Sri:
Dear Raama BhakthAs :
SrI Raama Navami is fast approaching . As a
moderator of
Raama Bhakthi List , I have not focused much
on this list lately .
To make amends , I will start afresh and post
a few articles on
the significance of Raama Bhakthi during this
SrI Raama
Navami season .
Today , we will study the Todi Raaga Keerthanam of
ThyAgarAja
Swamigal : " PrOdhdhu poyyEnu SrI Raamuni " , where
time wasted
in this short life without praying to Raama
and developing Bhakthi
towards Him is
condemned .
ThyAga Brahmam gives in excruciating
detail the wasteful
and purposeless activities that people are engage
in and
how they fill their time without displaying devotion to
Lord Raamachandra"s sacred feet for gaining their redemption
.
This is one of the Maanasa SambhOdhana Keerthanam ,
where
the Saint of ThiruvayyARu has a conversation
with his mind .
The Poet-Saint gives a full account of the wasted
lives led by
the unfortunate ones without bringing Raama and
Bhakthi towards
Him in to their lives .There is a tone
of nirvEdham (despondency )
in his analysis.There is a certain amount of NaiccyAnusandhAnam
( self-depreciation and listing of one's faults)
.
ThyAga Brahmam's emphasis is the need for
developing
Nithya-anithya VivEkam ( development of the
discerning power
to separate the enduring values from the transient
and evanescent
ones) and VairAgyam ( development of
freedom to push aside
the natural inclination to go after material and
sensory pleasures).
He condemns Nara sthuthi ( praising
of the rich and powerful for
selfish gains , seeking material
and sensory pleasures ) . He
deplores
the mindless pursuit of material and sensory
pleasures in this krithi.
ThyAga Brahmam instructs these deluded souls about
"ParamArtha
Prasamsaa" ( celebration of Spiritual values
sanctioned by SaasthrAs) .
Pallavi:
prOdhdhu pOyyenu SrIraamamuni
Bhuni bhajimpavE manasA
(Meaning ): Oh My Mind ! Time is fleeting . "
The tide of life
is ebbing way ". Hurry up and seek in earnest Lord
RaamachandrA's
sacred feet before
it is too late .
Anupallavi :
NidhdhurachEta kOnnALLu vishaya
budhhdhulachEta kOnnALLu , Oh
ManasA
(meaning ): Oh My mind ! a significant
portion of life
is lost in sleep( nidhrai). Additional portion is
spent away/lost
in chasing after sensual pleasures .
There are three long CharaNams in this krithi . Let
us take them
one at a time:
CharaNam 1:
prOdhadhuna lEchi thritApamulanu
narula
Bhogadi pogadi kOnnALLu patti
yEdhureethi kannathaavula bhujiyimchi
yEmi teliyaka kOnnaaLLu
mudhdhuga thOchu
bhavasaagaramuna
munigi teluchu kOnnALLu
padadhumAlina pAmara janulathO vErri
paluku lADuchu kOnnALLu Oh manasaa !
Oh My MInd! A significant portion of the life is
lost (spent away)
in flattering vain
and utterly worthless persons from dawn to dusk.
Propelled to engage in these acts of praising
these vainglorious
people known for their three
taapams ( Aadhythmikam , Aadhibouthikam
and Aadhi-dhaivikam
) , significant portion of time is chistled away
from dawn to dusk. Some significant protion of time
is spent in
devouring any food like a gluttonous bull ,
any where in a state of stupor
.
Tossed around by the seductive waves of
the ocean of SamsAra ,
one sinks to the bototm and then rises
to the surface . Thus goes
away
a portion of the time in this type of
struggle . Additional time is spent
worthlessly in gossipping nonsense with the riff
raff of scociety .
Oh my mind! Life is fleeting . Hurry up and use
Your time to prostrate
before Raamaa and pray to Him for Your upliftment
!
We will study the 2nd and the 3rd charaNams in the
next posting and
compare the thoughts expressed in this krithi with
those articulated by
the Saint in his
other krithis.
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
(To be continued)
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