319 idigā dadigā dinniyu niṃtē (ఇదిగా దదిగా దిన్నియు నింతే)

 TALLAPAKA ANNAMACHARYULU

319 ఇదిగా దదిగా దిన్నియు నింతే

(idigā dadigā dinniyu niṃtē)

తెలుగులో చదవడానికి ఇక్కడ నొక్కండి.

INTRODUCTION

It is often said that this world is in a transient state. But can we perceive this for ourselves? In most cases, we cannot. Therefore, when Annamacharya declares that everything is transient, we must explore this statement rather than accept it as a final verdict.

The question then arises: do we possess the tools necessary for such an exploration? Today we believe that we live in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Yet the real question remains: how can we explore the nature of reality? Before we proceed further, let us pause and examine a painting by René Magritte titled “The Labors of Alexander.” 

In this surrealistic painting, we see the trunk of a tree that has been cut down almost to its roots. However, the axe that was used to cut the tree is now trapped beneath the roots themselves. It appears as though the roots have gripped the axe tightly, preventing it from moving further.

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The Obstacle Is Ourselves

Let us reflect on what Magritte might be suggesting through this image. If we compare our desires to the tree, then the axe represents our efforts. In this context, the axe symbolizes the decisions, judgments and conclusions that we make while trying to understand life. “Both the tree and the axe arise from the same foundation — our own body and mind.”

After cutting for some distance, the very instrument that was used for cutting becomes trapped by the roots of the tree. The image suggests that what we are trying to cut down begins to obstruct the very tool used to cut it.

In a similar way, when we attempt to examine reality, we must recognize that the tool we are using — thought itself — may become an obstacle in that exploration.

“With this understanding of the limits of thought, we may now approach Annamacharya’s Keertana and carefully examine the insight he presents.” 

 

Progression of Ideas in the Kirtana

Pallavi — Everything we see or imagine belongs to the transient field.

First stanza — Even powerful beings cannot provide ultimate refuge.

Second stanza — Even the highest realms (బ్రహ్మలోకము) within existence are unstable.

Third stanza — The true refuge lies in the unfailing state (అచ్యుతపదము).

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అధ్యాత్మ​ సంకీర్తన

రేకు: 254-5 సంపుటము: 3-312

ఇదిగా దదిగా దిన్నియు నింతే పదిఁ బది హరి నీపదమే నిజము        ॥పల్లవి॥ సురలును నసురలు చూపట్టు రాజులు అరసి కనక గతమగువారె సిరుల వీరిఁ గొలిచెదమంటే మఱి కెరలి పరుల రక్షింపఁగఁగలరా           ॥ఇది॥ పదునాలుగవది బ్రహ్మలోకమును కదిసి నీరుమునుకల పొలము చెదరక యిఁకఁ దముఁ జేరినవారల వుదుటున నిముడుక వుండఁగఁగలరా ॥ఇది॥ అచ్చుతుఁడవు నీయచ్యుతపద మది యిచ్చట శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁడవు చొచ్చిరి నీశరణు శుకసనకాదులు మచ్చిక నిదిగని మరిగితిమయ్యా        ॥ఇది॥

PHILOSOPHICAL POEM

Copper Plate: 254-5 Volume: 3-312

idigā dadigā dinniyu niṃtē padiṃ̐ badi hari nīpadamē nijamu ॥pallavi॥ suralunu nasuralu cūpaṭṭu rājulu arasi kanakagatamaguvāre sirula vīriṃ̐ golicedamaṃṭē ma\ri kerali parula rakṣiṃpaṃ̐gaṃ̐galarā ॥idi॥ padunālugavadi brahmalōkamunu kadisi nīrumunukala polamu cedaraka yiṃ̐kaṃ̐ damuṃ̐ jērinavārala vuduṭuna nimuḍuka vuṃḍaṃ̐gaṃ̐galarā ॥idi॥ accutuṃ̐ḍavu nīyacyutapada madi yiccaṭa śrīvēṃkaṭēśuṃ̐ḍavu cocciri nīśaraṇu śukasanakādulu maccika nidigani marigitimayyā ॥idi॥

Details and Discussions:

Chorus (Pallavi):

ఇదిగా దదిగా దిన్నియు నింతే

పదిఁ బది హరి నీపదమే నిజము ॥పల్లవి॥

idigā dadigā dinniyu niṃtē

padiṃ̐ badi hari nīpadamē nijamu ॥pallavi॥ 

Phrase	Meaning in Telugu	Meaning in English
ఇదిగా దదిగా దిన్నియు	ఇది అది ఇవన్నియు / ఇవన్నీ - మనం చూసేవి, చూడగలిగేవి అన్నీ	This, that and all these – meaning whatever we see and we can see
నింతే	అంతే. దానిలో ఏ విశేషము లేదు. (సామాన్యమైనవే). కొత్త లోకములు, కొత్తగా వచ్చేదీ ఏమీలేదు	That’s all. There is nothing special. There are common things. (There are no higher positions, no higher realms.
పదిఁబది	పదేపదే (ఒకటికి నూరు సార్లు) పరిశీలించిన తరువాత	after examining again and again for innumerable times
హరి నీపదమే	హరి యొక్క పాదము	the ground/refuge of Hari
నిజము	నిజమైనది	that which is truly real

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Literal Meaning: 

(O people! After thorough examination you shall observe that) “There is nothing much in this visible or in that invisible world. Only the refuge of Hari is truly permanent.”

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Interpretative Notes:

Annamacharya gathers the entire visible, conceivable and inconceivable worlds into this single phrase “ఇదిగా దదిగా దిన్నియు”: Here the word “నింతే” is to be understood as transient state of inconsequential importance.  When all things are considered, the only permanent thing available to us, is the refuge of Lord Hari.

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We must question “How can he assert this?”. We shall not accept any statement that is passed on to us. Two important things to note: we are part of the transient state still work within the time frames. Second thing is: “we think we can judge”. If these two are well understood, you shall see the importance of the wording.  When we judge, obviously thought is working and negates the silence required for accurate observation. 

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A Parallel Insight

In this context, the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti become relevant:

“Seeing the whole process of it from the beginning of this talk till now—seeing the whole of that—one asks, ‘Can thought be silent?’”

Here Krishnamurti is pointing to the same fundamental issue: whether the mind, which constantly moves through thought and judgment, can become completely silent.

Only in such silence can something beyond the transient movements of thought be perceived.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

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First Stanza:

సురలును నసురలు చూపట్టు రాజులు

అరసి కనక గతమగువారె

సిరుల వీరిఁ గొలిచెదమంటే మఱి

కెరలి పరుల రక్షింపఁగఁగలరా    ॥ఇది॥

suralunu nasuralu cūpaṭṭu rājulu

arasi kanakagatamaguvāre

sirula vīriṃ̐ golicedamaṃṭē ma\ri

kerali parula rakṣiṃpaṃ̐gaṃ̐galarā ॥idi॥

Telugu Phrase	Meaning
సురలును నసురలు చూపట్టు రాజులు	These demi-gods, these demons, these kings and emperors
అరసి కనక గతమగువారె	(అరసి = to examine closely). When examined carefully, they pass away and become part of the past — buried in the sands of time
సిరుల వీరిఁ గొలిచెదమంటే మఱి	(సిరుల = embodied beings). If we seek refuge in these embodied powers
కెరలి పరుల రక్షింపఁగఁగలరా	(కెరలి = to lift or push upward). Can they lift us up and truly save us?

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Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Literal Meaning:

These demi-gods, demons and mighty emperors — when examined carefully — all eventually disappear into the past, leaving little trace behind. If we take refuge in such embodied powers, can they truly lift us up and save us? (The implied answer is No.)

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Interpretative Notes: 

Annamacharya continues the line of inquiry begun in the Pallavi starting with apparent corporeal powers. Everything that appears powerful in the world — whether divine beings, demonic forces, or earthly rulers — ultimately belongs to the same transient field. Even the most powerful figures in mythology and history cannot escape the movement of time. 

Therefore, if we depend on such beings for ultimate security, the question naturally arises: Can something that itself passes away provide permanent protection?

Annamacharya’s answer is clear: it cannot.

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To understand this idea more clearly, we may recall the dialogue between Emperor Bali and his teacher Śukrācārya, when Lord Vishnu appeared as Vamana. Śukrācārya advises Bali not to fulfil the promise he had made to the divine visitor. In response, Bali speaks about the impermanence of worldly power. A well-known verse expresses this spirit: 

శా. కారే రాజులు? రాజ్యముల్ గలుగవే? గర్వోన్నతిం బొందరే?

వారేరీ సిరిమూటఁగట్టుకొని పోవం జాలిరే? భూమిపైఁ

బేరైనం గలదే? శిబిప్రముఖులుం బ్రీతిన్ యశః కాములై

యీరే కోర్కులు? వారలన్ మఱచిరే యిక్కాలమున్? భార్గవా! (8-590)

Emperor answers thus: Many kings ruled vast empires with great pride. Where are they now? Do we even remember their names? Yet a king like Śibi, with great compassion, sacrificed his own body to save a tiny bird, is remembered forever.

Thus, Bali concludes that righteous action and surrender to truth are greater than any worldly power. Knowing fully well that he might lose everything, Bali chooses to honour his promise and submits to Lord Hari.

Top of Form

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Second Stanza:

పదునాలుగవది బ్రహ్మలోకమును

కదిసి నీరుమునుకల పొలము

చెదరక యిఁకఁ దముఁ జేరినవారల

వుదుటున నిముడుక వుండఁగఁగలరా          ॥ఇది॥

padunālugavadi brahmalōkamunu

kadisi nīrumunukala polamu

cedaraka yiṃ̐kaṃ̐ damuṃ̐ jērinavārala

vuduṭuna nimuḍuka vuṃḍaṃ̐gaṃ̐galarā ॥idi॥ 

Telugu Phrase	Meaning
పదునాలుగవది బ్రహ్మలోకమును	The fourteenth realm — Brahmaloka, traditionally regarded as the highest world
కదిసి నీరుమునుకల పొలము	When disturbed, it is like a field that becomes submerged in flood waters
చెదరక యిఁకఁ దముఁ జేరినవారల	Even those who reach such a realm
వుదుటున నిముడుక వుండఁగఁగలరా	Can they remain firmly established there forever?

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Literal Meaning:

Even Brahmaloka, the highest among the fourteen worlds, is like a field that can be submerged when floodwaters arrive. If such a realm itself is unstable, can those who reach it remain there permanently without disturbance?

 

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Interpretative Notes: 

At first glance, this stanza appears to refer to the cosmological concept of fourteen worlds, where Brahmaloka is considered the highest realm. However, Annamacharya’s intention is not merely to describe celestial geography.

His metaphor provides an important clue. He compares Brahmaloka to a “నీరుమునుకల పొలము” — a field that may be submerged under floodwaters. In Indian tradition such submergence is often associated with ప్రళయం (pralayam), the dissolution in which entire worlds disappear.

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The word పొలము also evokes the idea of a ‘field’, which resonates with the concept of క్షేత్రం described in the Bhagavad Gita.” (chapter 13).

Seen from this perspective, the worlds mentioned in spiritual traditions may also be understood as states within the field of our own being, of which we are largely unaware.

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Annamacharya’s insight therefore becomes striking: even the highest state within this field — symbolized here by Brahmaloka — remains subject to disturbance and dissolution.

This understanding resonates with the teachings of Gautama Buddha, who spoke about various refined states of consciousness attainable through meditation. Yet, “These states, however elevated, remain conditioned states. They may endure for long periods, but they are not liberation. Liberation becomes possible only through the human condition, not merely by ascending to higher states.

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A similar understanding is reflected in the Bhagavad Gita (3.10), where human life is presented as the field in which the process of action and transformation unfolds.

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This insight is beautifully reinforced by the words of the Telugu poet Bammera Potana in the episode of Gajendra Moksham: 

క. లోకంబులు లోకేశులు

లోకస్థులుఁ దెగినఁ దుది నలోకం బగు పెం

జీకటి కవ్వల నెవ్వం

డేకాకృతి వెలుఁగు నతని నే సేవింతున్. (8-75)

 The sense of the verse is profound: Worlds disappear. The rulers of those worlds disappear. The beings who inhabit those worlds also disappear. After such dissolution there arises a vast darkness. Yet beyond both light and darkness stands that One Reality, and it is to that Reality that surrender is made.

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Potana’s words echo the same realization that Annamacharya expresses here: all worlds, even the highest, belong to the changing field. Therefore Annamacharya raises a penetrating question:If even the highest realm within the field can collapse like a flooded field, how can those who reach it remain permanently secure there?

 

The stanza thus prepares the reader for the conclusion of the poem — that the true refuge cannot lie in any realm or state within the field, but only in that which does not fall when all worlds come and go.

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Third Stanza:

అచ్చుతుఁడవు నీయచ్యుతపద మది

యిచ్చట శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁడవు

చొచ్చిరి నీశరణు శుకసనకాదులు

మచ్చిక నిదిగని మరిగితిమయ్యా ॥ఇది॥

accutuṃ̐ḍavu nīyacyutapada madi

yiccaṭa śrīvēṃkaṭēśuṃ̐ḍavu

cocciri nīśaraṇu śukasanakādulu

maccika nidigani marigitimayyā ॥idi॥

Telugu Phrase	Meaning
అచ్చుతుఁడవు నీయచ్యుతపద మది	You are Achyuta. Your Achyuta-state (the unfailing state)
యిచ్చట శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁడవు	Here you appear as Sri Venkateswara
చొచ్చిరి నీశరణు శుకసనకాదులు	Sages such as Shuka and Sanaka have entered your refuge
మచ్చిక నిదిగని మరిగితిమయ్యా	Realizing the certainty and intimacy of that refuge, we too have joined them

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Literal Meaning:

The unfailing state — అచ్యుతపదము — is not a place or position. It is the state that never falls. That same unfailing principle is accessible here as Sri Venkateswara. Great sages like Shuka and Sanaka have already taken refuge in it. Recognizing the certainty of that refuge, we too align ourselves with it.

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Interpretative Notes: 

అచ్చుతుడు and అచ్యుతపదము. The word అచ్యుత means “that which does not fall.” In the first line Annamacharya says: “అచ్చుతుఁడవు” — You are Achyuta. Immediately he follows it with: “నీయచ్యుతపద మది” — Your unfailing state. Thus, the poet moves gently from a personal form of devotion to a deeper philosophical idea of an unfailing state.

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We have seen in poem #314 “The poet observed that something else that delicately remains unobstructed and untouched by the ceaseless alternation of the beginnings and endings of the world”. (Ref BG 13-28 as well)

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The line “యిచ్చట శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁడవు” brings this insight into the realm of devotion. The unfailing principle is not left as an abstract philosophical idea; it is experienced in a living form as Sri Venkateswara.

Thus, the divine form becomes a doorway through which human beings can approach that unfailing reality.

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Annamacharya then refers to Shuka and Sanaka, revered sages traditionally understood to have transcended ordinary conditioning. By mentioning them, the poet indicates that such alignment is not merely theoretical; it has been realized by those who came before. 

Finally, in the line “మచ్చిక నిదిగని మరిగితిమయ్యా”, Annamacharya includes himself among those who have recognized this truth. Seeing the certainty of this refuge, he declares that he too has joined that path.

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