Meaning- yarukkagilum bhayama

[rasikapriya21]

Namaste,

I was wondering whether someone here could kindly help with the word-to-word translation
of this padam by Subbarama Ayer and make the necessary corrections of the version I am providing below.

Pallavi:

Yarukkagilum bhayama suma cholladum Yidil yena raga seyya ma
Why should I fear anyone? Let them talk; What is there to be hidden ?

Anupallavi:

Borukul vijaya mordi lingadurain yena / Bogum kidaitadendum yogam allavow penai
In war He is the victor , oh king Lingadurain [?] / It was sheer luck, wast it ?, that I could earn his friendship...

Charanam

Nani samadidal matravar kena nashti rajaniyam argeenen ya solva atti
I have agreed to it. For others, where is the loss, anyway? I have become part of the Royal Family, who can say a word against me?

Marne madayarneme areyem vidhi vasal naraiya venomor balli yetti
Oh Friend, I am riding an elephant [?] why should I enter through the side gate? I am far too clever for that!

vasikara malla purooshanai sharlee serteen ide ena bisargan parneenya
I met an attractive man and joined him; what is wrong with that ?

tisala avar kasu kusenavai asu yai ainadi
Everywhere people keep gossiping; why this jelousy?

Many thanks,
regards
rasikapriya21

[rshankar]

Rasikapriya:
If someone else doesn't post it, I will post the corrections and meaning when I get a chance to hear Sowmya's version of this padam...

[rshankar]

Rasikapriya,
Here you go: corrections and my attempt at translating it. This is a very earthy composition with erotic undertones, because, the proposal under discussion is not marriage, but something akin to joining the 'harem'...and hence, the struggle with society's need to keep it undercover, and not expect a huge song and a dance in celebration, which the heroine, with all her innocent honesty, is not able to understand.

yArukkAgilum bhayamA - bEgaDA - miSracApu Composer: Madhurakavi Bharati

This is a padam where the nAyikA (a young woman) has been solicited by the king of the land, Lingadurai, for a dalliance, and she is wearing it like a medal for all to see. She says she's neither afraid nor ashamed, and that it is no one else's business but her's.

yArukkAgilum bhayamA? summA SollaTTum,
adil yenna? rahasiyamA?

yArukkAgilum = (0f) anyone
bhayamA = (am I) afraid of
summA SollaTTum = (let them) say (SollaTTum) it repeatedly (summA - with no purpose)
adil yenna = so what (yenna) is there to it (adil)
rahasiyamA = (is this) a secret?

So what if people keep saying/repeating it? Is this a secret? I am not afraid of anyone!

pOrukkuL vijayanAn mODi lingadurai
yenna bOgam kiDaittadendan yOgam allavO peNNE?

pOrukkuL vijayanAn = (He is) the victor (vijayanAn) in wars (pOrukkuL)
mODi lingadurai = the delightful (mODi) King Lingadurai
yenna bOgam = what (yenna) a pleasurable opportunity (bOgam)
kiDaittadendan = kiDaittadu + endan = (I have) got (kiDaittadu) + my (endan)
yOgam allavO = is it not (allavO) (my) favorable/auspicious time (yOgam)?
peNNE = Oh Girl!

Oh Girl! Is it not my auspicious time/good fortune that I have the pleasure of being solicited by the valiant King Lingadurai, the victor in many wars?

nAnE sammadittAl maRRavarkkenna nashti?
rAjAngamAgiyE yAr SolvAr aDI?

nAnE = If I myself
sammadittAl = have consented
idil = in this matter
maRRavarukkenna = maRRavarukku + enna = what (enna) + (is it of) others (maRRavarukku)
nashTi = loss
rAjAngam AgiyE = becoming (AgiyE) part of the King/kingdom (rAjAngam)
yAr SolluvAr aDI = who (yAr) will dare speak (SolluvAr)
aDI is a term of endearment/familarity towards her friend, the recipient of these complaints.

If I have consented to becoming a part of the King/kingdom, then what business is it of others. How dare they talk so?

mAnE! madayAnai mEl EriyUm diTi vASal nuzhaya vEnDumO bhalE gaTTi!
vaSIkaramuLLa purushanai shArndEn, sErndEn adil enna pisagu paNNEnaDI
viSaiyil avar avar kasu kusena vIsum aSuvai yennaDI?

mAnE = literally means a deer, but here it connotes a beautiful young girl
madayAnai mEl ERiym = even after ascending (mEl Eriyum) the proud elephant (mada yAnai)
diTi vAsal = the side entrance - not the right royal way, but the side entrance used only if people want to keep their movements a secret...
nuzhaya vEnDumO = do I have to (vEnDumO) enter (nuzhaya)..
bhalE gaTTi = Very fitting! (sarcastic comment)
vaSikaram uLLa = one who is handsome/attractive/charismatic (vaSIkaram uLLa)
purushanai = a man
SArndEn = I preferred
SerndEn = I joined him/gave myself to him
idil yennA paiSagu paNNEnaDI = what (yenna) did I do (paNNEn aDI) that was not clean and above board (piSagu = dirty)...
vISayil avar avar = all around (vISaiyil) everyone (avar avar)
kasu kusu ena = (is going) psst psst...
vISum = spreading
aSuvai = distasteful (rumors)
ennaDI = what (is this)?

The nAyikA asks a rhetorical question: Once I have ascended a majestic and proud elephant, why should I enter by the side door in secret? (This is an analogy for why should she keep it secret, for she has been solicited by not a mere man, but by the king himself - so why should she keep it undercover and indulge in cloak and dagger antics - instead, she want's to proclaim to the world loudly about her opportunity)..
I have sought out and accepted the proposal of a very attractive man, what wrong have I done? Then, why is everyone gossipping so distastefully about me?

[arasi]

Ravi,
An interesting song with some kochchai (can mean slang, unrefined, unsavory) words and content!

Is it 'vijayanthAn?'=is indeed a victorious one
'mOdi" here--one who delights in?
'nashti is nashTam?
tiTTi vAyil=the little door in the palace's entrance--'riding a mighty elephant, do you expect me to enter through the little door meant for the menials?' Here, she is daydreaming, indeed. The palace doors should open for her as she rides the elephant, she imagines.
pisagu=mistake. wrong doing

[rasikapriya21]

Dear RAvi,

I am lost for words .. My deepest gratitude for all you have added to the version I had posted ! The correction and the enlightening notes on the nayika's relation to the king are extremely helpful . I now have a frame of reference to work with !!
THANK YOU
rasikapriya21

[mahakavi]

tiTTi vAyil (vAsal) is a little door in a big door used for initial observation from within. Usually the watchmen open the small door from within to see who is outside upon hearing a knock. If it is a friend or an authorized person they let them in. Otherwise they would shut it right away and sound alarm. If it is just one person they let them come in through the little door without opening the big one.

[arasi]

Yes, mahAkavi. It is like the pet's door on a house door, the little door on the prison gate by which a prisoner comes out (in many a movie!) after he has served his sentence. The servants enter and exit that way too. That's what I meant by menials. The nAyikA has lofty ambitions and these doors won't do for her.

[rshankar]

raiskapriya:
You are welcome...I enjoyed the task immensely.

Arasi/Sub,
Thanks for the corrections - Sowmya sings it as vijayanAn...and diTTi - but tiTTi makes more sense...
I still think that it is not her lofty ambitions, but her need to proclaim her 'fortune' to the wolrd that comes across here - I think she doesn't want to give in to the gossip around, and slink into the palace unseen, as if she were guilty of some wrong-doing, or was going to meet someone other than the king - but rather enter it as if she were on an elephant, openly, for all to see.

[mahakavi]

...Yes, no problem there in touting the "fortune" that befell her. She is going as a paramour and she is proud of that! Somehow I feel awkward recognizing her as I would feel proud of our nAyaki in MuttuttANDavar padam "teruvil vArAnO" or the one in "ivan yArO" padam of Kavi Kunjcara BhArathi.

[mahakavi]

As for the "tiTTi vAsal", it had a valid purpose in ancient times as mentioned in my previous post. There is one episode in Kalki's "SivakAmiyin Sabhadam" where an unknown youngser by name paranjodi ( who would eventually become the commander-in-chief of the pallava army and later to be known as siruttoNDa nAyanAr) undertakes a journey to Kanchipuram. He picks up a companion, a Buddha bikshu, on the way who was also heading towards Kanchipuram. When they reach the perimeter of the city, the gates are all closed. The pair cross the moat through a fragile wooden bridge, reach the gate and the bikshu takes a log and knocks at the door. The guard asks for the ID and upon recognizing the bikshu's voice he opens the "tiTTi vAsal" for him. The bikshu wiggles through the small entrance dragging our friend with him and once they were in the little door closes again. The bikshu had a big influence in Kanchipuram since at the time of Mahendra varman he was following Jainism. It was the same time appar (one of the tEvAram trinity) was spreading shaivism and finally was able to convert Mahendra varman to shaivism.

[Gayathri rama]

Can some one please give me s.sowmya's rendering? i searched online and could not get the same.

[narayan]

Small point that the lines vaSikkaram onwards would have probably been a different caranam, judging from the second syllables. At some point, this would have got merged with the first caranam and sung differently, to wind it up with a flourish, is my guess.

[Lakshman]

This is what I have. Corrections welcome.


yArukkAgilum bhayamA (p). rAgA: bEgaDa. aTa tALA. Subbarama Iyer.

P: yArukkagilum bhayamA summa sollaTTum adil enna rahasiyamA
A: pOrukkuL vijayan immOdi lingadurai bhogam kiDaittadenran yOgamallavO peNNE
C: nAnE sammadittAl maTravarkkena naSTi rAjAngam agiyE yar solvAraDi
mAnE madayai mEl Eriyum tiTTi vAsal nuzhaiya vEnDumO paLA peTTi
2: manadukkisainda maNavALanai sErndAl en vAi madam koNDu pEsum anbargaL uraikkum
sonda nadAi eDuttuk-koLvAr sarva caNDALamAm tan tAi eDuttukkoLvOr sAmi vandAr koDi pon
3: nAn piDittadenna murungai kombup-piDiyA naDattai terindavark-oruvar sonnapaDiyA
mAn pOL vizhiyArkellAm idu tAn oru noDiyA vanjiyE idarkkeu nAn anjina kuDiyA
(madhyamakAla)
vasIkaramuLLa puruSanai sErndEn adil enna pisagu paNNEnaDi
visaiyil avar kAsu kAsu ena vIsum asuvai ennaDi