల్లి తానుఁ గలఁడే
(tolli
kalavē iviyu
tolli tānuṃ̐ galaṃ̐ḍē)
INTRODUCTION
This
kīrtana stands as a fine example of how Annamacharya creates boundless depth
using words that appear simple on the surface. While speaking of things that
seem physically graspable, he quietly pulls the ground from beneath our feet
and leads us into realms of thought that are not easily accessible. The poem is
not merely philosophical; it reveals the depths a yogic mind can descend into.
It is a rare and unfading gem that rises to heights no formal discipline can
ever contain. As long as humanity endures, the ideas embodied here will
continue to evoke wonder and reflection.
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అధ్యాత్మ
కీర్తన
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Philosophical Poem
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రేకు: 313-1
సంపుటము: 4-73
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Copper
Plate: 313-1 Vol: 4-73
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తొల్లి కలవే ఇవియు తొల్లి తానుఁ గలఁడే కల్లయునుఁ గాదు ఇది కడు నిజము గాదు ॥పల్లవి॥ కనుదెరచినంతనే కలుగు నీ జగము కనుమూసినంతనే కడుశూన్యమౌను కనురెప్ప మరఁగుననె కలిమియును లేమియును తన మనోభావనలఁ దగిలి తోఁచీని ॥తొల్లి॥ తలఁచినంతనె యెంతదవ్వయినఁ గాన్పించు తలఁపు మరచినమతికి దట్టమౌఁ దమము పొలసి మతిమరఁగుననె పుట్టుటలుఁ బోవుటలు పలు చంచల వికారభావ విూ గుణము ॥తొల్లి॥ ముందు దాఁగలిగితే మూఁడు లోకములుఁ గల- వెందుఁ దా లేకుంటే నేమియును లేదు అంది శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁ డాత్మలోననె వీఁడె కందువల నితనిసంకల్ప విూపనులు ॥తొల్లి॥
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tolli kalavē iviyu tolli
tānuṃ̐ galaṃ̐ḍē kallayunuṃ̐ gādu idi kaḍu
nijamu gādu ॥pallavi॥ kanuderacinaṃtanē kalugu nī
jagamu kanumūsinaṃtanē
kaḍuśūnyamaunu kanureppa maraṃ̐gunane
kalimiyunu lēmiyunu tana manōbhāvanalaṃ̐ dagili
tōṃ̐cīni ॥tolli॥ talaṃ̐cinaṃtane
yeṃtadavvayinaṃ̐ gānpiṃcu talaṃ̐pu maracinamatiki
daṭṭamauṃ̐ damamu polasi matimaraṃ̐gunane
puṭṭuṭaluṃ̐ bōvuṭalu palu caṃcala vikārabhāva vi
guṇamu ॥tolli॥ muṃdu dāṃ̐galigitē mūṃ̐ḍu
lōkamuluṃ̐ gala- veṃduṃ̐ dā lēkuṃṭē nēmiyunu
lēdu aṃdi śrīvēṃkaṭēśuṃ̐
ḍātmalōnane vīṃ̐ḍe kaṃduvala nitanisaṃkalpa
vipanulu ॥tolli॥
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Chorus (Pallavi):
పల్లవి
తొల్లి
కలవే ఇవియు తొల్లి తానుఁ గలఁడే
కల్లయునుఁ
గాదు ఇది కడు నిజము గాదు ॥పల్లవి॥
tolli kalavē iviyu tolli
tānuṃ̐ galaṃ̐ḍē
kallayunuṃ̐ gādu idi kaḍu
nijamu gādu ॥pallavi॥
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Telugu Phrase
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Meaning
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తొల్లి
కలవే ఇవియు తొల్లి తానుఁ గలఁడే
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Did the
visible world—with all its variations—exist first, or did the sense of “I”
arise first?
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కల్లయునుఁ
గాదు ఇది కడు నిజము గాదు
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This cannot be dismissed as false, nor can it be affirmed
as absolute truth..
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Literal Meaning:
Is the
world we perceive something that already existed,
or did it arise only with the emergence of the sense of “I”?
The world cannot be declared an illusion outright;
nor can it be upheld as ultimate reality.
Interpretative
Notes:
తొల్లి
కలవే ఇవియు
(these
things and the world and its contents existed first?)
Most of us
carry an unfounded assumption that our awareness of the world arose along with
us. Though we cannot logically explain this feeling, it is not entirely
unreasonable. No matter how clearly another person expresses their inner
states, another’s mind is never directly accessible; we can only measure
experience against what we ourselves know.
This is the
real crux of human existence. Though we speak of logic, at a primacy
level—especially in situations of uncertainty—we choose only from what we
already know. Our internal mechanism is selection, though it appears as logical
derivation.
తొల్లి
తానుఁ గలఁడే
(Or
the perceiver existed first?)
Here, the
word “tānu” does not signify God. Many atheists have raised the
question, “Which came first—this world?” and departed without arriving at a
conclusive answer. Annamacharya does not belong to that line of thought.
If the
sense of “I” truly existed from the very beginning, then at least a fragment of
this world should have unfolded—at least in part—before one’s own eyes. Yet no
one has ever experienced such a thing.
కల్లయునుఁ
గాదు ఇది కడు నిజము గాదు
(this remains
indeterminate)
Thus, the
perceiver and the perceived cannot stand independently of one another. They
arise together, each reinforcing the other.
Because
this song speaks of lived, physical reality, it cannot be dismissed outright as
false. At the same time, since everything within the universe is observable as
impermanent, none of it can be accepted as absolute truth.
Overall
Import of the Pallavi
The Pallavi
suggests that the experiencer and the experienced arise simultaneously, yet
affirms that both are transient. Therefore, neither can serve as a definitive
measure of truth. What humans come to know through experience alone cannot be
conclusively called “truth.”
Skeletal
summary of the Poem
The Pallavi
thus points to our fundamental inability to determine truth with certainty.
The third
stanza clarifies that without the sense of “I,” even the notion of living does
not exist. The transformation of the sense of “I” — from the perceiver to an
independent observer — is central to the poem.
The middle stanzas function as experiential bridges, offering lived
verification of the relationship between real living and truth.
First Stanza:
కనుదెరచినంతనే
కలుగు నీ జగము
కనుమూసినంతనే
కడుశూన్యమౌను
కనురెప్ప
మరఁగుననె కలిమియును లేమియును
తన
మనోభావనలఁ దగిలి తోఁచీని ॥తొల్లి॥
kanuderacinaṃtanē kalugu nī
jagamu
kanumūsinaṃtanē kaḍuśūnyamaunu
kanureppa maraṃ̐gunane
kalimiyunu lēmiyunu
tana manōbhāvanalaṃ̐ dagili
tōṃ̐cīni ॥tolli॥
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Telugu Phrase
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Meaning
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కనుదెరచినంతనే కలుగు నీ జగము
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The moment
the eyes are open (consciousness gets awakened), this world comes into being.
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కనుమూసినంతనే కడుశూన్యమౌను
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The moment
the eyes are closed (consciousness is withdrawn), it turns into utter
emptiness.
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కనురెప్ప మరఁగుననె కలిమియును లేమియును
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(కలిమియును= symbolic of
being alive; లేమియును = symbolic of absence of life) beneath the blinking of eyelids lie both the feelings of
existence and non-existence;
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తన
మనోభావనలఁ దగిలి తోఁచీని
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they reveal
themselves only when touched by one’s own mental states.
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Literal
Meaning:
(Annamacharya is making an extremely subtle observation.) The world appears with the awakening of awareness (symbolically, the opening of the eyes—birth). When awareness withdraws (symbolically, the closing of the eyes), there is complete absence. Hidden behind the blink of the eyelids lie both the sense of “I am alive” and its absence. These are not known objectively but are sensed only as they arise within movements of the mind.
Interpretative
Notes:
కనురెప్ప
మరఁగుననె కలిమియును లేమియును
“Beneath
the blinking of the eyelids lie both
the
feelings of existence and non-existence”
Here,
Annamacharya shifts from the outer, physical description of the first two lines
to inner lived experience. As long as awareness is present, life
continues. Yet death itself is never directly known. What we call “death” is,
for us, only an inference—the absence of experience. Thus, our knowledge is
confined to only one side of existence.
తన
మనోభావనలఁ దగిలి తోఁచీని
(these
things we experience because of entanglement of feelings)
For
a mind that demands absolute certainty, this unknowable nature of death becomes
deeply unsettling. The ego cannot accept a state that cannot be decisively
known. This creates a reaction of resistance giving rise to dissatisfaction and
division—acceptable and unacceptable, good and bad.
The
urge for certainty drives this division. But real life remains tentative and
indeterminate.
As
a result, we are inwardly torn between certainty, which we desire, and tentativeness,
which is the actual condition of living. This tension is the true
entanglement.
Fear
as a Driving Force
The
quest for certainty has undeniably fuelled human progress. In that sense,
acceptance of uncertainty often appears regressive. Consequently, pursuits such
as Truth or God are sometimes dismissed as evasions or comforts for the idle. This
view is imbalanced—but it is a reality we must acknowledge.
Second
Stanza:
తలఁచినంతనె
యెంతదవ్వయినఁ గాన్పించు
తలఁపు
మరచినమతికి దట్టమౌఁ దమము
పొలసి
మతిమరఁగుననె పుట్టుటలుఁ బోవుటలు
పలు
చంచల వికారభావ విూ గుణము ॥తొల్లి॥
talaṃ̐cinaṃtane
yeṃtadavvayinaṃ̐ gānpiṃcu
talaṃ̐pu maracinamatiki
daṭṭamauṃ̐ damamu
polasi matimaraṃ̐gunane
puṭṭuṭaluṃ̐ bōvuṭalu
palu caṃcala vikārabhāva vi
guṇamu ॥tolli॥
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Telugu Phrase
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Meaning |
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తలఁచినంతనె యెంతదవ్వయినఁ గాన్పించు
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The moment a thought arises, it can move anywhere—there is
no inherent boundary to thinking (Thoughts have no limits).
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తలఁపు మరచినమతికి దట్టమౌఁ దమము
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(దమము= self-restraint of the senses) For a mind in which thoughts fall silent, inner regulation (of
the senses) becomes naturally firm and concentrated. (When thought
subsides, restraint deepens)
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పొలసి మతిమరఁగుననె పుట్టుటలుఁ బోవుటలు
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The notions of birth and death lie embedded in the mind
like overlapping layers, not as separate external events. (Birth and death
as layers within the mind)
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పలు చంచల వికారభావ విూ గుణము
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Beneath the many agitated and inverted mental states exists
a subtler, steadier quality—the deeper truth. (Beyond restless distortions
lies a deeper principle)
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Literal Meaning:
Here
Annamacharya moves further inward. Thoughts can wander endlessly without
limits. Yet when thoughts are forgotten—not suppressed but naturally absent—the
mind settles into a deep, dense inner stillness. Within such a mind, birth and
death appear merely as layers, while beyond all restless and distorted emotions
exists a deeper, abiding principle.
Interpretative Notes:
తలఁపు
మరచినమతికి దట్టమౌఁ దమము
(When thought subsides, restraint deepens)
Inner
restraint does not arise through deliberate mental effort. Annamacharya points out
that the attempt to stop thoughts is itself another thought. True restraint is
not a practice but a state—one in which thought no longer dominates awareness.
పొలసి
మతిమరఁగుననె పుట్టుటలుఁ బోవుటలు
(Birth and
death as layers within the mind)
Annamacharya’s
description of birth and death as layers within the mind is striking. It
suggests that the entire arc of life and death is inwardly present as layers. Annamacharya
speaks not as a philosopher constructing a theory, but as one describing what
is directly seen in lived insight. This aligns with the understanding that the
wise view birth and death with equal vision. The lived experiences of saints
like Annamacharya are invaluable.
పలు
చంచల వికారభావ విూ గుణము
(Beyond
restless distortions lies a deeper principle)
The nature
of this reality is highly volatile and inverted. One can find further
explanations on the inverted nature by referring to the Bhagavad-Gita 15-1: ऊर्ध्वमूलमध:शाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् | (They speak
of an eternal aśhvatth tree with its roots above and branches
below)
Summary of
the Stanza
Although we
live in this world, we unconsciously build an invisible wall between ourselves
and it. For us, the world is an indirect experience. For those who are freed
from this inner division (see stanza 1), the world becomes a direct experience.
The deeper, abiding principle is not a theory, but a living,
unnamed reality. Naming or identifying reality itself becomes division. For
Annamacharya, this undivided perception is living.
That direct
witnessing is not merely a state—it is the highest expression of living. Those
who reach it live for the welfare of all, remain free from the cycle of birth
and death, and do not get entangled in the endless repetition of becoming.
Third Stanza:
ముందు
దాఁగలిగితే మూఁడు లోకములుఁ గల-
వెందుఁ
దా లేకుంటే నేమియును లేదు
అంది
శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁ డాత్మలోననె వీఁడె
కందువల
నితనిసంకల్ప విూపనులు ॥తొల్లి॥
muṃdu dāṃ̐galigitē mūṃ̐ḍu
lōkamuluṃ̐ gala-
veṃduṃ̐ dā lēkuṃṭē nēmiyunu
lēdu
aṃdi śrīvēṃkaṭēśuṃ̐
ḍātmalōnane vīṃ̐ḍe
kaṃduvala nitanisaṃkalpa
vipanulu ॥tolli॥
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Telugu Phrase
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Meaning
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ముందు దాఁగలిగితే మూఁడు లోకములుఁ గల-
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(మూఁడు లోకములు = life,
death and the beyond; here లోకములు= state
of existence) when the sense of self – is realised the
three worlds come into being.
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వెందుఁ దా లేకుంటే నేమియును లేదు
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in its absence nothing exists at all.
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అంది శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁ డాత్మలోననె వీఁడె
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To realize this is the same as knowing that Śrī Veṅkaṭeśa dwells within the Self.
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కందువల నితనిసంకల్ప విూపనులు
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Thus, all these manifestations are nothing but the
expressions of His will.
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Literal Meaning:
With
realisation of self-awareness the three states
come into existence—life, death, and the beyond. In the absence of this
self-awareness, nothing remains; all is emptiness. To understand this truth is
identical with realizing that Śrī Veṅkaṭeśa abides within one’s own Self. These
very indications are the workings of His will. (Those who do not perceive this
live, yet their living bears no true fruit.)
Interpretative Notes:
ముందు దాఁగలిగితే
మూఁడు లోకములుఁ గలవు
“With self-awareness,
the three worlds exist”
Here, Annamacharya draws our attention to the
relationship between the human being and the world (surrounding him). As noted
in the earlier stanzas, the modern life lived
is without awareness of this relationship. What, then, is this connection? We
are reminded of the line “సావధా నానఁ బెరిగీ సంసారవృక్షము “sāvadha
nānaṁ berigī saṁsāra-vṛkṣamu” (see poem #293), where alertness born of effort,
the urge for security, and constant mental chatter only strengthen the tree of
worldly entanglement. Any form of involvement—whether favourable or opposing—serves
only to nourish it further.
Thus, attention itself becomes the primary
obstacle to awakening awareness. Therefore, our present relationship with the
world is not a true relationship at all. The essential nature of the world
remains unknown.
True
realization same as knowing Sri Veṅkaṭeśa
within the Self
To
understand the inner secret of worldly existence is the same as realizing Śrī
Veṅkaṭeśa within one’s own Self. Living in the world with this understanding
alone is true living.
ఎందుఁ దా
లేకుంటే నేమియును లేదు
“Without
awareness, nothing exists”
Without
self-awareness, Annamacharya implies, we are not truly living—even though they we
may appear to be alive.
కందువల
నితనిసంకల్ప విూపనులు
These are but
the expressions of His will
This does
not establish divine control but dissolves the sense of an individual source of
action or understanding.
X-X-The END-X-X
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