(baalaH = childhood; taavat.h = till then; kriiDaa =
play; saktaH = attached / engrossed / absorbed; taruNaH = adolescent; young
man; taavat.h = till then; taruNii = young woman; saktaH = attached /
engrossed; vR^iddhaH = old man; taavat.h = till then; chintaa = worry; saktaH =
attached / engrossed / absorbed; parame = in the lofty; high; supreme; brahmaNi
= (in) Brahman ; God; ko.api = whosoever (nobody); na = not; saktaH = attached
/ absorbed; engrossed.)
(Baalastaavat kriiDaasaktaH= as a child, (one is)
absorbed in play; TaruNastaavat taruNiisaktaH . = as young man, engrossed in
girls; vR^iddhastaavachchintaasaktaH = as old man, immersed in anxious
thoughts; parame brahmaNi ko.api na saktaH = (Alas!) nobody is attracted to the
Para Brahman!)
The philosopher in Sri Sankara portrays the truth
about man’s journey of life and laments that everybody is immersed in worldly
pursuits, but none is interested in realising God. As a child, he is immersed
in play and games without a worry of the world. The play in childhood gives way
to lust in his youth. His sole aim now is to attract the opposite sex and enjoy
their company. As he gets older, he understands his folly a little, but not
much. He is a worried man now; but the worry is not about God realization: his
worries are mostly on his past life, his relatives, his sons and perhaps their
children. Life is spent like this in vain, without any purpose. Alas! He finds
no time to contemplate on God and thus fulfill his life’s mission. He refuses
to believe there is anything beyond this mundane existence and keeps himself
busy with meaningless worldly activities. He thinks that all he sees here is
the everlasting thing and whole-heartedly devotes his time to it. When the
messengers of death suddenly force him, it is perhaps with a heavy heart that
he leaves this world reluctantly.
Man spends most of his time in ‘kamini kanchana’,
wealth and woman and forgets his aim. Most people do not even know that there
is an aim. People are so busy in their day- to- day affairs, too engrossed in
keeping their position in society, that there is no question of even remembering
God. Some realize this only at a time when it is too late. We forget that life
is of five minutes and the sooner we search for God, the better it is.
(yaavat.h = so long as; pavanaH = air / breath;
nivasati = lives / dwells; dehe = in the body; taavat.h = till then;
pR^ichchhati = asks / inquires; kushalaM = welfare; gehe = in the house;
gatavati = while gone; vaayau = air (life-breath); dehaapaaye = when life
departs the body; bhaaryaa = wife; bibhyati = is afraid; fears; tasminkaaye =
tasmin.h + kaye, that body.)
(yaavat.h dehe pavanaH nivasati = As long as breath
(prana) resides in the body; taavat.h gehe kushalaM pR^ichchhati = Till that
time (people) enquire the welfare; dehaapaaye, vaayau gatavati = when the body
falls with the departure of breath; tasmin kaaye bharyaa bibhyati = (even
one’s) wife is afraid of that body)
Even wife is afraid of her husband's dead body, the
body which gave her pleasure and pain in life; which shared her joys and
sorrows: Lo! Now that is past; It is now a lifeless lump: a dead body! This is
also a sour fact. As long as the breath of life is there, people come and
surround. The departure of prana (jeeva) changes the whole scene. People want
to get rid of the dead body as soon as possible. We should understand that the
body is useful only to this extent. It is the best instrument we have to make
the best out of life: to realize God. But if we think that it is everlasting and
give too much attention to mend it, that is a fruitless exercise.
It is to be remembered that the body is undergoing
change always. The pretty baby soon grows into a handsome youth. Youth has soon
to give way to old age and its accompaniments of disease and weakness and the
inevitable end. The body has no value without its master, the soul. It is like
the empty cage from which the bird has flown away. Without soul, it is just a
corpse, which repels everybody. The Acharya reminds us these harsh realities of
life and urges us to give up the yearning for mundane things. Knowing the
limitations of the body will help us keep a healthy attitude in life and turn
the mind to everlasting principles, rather than concentrating on daily affairs.
DETAILED MEANINGS: Courtesy Mrs. Jayasri Akella, Ramesh and parents of
Dr. Srikanth Vedantam
General
Meaning:
Shri Thyagaraja has
described Sri Rama as Parabrahma, which is greater than the trimurthis.
Pancharathna kirtanas are famous like the countless small kirtanas whose,
length, substance and greatness have epic proportions. In these births, tenets
of worship, benevolent rule and the
incidents of Rama and Krishna avatars
are told lucidly.
Sura asura puja = worshipped
by devathas and rakshasas
Dadhi = curd
Payodhi = milk
Vaasa harana = stealing from
the pots
Sundara thara vadana =one who has the
countenance
Sudhaa maya = filled with
nectar, sweet
Vacho brinda = words
Govinda
= Govu + Vinda : String that ties the cow
Sa ananda = sath + Ananda = true
happiness
Maa Varaa = lord
of lakshmi
Jaaraptha = ever young
Aneka Subhakaraa= giver of
all kinds of successes
[Meaning: The moon
(“nichaya”) amongst the Milky Way (“thaaraka”) of the devas (“amara”).
Karpaka tree (“kumuda
hitha”) to the devas.
Blemish less (“paripurna”),
sinless (“anagha”) one.
Praised (“puja”) by devas
and asuras (“sura asura”).
An expert in stealing
(“vaasa haranaa”) curd (“dadhi”) and milk (“payodhi”) from milk pots. One who
has the best countenance (“sundara thara vadana”) and utters the nectar
dripping sweetest (“sudhamaya”) words (“vacho brinda”).
One who is always happy
immortal and ever young (“govinda, saananda Jaraaptha”). Lord of Lakshmi (“maa
varaa”).
Giver of all successes to
everyone who come to you (“aneka shubakara”)]
1. ssn p ;
mp s s r s
s m m r | sm M ; P ; pm mp
mm ||
amaraTha raka
nichaya ku mudahitha Pari Pu rnaa nagha
sura- sura
R s – m r s S n P m g m P | S s – n
n s n n s
n P r s n p ||
puja dadi payo dhivaasa
haranaa Sunda ra dara vada
na Sudhaa maya va sho
, s n p M np m R – p m
r S |
, p p – s S
n – p m r
S , r g m ||
brinda Govin- da
Saa nan- da maa varaa ja raa ptha Shu ba karaa ne- ka