kanakanaruchira

kana kana ruchIrA is the fourth of the Pancharatna kritis. It is in the rAgam varALi. The slow paced kriti is contemplative in nature. It reflects on the joy of beholding the loving and lovely form of Lord srI rAma in the altar of heart. He sings that the more he beholds Him, the sweeter It is! Listen to the kriti in the voice of Malladi Brothers. The lyrics and meanings have been adapted from here.

Here is an introduction to the kriti

pallavi

kana kana rucirA

kanaka vasana ninnu (kana)

O Lord wearing golden (kanaka) attire (vasana)! The more I behold (kana kana) You (ninnu), the sweeter it is (rucirA).

anu pallavi

dina dinamunu manasuna

canuvuna ninnu (kana)

O Lord wearing golden attire! The more I behold You (ninnu), every day (dina dinamunu) in my mind (manasuna) with love (canuvuna), the sweeter it is.

svara sahityam 1

pAlu kAru mOmuna SrI(y)apAra

mahima tanaru ninnu (kana)

O Lord wearing golden attire! The more I behold You (ninnu) with guile-less (pAlu kAru) (literally milk-dripping - infantile) face (mOmuna) shining (tanaru) with prosperity (SrI) and limitless (apAra) (SrIyapAra) glory (mahima), the sweeter it is.

svara sahityam 2

kala-kalamanu mukha kaLa kaligina sIta

kulukucun(O)ra kannulanu jUcu ninnu (kana)

O Lord wearing golden attire! The more I behold You (ninnu), whom sItA – having (kaligina) cheerful (kala-kalamanu) facial (mukha) glow (kaLa) – looks (jUcu) elegantly (kulukucunu) by side (Ora) (kulukucunOra) glances (kannulanu), the sweeter it is.

svara sahityam 3

bAl(A)rk(A)bha su-cEla maNi-maya

mAl(A)lankRta kandhara

sarasij(A)ksha vara kapOla su-rucira

kirITa dhara santatambu manas(A)raga (kana)

O Lord with the splendour (Abha) of rising (bAla) (literally young) Sun (arka) (bAlArkAbha) wearing fine garments (su-cela)! O Lord whose neck (kandhara) is adorned (alankRta) with gem studded (maNi-maya) necklace (mAlA) (mAlAlankRta)!

O Lotus (sarasija) eyed (aksha) (sarasijAksha)! O Lord with beautiful (vara) cheeks (kapOla)! O Lord wearing (dhara) brilliant (su-rucira) crown (kirITa)!

O Lord wearing golden attire! The more I behold You unceasingly (santatambu) to my heart’s (manasu) content (Araga) (manasAraga), the sweeter it is.

svara sahityam 4

sA-patni mAtayau suruci-cE

karNa SUlam(ai)na mATa vInula

curukk(a)na tALaka SrI harini dhyAninci

sukhimpaga lEdA(y)Tu (kana)

Did not (lEdA) dhruva, unable to bear (tALaka) harsh (karNa SUlamaina) (literally spear-like for ears) words (mATa) of (cE) step-mother (sA-patni mAtayau) suruci (suruci-cE) pinching (curukku ana) (curukkana) his ears (vInula), attain comfort (sukhimpaga) by meditating (dyAninci) on Lord SrI hari (harini)?

In the same manner (aTu) (lEdAyaTu), O Lord wearing golden attire! The more I behold You, the sweeter it is.

svara sahityam 5

mRga mada lalAma Subha niTila vara

jaTAyu mOksha phalada 2pavamAna

sutuDu nIdu mahima telpa

sIta telisi valaci sokka lEdA A rIti ninnu (kana)

O Lord with auspicious (Subha) forehead (niTila) adorned with musk (kastUri) (mRga mada) tilaka (lalAma)! O Bestower (phalada) of emancipation (mOksha) to the blessed (vara) jaTAyu!

Was not (lEdA) sItA (sIta) enraptured (sokka) with longing (valaci) listening (telisi) (literally knowing) to hanumAn – son (sutuDu) of Wind-God (pavamAna) describe (telpa) (literally inform about) Your (nIdu) glory (mahima)?

In the same manner (A rIti), O Lord wearing golden attire! the more I behold You (ninnu), the sweeter it is.

svara sahityam 6

sukh(A)spada vimukh(A)mbu dhara pavana vi-dEha mAnasa vihar(A)pta

sura bhUja mAnita guN(A)nka

cid-Ananda khaga turanga 4dhRta rath(A)nga

parama dayA-kara karuNA rasa varuN(A)laya

bhay(A)pahara SrI raghupatE (kana)

O Abode (Aspada) of Comfort (sukha) (sukhAspada)! O Gale (pavana) that scatters the cloud (ambu dhara) called enemies (vimukha) (literally one whose face is turned away) (vimukhAmbu)! O Lord abiding (vihAra) in the hearts (mAnasa) of celestials (vi-dEha) (literally incorporeal being – bodiless)!

O Wish-tree (kalpa vRksha) – celestial (sura) tree (bhUja) - of those who are dear (Apta) (vihArApta) to You! O Lord marked (anka) with respected (mAnita) qualities (guNa) (guNAnka)! O Lord effulgent as consciousness or intellect (cit) and bliss (Ananda) (cid-Ananda)!

O Lord who has garuDa - bird (khaga) - as carrier (turanga)! O Wielder (dhRta) of discus (or wheel) – part (anga) of chariot (ratha) (rathAnga)!

O Supremely (parama) compassionate (dayA-kara) Lord! O Ocean - abode (Alaya) of varuNa (varuNAlaya) - of compassionate (karuNA) feeling (rasa)! O Destroyer (apahara) (literally seize) of fear (bhaya) (bhayApahara)! O Lord SrI raghupati (raghupatE)!

O Lord wearing golden attire! The more I behold You, the sweeter it is.

svara sahityam 7

kAminci prEma mIra karamula nIdu

pAda kamalamula paTTukonu

vADu sAkshi rAma nAma rasikuDu

kailAsa sadanuDu sAkshi

mariyu nArada parASara Suka

Saunaka purandara nagajA dharaja

mukhyulu sAkshi kAda sundar(E)Sa

sukha kalaS(A)mbudhi vAs(A)SritulakE (kana)

For whatever I have said,

hanumAn – who (vADu) holds (paTTukonu) Your (nIdu) Feet (pAda) Lotus (kamalamula) in his hands (karamula) with overflowing (mIra) love (prEma) and longing (kAminci) – is a witness (sAkshi);

Lord Siva – resident (sadanuDu) of kailAsa and enjoyer (rasikuDu) of the name (nAma) ‘rAma’– is a witness (sAkshi); further (mariyu),

sages nArada, parASara, Suka, Saunaka, indra (purandara), pArvatI – daughter of mountain (naga) (nagajA) - and important personages (mukhyulu) on the Earth (dharaja) (literally Earth-born) are witnesses (sAkshi) – aren’t they (kAda)?

O Acme (ISa) (literally Lord) of beauty (sundara) (sundarESa)! O Lord comfortably (sukha) resident (vAsa) in the Ocean (ambudhi) of Milk, churning which pitcher (kalaSa) (kalaSAmbudhi) of nectar emerged!

O Lord wearing golden attire! For those who are dependent (ASritulakE) (vAsASritulakE) on You, the more they behold You, the sweeter it is.

svara sahityam 8

satatamu prEma pUrituDagu tyAgarAja

nuta mukha jita kumuda hita varada ninnu (kana)

O Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja who is ever (satatamu) replete (pUrituDagu) with Supreme Love (prEma) towards You! O Lord whose face (mukha) surpasses (jita) the (lustre of) moon – friend (hita) of lily (kumuda)! O Bestower of boons (varada)!

O Lord wearing golden attire! The more I behold You (ninnu), the sweeter it is.

13Jan2017