148 adi nEne~raganA aMtalO bhramatu gAka (అది నేనెఱఁగనా అంతలో భ్రమతుఁ గాక)

 

ANNAMACHARYULU

148 అది నేనెఱఁగనా అంతలో భ్రమతుఁ గాక 

(adi nEne~raganA aMtalO bhramatu gAka)

 

for Telegu (తెలుగు) Version press here

 

Synopsis:  The news of the world is a source of pain. -Annamacharya

Summary of this Poem:

Chorus: I know these things. Yet, I get perplexed. O Father of Manmatha ( God of Love), let good sense prevail in me. Implied Meaning: O God! I know not good sense. Rather foolishly I gear up with my naïve ideas. 

Stanza 1: Any amount of worldly experience is waste. A bit of reflection on God is great profit. Amusement/pleasure with strange, peculiar people is useless. Association/ friendship/ contact of Good People is profitable.

Stanza 2: O man, news from different nations is only a source of pain. Listening to the stories of epics is beneficial. Agriculture and business demand constant bonded labour. The trivial and foolish practices are undoubtedly a nuisance.

Stanza 3: Having many relations around is an open invitation to hindrances on the path to truth. Rejoicing the service of God is liberation. O Lord Venkateswara! Impenetrably you appear in dual form. Appropriately you are the only constant entity in all these transient forms.

 

 

Detailed Presentation 

Introduction: This straight forward and hard hitting Annamacharya poem masquerades its message behind the visible punches. Annamacharya did not write poetry, but he poured his heart out to differentiate between the possible and impossible.   He vividly described those states, humanly achievable but imperceptible to sense organs and untouched by the visible world. Therefore, he remains relevant despite our agreement or otherwise.   

I tried to present his poems running parallel with paintings of surrealistic genius Rene Magritte. Complex ideas proposed by Annamacharya are made somewhat easy by the visual presentation of painting. 

 

కీర్తన: రాగిరేకు:  142-3  సంపుటము: 2-185

POEM Copper Leaf:  142-3  Volume: 2-185

అది నేనెఱఁగనా అంతలో భ్రమతుఁ గాక మదనజనక నాకు మంచి బుద్ధియియ్యవే          ॥పల్లవి॥   యెంత లోకానుభవము అంతయు వ్రిథా నష్టి కొంతైనా బ్రహ్మచింత కోటిలాభము వింతైన జనులతోడి వినోదము నిష్ఫలము చెంత సజ్జనసంగతి చేరిన యాదాయము          ॥అది॥   నానాదేశవార్తలు నడుమఁ జింతామూలము పూనిన పురాణగోష్ఠి పుణ్యమూలము ఆనిన కృషివాణిజ్యాలన్నియుఁ దీరనివెట్టి మానని యాచారమాత్మకుఁ బడ్డపాటు ॥అది॥   పలు చుట్టరికములు బట్టబయలు తగుళ్ళు చెలఁగు నాచార్యసేవ జీవన్ముక్తి బలిమి శ్రీవేంకటేశ పరగ రెండువిధాలు నిలుకడయిన వాఁడవు నీవే యిన్నిటికి               ॥అది॥

adi nEne~raganA aMtalO bhramatu gAka madanajanaka nAku maMchi buddhiyiyyavE ॥pallavi॥  yeMta lOkAnubhavamu aMtayu vrithA nashTi koMtainA brahmachiMta kOTilAbhamu viMtaina janulatODi vinOdamu nishphalamu cheMta sajjanasaMgati chErina yAdAyamu ॥adi॥   nAnAdESavArtalu naDuma jiMtAmUlamu pUnina purANagOshThi puNyamUlamu Anina kRshivANijyAlanniyu dIraniveTTi mAnani yAchAramAtmaku baDDapATu ॥adi॥   palu chuTTarikamulu baTTabayalu taguLLu chelagu nAchAryasEva jIvanmukti balimi SrIvEMkaTESa paraga reMDuvidhAlu nilukaDayina vADavu nIvE yinniTiki ॥adi॥

 

Details and Explanations:

 

అది నేనెఱఁగనా అంతలో భ్రమతుఁ గాక

మదనజనక నాకు మంచి బుద్ధియియ్యవే         ॥పల్లవి॥

 

adi nEne~raganA aMtalO bhramatu gAka

madanajanaka nAku maMchi buddhiyiyyavE ॥pallavi॥

 

Word to word meaning: అది (adi) = That thing; నేనెఱఁగనా (nEne~raganA) = am I not aware? (implying I am aware); అంతలో (aMtalO) = in short interval; భ్రమతుఁ గాక (bhramatu gAka) = get perplexed; మదనజనక (madanajanaka) = father of love God (Lord Vishnu); నాకు (nAku) = to me; మంచి బుద్ధియియ్యవే (maMchi buddhiyiyyavE) = provide good sense.        

 

Literal meaning: I know these things. Yet, I get perplexed. O Father of Manmatha (God of Love), let good sense prevail in me.

Explanation: Annamacharya is arriving at things that obfuscate us. Knowledge truly a barrier in our understanding. What tools do you need to find truth? Is truth knowledge? Is it certain thing which has been hidden behind?

Now refer to the painting titled Les chasseurs au bord de la nuit (The hunters at the edge of night, 1928) by René Magritte. We see in this picture two hunters frantically covering their eyes against the light.  

Like those hunters, we go armed with knowledge, evidence, and symbols of devotion (like offerings, prayers, self-abnegation etc etc) to find the god. What God expects from us? Does he need our prayers?

Has anyone found God? Most probably not. Can you see yourself? We can see ourselves only in reflection. Same is the case with God. What profit are these preparations?

Refer to the title of the picture ‘The hunters at the edge of night”; By their dress and equipment, they appear like seasoned hunters. Are they less skilled? O Hunter! You need to submit your heart, not your skill^#1 to the god…What do we do?

In the title of this painting, edge indicates the fag end of life; night signifies the darkness, not night. However, ‘at the edge of night’ indicates they travelled a lot.

అంతలో భ్రమతుఁ గాక {(aMtalO bhramatu gAka) = in short interval I get perplexed} is notifying that despite knowledge, we get baffled. In this painting, the solidity of the dawn is hyper-real and yet it also evokes the sense of dawn hitting the hunters' faces suddenly in a manner that is realistic. The hunters in the picture covering their faces is the naked confusion of the mankind.  

Heaviness of the equipment; eyes seasoned by the darkness; makes them deny their search (the truth). Their hunt is futile. That’s why Annamacharya said vEsarakumI jIvuDA vedakivedaki daivamunu^#2 వేసరకుమీ జీవుఁడా వెదకివెదకి దైవమును = Do not get fatigued in search of God. What kind of devotion Annamacharya is preaching? What kind of philosopher Rene Magritte is?

Implied Meaning: O God! I know not good sense. Rather foolishly I gear up with my naïve ideas.

యెంత లోకానుభవము అంతయు వ్రిథా నష్టి

కొంతైనా బ్రహ్మచింత కోటిలాభము

వింతైన జనులతోడి వినోదము నిష్ఫలము

చెంత సజ్జనసంగతి చేరిన యాదాయము         ॥అది॥

 

yeMta lOkAnubhavamu aMtayu vrithA nashTi

koMtainA brahmachiMta kOTilAbhamu

viMtaina janulatODi vinOdamu nishphalamu

cheMta sajjanasaMgati chErina yAdAyamu ॥adi॥ 

Word to word meaning: యెంత (yeMta) = any amount of; లోకానుభవము (lOkAnubhavamu) = worldly experience; అంతయు (aMtayu) = all that; వ్రిథా నష్టి (vrithA nashTi) = waste;  కొంతైనా (koMtainA) = little bit of;  బ్రహ్మచింత (brahmachiMta) = reflect on god; కోటిలాభము (kOTilAbhamu) = great profit; వింతైన (viMtaina) = strange, peculiar; జనులతోడి (janulatODi) = with people; వినోదము (vinOdamu) = recreation, amusement, pleasure; నిష్ఫలము (nishphalamu) = useless; చెంత (cheMta) = by becoming close;  సజ్జనసంగతి (sajjanasaMgati) = సజ్జనుల సహవాసము, సాంగత్యము, సంపర్కము, Association/ friendship/ contact of Good People; చేరిన (chErina) = by joining; యాదాయము (yAdAyamu) = income, profit.

 

Literal meaning: Any amount of worldly experience is waste. A bit of reflection on God is great profit. Amusement/pleasure with strange, peculiar people is useless. Association/ friendship/ contact of Good People is profitable.

Explanation: Again, refer to the above painting. It’s a naked display of our vanity. Our preparations born of experiences are barriers for truth. Stark, bare landscape in the painting indicates unexplored part of the self. Without a clean slate of consciousness, we tend to offer clean heart to God. What is devotion?

వింతైన జనులతోడి వినోదము నిష్ఫలము viMtaina janulatODi vinOdamu nishphalamu. Sir, try to understand, often pictures of our gods are depicted with one hand offering protection and compassion; another hand with certain weapon.  These pictures are our own inner reflections, nothing to do with god or devotion. Therefore, are we not peculiar and strange? Annamacharya, has used every word in his poems to reflect our world. Our idiosyncrasies.  

 

Do you think we are capable of finding and handling Association/ friendship/ contact of Good People? {=సజ్జనసంగతి (sajjanasaMgati) = సజ్జనుల సహవాసము, సాంగత్యము, సంపర్కము} History shows all the wise have been castigated as mad and worthless. Jesus Christ has been punished. What kind of discretion do we possess?

 

నానాదేశవార్తలు నడుమఁ జింతామూలము

పూనిన పురాణగోష్ఠి పుణ్యమూలము

ఆనిన కృషివాణిజ్యాలన్నియుఁ దీరనివెట్టి

మానని యాచారమాత్మకుఁ బడ్డపాటు   ॥అది॥

 

nAnAdESavArtalu naDuma jiMtAmUlamu

pUnina purANagOshThi puNyamUlamu

Anina kRshivANijyAlanniyu dIraniveTTi

mAnani yAchAramAtmaku baDDapATu ॥adi॥

 

Word to word meaning: నానాదేశవార్తలు (nAnAdESavArtalu) = news from various countries;  నడుమఁ (naDuma) = in between (implying during the life) జింతామూలము (jiMtAmUlamu) = source of agony;  పూనిన (pUnina) = intentionally taken up; పురాణగోష్ఠి (purANagOshThi) = listening to the stories of epics;  పుణ్యమూలము (puNyamUlamu) = leads to wellbeing;   ఆనిన (Anina) = leaning upon (implying dependency) కృషివాణిజ్యాలన్నియుఁ (kRshivANijyAlanniyu) = all the agriculture and దీరనివెట్టి (dIraniveTTi) = never ending bonded labour;  మానని (mAnani) = unable stop; యాచారము (yAchAramu) = trifling routine work, a folly; ఆత్మకుఁ (Atmaku) = to the self; బడ్డపాటు (baDDapATu) = unwanted trouble;            

 

Literal meaning: O man, news from different nations is only a source of pain. Listening to the stories of epics is beneficial. Agriculture and business demand constant bonded labour. The trivial and foolish practices are undoubtedly a nuisance.

Explanation: నానాదేశవార్తలు నడుమఁ జింతామూలము nAnAdESavArtalu naDuma jiMtAmUlamu Oh man, news from different countries is just a source of pain. This is true today more than ever before in the history of mankind. How could Annamacharya, a saint sitting in a corner, five centuries ago, write so accurately about our present predicament? 

I request readers to refer to below painting titled “Man reading News Paper” by Rene Magritte.

In this four-panel painting, we find a man reading the newspaper in the first frame. suddenly he just is not there in the consecutive three frames. The viewer is forced to wonder why he disappeared.

Sir, man has not disappeared from those three panels. He is not distinguishable from the news. He is the news. Thus, Rene Magritte is arriving that we read newspaper to know ourselves. Has man learnt from History? Writing on the wall is clear. What a waste of time?

మానని యాచారమాత్మకుఁ బడ్డపాటు (mAnani yAchAramAtmaku baDDapATu): is indicating habit forming and mental inertia in man to eschew habits. 

పలు చుట్టరికములు బట్టబయలు తగుళ్ళు

చెలఁగు నాచార్యసేవ జీవన్ముక్తి

బలిమి శ్రీవేంకటేశ పరగ రెండువిధాలు

నిలుకడయిన వాఁడవు నీవే యిన్నిటికి ॥అది॥

 

palu chuTTarikamulu baTTabayalu taguLLu

chelagu nAchAryasEva jIvanmukti

balimi SrIvEMkaTESa paraga reMDuvidhAlu

nilukaDayina vADavu nIvE yinniTiki ॥adi॥

 

Word to word meaning: పలు (palu) = many; చుట్టరికములు (chuTTarikamulu) = relationships; బట్టబయలు (baTTabayalu) = utter open; తగుళ్ళు (taguLLu) = hindrances, entanglements; చెలఁగు (chelagu) = to flourish, to rejoice;  నాచార్యసేవ (nAchAryasEva) = service of the teacher (here used in the sense of service to God); జీవన్ముక్తి (jIvanmukti) = liberation; బలిమి (balimi) = strong (used in the sense of impenetrable) ; శ్రీవేంకటేశ (SrIvEMkaTESa) = Lord Venkateswara; పరగ (paraga) = Agreeably, duly;  రెండువిధాలు (reMDuvidhAlu) = appear is dual form; నిలుకడయిన వాఁడవు (nilukaDayina vADavu) = the firm / steady / permanent one;  నీవే (nIvE) = you only; యిన్నిటికి (yinniTiki) = for everything.

 

Literal meaning: Having many relations around is an open invitation to hindrances on the path to truth. Rejoicing the service of God is liberation. O Lord Venkateswara! Impenetrably you appear in dual form. Appropriately you are the only constant entity in all these transient forms.

Explanation: sir, one may derive lot of satisfaction in surrounded by relations. Surely, it’s an invited deterrence.  

చెలఁగు (chelagu) = to flourish, to rejoice is used in the sense of absolute, unwavering immersion into the understanding of the self.  

బలిమి శ్రీవేంకటేశ పరగ రెండువిధాలు / నిలుకడయిన వాఁడవు నీవే యిన్నిటికి balimi SrIvEMkaTESa paraga reMDuvidhAlu / nilukaDayina vADavu nIvE yinniTiki: beyond the man-made barriers, lies the acid test of finding and differentiating truth from reflection.

 

రెండువిధాలు (reMDuvidhAlu) is indicating that the truth cannot be determined, we need to get to it by eliminating the unreal, like we do in the puzzles. Now consider this poem of Annamacharya: okaTi suj~nAnamu okaTi aj~nAnamu prakaTiMchi vokaTi chEpaTTarO vivEkulu^#3 (ఒకటి సుజ్ఞానము ఒకటి అజ్ఞానము ప్రకటించి వొకటి చేపట్టరో వివేకులు. = One thing is Proper Knowledge. The other is ignorance. O prudent!! Declare and adapt one of these.) What would be your choice to this question? Most of us would be answering ‘I will take the path of Proper Knowledge (suj~nAnamu సుజ్ఞానము). Considering the above explanations, what would be tangible to find? We are ashamed, may be due to public opinion to declare that I will find ignorance (aj~nAnamu అజ్ఞానము) inside me.

 

References and Recommendations for further reading:

#1 85. ఎవ్వరినేర్పులు జెప్ప నిందు నేది (evvarinErpulu jeppa niMdu nEdi)

#2 63. అతిసులభం బిదె (atisulabhaM bide)

#3 65. ఒకటి సుజ్ఞానము ఒకటి అజ్ఞానము (okaTi suj~nAnamu okaTi aj~nAnamu)

147 adivO kanugonu madi yokate (అదివో కనుఁగొను మది యొకతె)

 ANNAMACHARYULU

147 అదివో కనుఁగొను మది యొకతె

(adivO kanugonu madi yokate)

 for Telegu (తెలుగు) Version press here

I say there is no darkness but ignorance.

William Shakespeare

 

Synopsis:  The moods and tendencies of the human mind are spoken in the voices of women 

Summary of this Poem:

Chorus: Man! There you find a lady. Here in front of you stands another lady. Implied Meaning: Thoughts entice you. Some from behind. Some overtly.

Stanza 1: That beautiful lady pulls wool over your eyes with imperceptible curtains made of innocent words. That charming lady with deceptive appearance makes you stay in confusion with titillating haughtiness. Implied Meaning: O Man! Did you discover the movement of thoughts and the cloaks they create to baffle you?  identify the illusion stupefying you?

Stanza 2: O connoisseur! That beautiful maid lays into slavery of bountiful giggles. Another beauty creates your boundaries by her charming bosom. Implied Meaning: A gorgeous thought smilingly drags you into continuous chores. Amorous thoughts set limits by trapping you in their charms.

Stanza 3: The dark (or unknown) consciousness is another maid, teaches you the path to lustful activities. On the other side, O Lord Venkateswara! there is another lady, truly praising you becomes wholly one with you. Implied Meaning: There acts your darker side, engaging you with brazen activities. Yet there is another thought, which not following tickles of material modes (Sattva, Rajo & Tamas gunas) and merges with the Lord by praising him.    

 

Detailed Presentation 

Introduction: This simple worded Annamacharya Keertana “Adivo Kanungonu Madi Yokate “అదివో కనుఁగొను మది యొకతె”” is like a sketch. It was mistakenly classified as romantic poem. 

In fact, the feminine descriptions used to invoke the emotional associations we build. Here 'ఒకతె' = one lady is indicating an idea, a thought, a feeling, a propensity.  However, hidden behind the innocence of delicate wording is a delusion that shakes the basis our existence. 

Let me explain this poem by referring to a painting titled “The Gradation of Fire” by Rene Magritte. This painting shows three objects on a wooden table: a piece of paper, an egg, and a key. All of them are burning. Here the wooden table is a symbol of earth. Those three things are produce of the earth (= the nature). 

‘Paper’ signifies the storage of knowledge, literature, poetry, etc. ‘egg’ = an idea, a problem, an issue, a concept, a thought. And ‘Key’ indicates a possible solution, a system, a method. All of them burning indicates no lasting solution has been found for any of the problems of the world. 

Let's understand the painting with the problem of 'hunger' (implying egg). Though many solutions (indicated by key) have been proposed by various political, social and charitable systems and individuals over thousands of years; Although there is a lot of literature on it (implied by paper); still, the undeniable fact remains as, 'Hunger' is still a burning problem. 

Again, analyse the painting with egg indicating 'wisdom', we get a reply like “The world still passionately looking for wisdom to live”. When egg indicates the problem of 'Security'', we receive a message like “The world is frantically searching for the security cover”. Thus, the painting suggests that all the efforts to address a problem, like those illusory fires in the picture; they simply thrill us 'with a promise of a solution', pass time and end up leaving us dry. 

The three stanzas of this poem are symbolic of the burning objects in the painting. Those fires are fuelled by thoughts. Thoughts are born from past memories. That's why I believe Annamacharya’s disrespectful use of the of word  'ఒకతె (Okate) to indicate thoughts'. 

From this painting, we learn that any attempt to recognise, to postulate or theorise the ‘liberation’ is like the fire. It shall take away your attention elsewhere. The path to liberation is simply “be all out outsider to the world, to the known things - in structure and in substance”. 

“Man, any attempt shall draw you away from the truth. Recognize that the source of reactions is the material body and mollify your actions accordingly" is the message of this poem.

 

కీర్తన: రాగిరేకు:  1412-2  సంపుటము: 24-68

POEM Copper Leaf:  1412-2  Volume: 24-68

అదివో కనుఁగొను మది యొకతె యెదుటనే నెలకొనె నిది యొకతె ॥పల్లవి॥   తేటలమాటలఁ దెర లదె కట్టీఁ గాటుకకన్నులకలి కొకతె జూటరిచూపులఁ జొక్కులు చల్లీ నీటుగర్వములనెలఁ తొకతె ॥అది॥   ముసిముసినవ్వులు మోపులుగట్టీ రసికుఁడ నీపై రమణొకతె కొసరులఁ గుచములఁ గోటలు వెట్టీ మిసమిసమెఱుఁగుల మెలుఁతొకతె ॥అది॥   కాయజకేలికిఁ గందువ చెప్పీ చాయలసన్నల సతి యొకతె యీయెడ శ్రీవేంకటేశ కూడి నిను వోయని మెచ్చీ నొకతొకతె ॥అది॥

adivO kanugonu madi yokate yeduTanE nelakone nidi yokate ॥pallavi॥   tETalamATala dera lade kaTTI gATukakannulakali kokate jUTarichUpula jokkulu challI nITu garvamulanela tokate ॥adi॥   musimusinavvulu mOpulugaTTI rasikuDa nIpai ramaNokate kosarula guchamula gOTalu veTTI misamisame~rugula melutokate ॥adi॥   kAyajakEliki gaMduva cheppI chAyalasannala sati yokate yIyeDa SrIvEMkaTESa kUDi ninu vOyani mechchI nokatokate ॥adi॥

Details and Explanations:

 

అదివో కనుఁగొను మది యొకతె

యెదుటనే నెలకొనె నిది యొకతె ॥పల్లవి॥

 

adivO kanugonu madi yokate

yeduTanE nelakone nidi yokate ॥pallavi॥ 

Word to word meaning: అదివో (adivO) = That side, there; కనుఁగొను (kanugonu) = find; మది (madi) = that one; యొకతె (yokate) = one lady; యెదుటనే (yeduTanE) = In front of you; నెలకొనె (nelakone) = there stays, there stands; నిది (nidi) = this one; యొకతె (yokate) = another lady.

Literal meaning: Man! There you find a lady. Here in front of you stands another lady.

Explanation: Here word ‘lady’ is used indicate curiosity (or interest) in the man. Whether man digs to find or without effort also this curiosity engages him; leads from one thing to the other to another. Thus, cascading into multiple diversifications.

Here ‘Curiosity’ is indicative of gamut of things like: what beauty is; what Order/System/Arrangement/Plan/Categorisation is; what Life is; What death is; what is behind the hills? Therefore, the driving force of man.

Implied Meaning: Thoughts entice you. Some from behind. Some overtly. 

తేటలమాటలఁ దెర లదె కట్టీఁ

గాటుకకన్నులకలి కొకతె

జూటరిచూపులఁ జొక్కులు చల్లీ

నీటుగర్వములనెలఁ తొకతె ॥అది॥ 

tETalamATala dera lade kaTTI

gATukakannulakali kokate

jUTarichUpula jokkulu challI

nITu garvamulanela tokate ॥adi॥ 

Word to word meaning: తేటల (tETala) = clear, soft, innocent; మాటలఁ (mATala) = words;  దెరలు (deralu) = curtains, screens, veils; అదె (ade) = that one; కట్టీఁ (kaTTI) = to tie, to bind; గాటుకకన్నుల (gATukakannula) = with kohl (kajal) lined eyes  కలి కొకతె (kali kokate) = one beautiful lady; జూటరిచూపులఁ (jUTarichUpula) = with deceptive appearance; జొక్కులు (jokkulu) = intoxicate, levity, confusion in mind; చల్లీ (challI) = by spreading; నీటు (nITu) = elegantly, charmingly, prettily; గర్వముల (garvamula) = haughtiness, airs, hubris; నెలఁ తొకతె (nela tokate) = another beautiful lady; 

Literal meaning: That beautiful lady pulls wool over your eyes with imperceptible curtains made of innocent words. That charming lady with deceptive appearance makes you stay in confusion with titillating haughtiness.  

Explanation: This stanza is indicative of verse 14-6 of Bhagavad-Gita. तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् | सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ || 6|| tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśhakam anāmayam / sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena chānagha Purport: Arjuna! Sattva Guna (the mode of goodness) is the purest of qualities. It is bright and unassuming. Yet it binds soul by creating attachment for a sense of happiness and knowledge.

Even the clearest spout of a lamp is an enclosure. Similarly, the qualities or Gunas (modes of material nature) try to surround and limit consciousness like the chimney of a lamp. Sattva Guna is no exception. 

It’s common among the educated to look down upon the illiterate. Is there basis for such preposterous assumptions. This simple fact proves that knowledge leads to proudness. 

There are others, who feel, because of their personal contribution, imagine they deserve higher position in the society.  Thus, the mode of goodness though tending to purity, still seeps some sense of pride. Therefore, the wording "jUTarichUpula jokkulu challI / nITu garvamulanela tokate" (జూటరిచూపులఁ జొక్కులు చల్లీ / నీటుగర్వములనెలఁ తొకతె).

Implied Meaning: O Man! Did you discover the movement of thoughts and the cloaks they create to baffle you?  identify the illusion stupefying you?

ముసిముసినవ్వులు మోపులుగట్టీ

రసికుఁడ నీపై రమణొకతె

కొసరులఁ గుచములఁ గోటలు వెట్టీ

మిసమిసమెఱుఁగుల మెలుఁతొకతె ॥అది॥

 

musimusinavvulu mOpulugaTTI

rasikuDa nIpai ramaNokate

kosarula guchamula gOTalu veTTI

misamisame~rugula melutokate ॥adi॥

 

Word to word meaning: ముసిముసినవ్వులు (musimusinavvulu) = giggle, simper; మోపులు (mOpulu) = bundles (indicating large quantity);  గట్టీ (gaTTI) = to tie, to bind; రసికుఁడ (rasikuDa) = connoisseur, libertine; నీపై (nIpai) = on you; రమణొకతె (ramaNokate) =  a beautiful lady; కొసరులఁ (kosarula) = selling, raising, raging;  గుచములఁ (guchamula) = breasts; గోటలు (gOTalu) = పట్టణము చుట్టుగల ప్రహరి, boundary walls of a town; /village/settlement;  వెట్టీ (veTTI) = by creating;  మిసమిస (misamisa) = Sparkle, flash, brilliancy; మెఱుఁగుల (me~rugula) = Polish, lustre, brightness;  మెలుఁతొకతె (melutokate) = another beautiful lady;

Literal meaning: O connoisseur! That beautiful maid lays into slavery of bountiful giggles. Another beauty creates your boundaries by her charming bosom.

Explanation: let me start with relevant Bhagavad-Gita verse:  रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् | तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् || 14-7|| rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi tṛiṣhṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam tan nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam Purport: O Arjuna, know that Rajo guna is of the nature of passion. It causes love and interest in visual things. It binds the soul (consciousness) by making it interested in actions/karmas. 

Here Annamacharya is comparing thoughts with beautiful maids. These thoughts weave a web of actions is the intended meaning of this stanza.  

This Rajo-Guna (Mode of Passion) is insatiable despite of many material experiences.  Its hallucinogenic like a kaleidoscope with infinite possibilities.  The Rajo-Guna makes man to focus on impetuous action and takes him away from his natural path of life. 

All impulsive actions are provoked by the Rajo-Guna. We ruminate the good or bad results from it. Most of our unhappiness is caused by unintentional actions. 

Macbeth, who was just, abandons his natural goodness, kills King Duncan, unfairly gains the kingdom, and suffers interminable consequences. In Mahabharat, Dharmaraja temporarily lost his wisdom; gambled and lost his kingdom. He and his clan suffered colossal repercussions. Same is the case with frequent road rage incidents in Delhi.

Implied Meaning: A gorgeous thought smilingly drags you into continuous chores. Amorous thoughts set limits by trapping you in their charms.

 

కాయజకేలికిఁ గందువ చెప్పీ

చాయలసన్నల సతి యొకతె

యీయెడ శ్రీవేంకటేశ కూడి నిను

వోయని మెచ్చీ నొకతొకతె ॥అది॥

 

kAyajakEliki gaMduva cheppI

chAyalasannala sati yokate

yIyeDa SrIvEMkaTESa kUDi ninu

vOyani mechchI nokatokate ॥adi॥

 

Word to word meaning: కాయజకేలికిఁ (kAyajakEliki) = the game of love;  గందువ (gaMduva) = a way, a path; చెప్పీ (cheppI) = teach; చాయల (chAyala) = shady, dark, ignorant;  సన్నల (sannala, సంజ్ఞల) = gestures (used more in the sense of consciousness) {చాయల సన్నల (chAyala sannala) = ignorant ways, the dark or unknown consciousness}   సతి యొకతె (sati yokate) = one  gorgeous lady;  యీయెడ (yIyeDa) = this side; శ్రీవేంకటేశ (SrIvEMkaTESa) = Lord Venkateswara; కూడి (kUDi) = by joining; నిను (ninu) = you; వోయని (vOyani) = సత్యముగా, నిజంగా, Truly, actually; మెచ్చీ (mechchI)= praise;  నొకతొకతె (nokatokate) = one lady;

Literal meaning: The dark (or unknown) consciousness is another maid, teaches you the path to lustful activities. On the other side, O Lord Venkateswara! there is another lady, truly praising you becomes wholly one with you.

Explanation: This stanza is invoking the Bhagavad-Gita shloka below: तमस्त्वज्ञानजंविद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् | प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत || 8|| tamas tv ajñāna-jaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām pramādālasya-nidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārata  Purport: O Arjuna, the tamo guna (mode of ignorance), born of ignorance, is the cause of delusion for all living beings. It deludes and binds with negligence, carelessness, laziness and sleep.

Thus, Annamacharya is talking of the unknown consciousness repeatedly taking the man to licentious activities. Hence, this common looking verse is a deep dive into man’s mind, confirmedly not a romantic poem.

Implied Meaning: There acts your darker side, engaging you with brazen activities. Yet there is another thought, which not following tickles of material modes (Sattva, Rajo & Tamas gunas) and merges with the Lord by praising him. 

Epilogue: In this poem, Annamacharya is confronting the audience to find the movement of the thought by the wording అదివో కనుఁగొను మది యొకతె (adivO kanugonu madi yokate) = ‘O man can you find a passage of that (stealthy) thought’.

The above poem and Rene Magritte's painting, "The Gradation of Fire" are now easily comparable. Three stanzas of this poem represent each of the objects in the painting - egg, key and paper in that order. The thoughts having their origins in material nature continue to inspire man and feign a solution. However, as shown in the painting they continue to stimulate and consume our attention. Thus, we lose valuable time irrevocably.

    

**The end**