tattvaj jIvatvam - kIravANi

[prashant]

Could I request a translation of this Sadashiva Brahmendra piece? Lyrics are below courtesy Lakshman Sir. Thanks very much in advance.

http://www.karnatik.com/c2978.shtml

21 keeravaaNi mela
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N3 S
Av: S N3 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S

taaLam: aadi
Composer: Sadaashiva Bruhmendrar
Language: Sanskrit

pallavi

tatva jIvatvam brahmaNi tadva kIvatvam

anupallavi

yadvattOyE candradvitvam yadvanmukurE prati bimbatvam

caraNam 1

sthANau yadvan nara rUpatvam bhAnukarE yadvattOyatvam

caraNam 2

shuktau yadvadraja tamayatvam rajjau yadvatphaNi dEhatvam

caraNam 3

paramahamsa guruNA-advaya vidyA bhaNitA dhikkrta mAyA vidyA

[Rajani]

Here is my attempt , with some corrections in the lyrics (corrections taken from a printed book of Brahmendra's kritis)

tadvaj jIvatvam brahmaNi tadvaj jIvatvam

Meaning
jIvatvam - The state of the Jeevatma
tadvat - is like that
Brahamani - in the existence of the Brahman(formless divinity)

( tadvad + jIvatvam = tadvaj-jIvatvam )

C1 :
yadvat -just as
tOyE - in (the presence of) water
candradvitvam - there are two moons

yadvat = just as
mukurE - in the mirror
prati bimbatvam - the state of the reflection

(yadvat + mukurE = yadvan-mukure)

C2 :
yadvat - just as
sthANau - in a (polished) wooden pillar
nara rUpatvam - the form of a man (is seen)

yadvat - just as
bhAnukarE - In the sun's ray
tOyatvam - water's (mirage) existence

C3
yadvat - just as
shuktau - in a seashell
rajatamayatvam - silver-ness (is seen)

yadvat - just as
rajjau - in a rope
phaNi dEhatvam - a snake's body (is seen)

C4:
paramahamsa guruNA - (Thus) By the Paramahamsa Guru,
advaya vidyA - the knowledge of Advaita,
dhikkrta mAyA vidyA - that annihilates the ignorance(avidya) of delusion (Maya)
bhaNitA - has been said

[rshankar]

Rajani - beautiful, and profound. Thank you for translating it...a beautiful illustration of the advaita philosophy. Reading your translation about the mirror/pillar and the reflection of man took me immediately to a scene from the movie SankarAbharaNam - a very subtle, but very effective scene that also, IMO captured the essence of advaita - as Smt. Janaki sang 'advaita siddhiki amaratva labdhiki gAnamE sOpAnamu', the shot showed Manju Bhargavi and her reflection in a pool!

Prashant - thank you for asking for this translation...nice to see you back here, even if fleetingly.

[aaaaabbbbb]

Rajani,

Thank you for the superb translation.

rshankarji, an apt quote.

Thank you.

[Rajani]

Thank you - Ravi and SAvitriji - your warmth is deeply appreciated.

Moderators - please change the title of this thread to tadvaj jIvatvam

[vgovindan]

Ranjani,
IMHO, from the overall structure of the song, the word 'tvam' in jIvatvam is second person addressing 'you'.
jIva tvam - you live
Please also refer to 'mAnasa sancara rE'

[Rajani]

Sir, I agree that I thought of that too, at first. But after seeing 'dehatvam' and 'toyatvam' etc. in the stanzas, I thought otherswise, since unlike
"jiva" "deha" and "toya" cannot be construed as a second-person imperative verb.

[vgovindan]

Ranjani,
Probably I have not conveyed it correctly.
It is only with jIva in pallavi - the word IMHO should be split as 'tvam'. In all other places, it should be 'dEhatvam', tOyatvam' as a single word. Then it becomes an exhortation - probably even to his own mind. Please also see the difference - tadvat in pallavi, while in caraNas it is yAvat.
I would not, however, say that 'jIvatvam' as a single word does not make sense; I only said, it makes better sense.

[Rajani]

Thanks for the explanation Sir. I think we can interpret it as you say too.

[prashant]

Dear Rajani: thanks a lot for this wonderful translation. I really appreciate your taking the time to help me with this song.

[Rajani]

Prashant, glad to be of help!

[keerthi]

Rajani,

Nice translation.


I have two points -

1. Govindan Sir's point about it being jIva tvaM, and not jIvattvam is important. If it is not jIva - lOT lakAra madhyama puruSa form, then the song will suffer the dOSa of not having a verb. Also when jIva itself is the abstract noun indicating life as well as condition of existence, it would be highly unidiomatic as well as redundant to say jIvattvaM.

We such redundant usages in the bhaSas - kannada routinely says saundaryate [=saundaryata] wherein the -te is redundant. But I doubt if sadAshiva brahmendra yati would make such a solecism.

2. Could the first carana be candrAditvam rather than candra-dvitvam? This keeps the mAtra count consistent, and seems to make more sense.

[PUNARVASU]

I also feel the same ways as Shri Vg and keerthi.
In the context of the composition not having a verb otherwise, I have always been wondering about the song 'venkatAchala Nilayam'. In that there is no verb. I am not sure whether there is caraNam where there is verb( like the last caraNam or something like that) and I am not aware of it. Can somebody clarify this to me?
Sorry, this is not concerning the original post, but I thought it is better to get it clarified here!
Thanks in advance.

[keerthi]

Punarvasu,


VenkaTacala-nilayam is a most puzzling song, and is riddled with sAhitya errors. There is an extra caranam but that throws another wrench into the works. IF we want to believe that the song is in SanskRt, it will require a major overhaul.


The impression I get is that this song is like a divyanAma or a gItam with 4 units or khaNDikAs, all set to the same metre and tune. We can solve the grammar problem by converting all the dvitIyA vibhakti endings [objective case i.e. nilayam, vasam, rUpam etc] into the sambOdhana or the vocative case [nilaya! vAsa! rUpa etc].

The version that is available from the oral tradition as recorded by R.K.Srikantan is given here. My suggestion of using the vocative fits well with the general divyanAma layout, and with the sore-thumb verb 'pAhi' in the third khanDikA. This text is quite different from what we're used to hearing. Both are equally bad!

VenkaTAcala-nilayam VaikuNTha-pura-vAsam
Pankaja-nEtram parama-pavitram
shankha-cakra-dhara-cinmaya-rUpaM ||


ambujodbhava-vinutam aganita-guNa-nAmam
Tumburu-nArada-gAna-vilOlam
ambudhi-shayanam AtmAbhiramam ||

pAhi pANDava-paksham kaurava-mada-haranam
BAhu-parAkrama-pUrNam
ahalya-shApa-bhaya-nivAraNam||

sakala-vEda-vicAram sarva-jIvanAkAram
makara-kuNDala-dhara-madana-gOpAlam
bhakta-pOshaka- shrI-purandara-ViTThalam ||

[PUNARVASU]

Yes, Keerthi, this has been my pet peeve all along!
And I did not know about 'pAhi' in one of the stanzas! That means we are calling out to some one to protect the protector!
Good I did nt know about it! It would have been one more of the things that bother me to no end.
Thanks for clarifying my doubt ! At least I will not break my head over it anymore!

[vgovindan]

Keerti,
I have the rendition by MLV - the following portion is not found therein -
IMHO, 'pAHi' does not go with the overall kRti.

ambudhi-shayanam AtmAbhiramam ||

pAhi pANDava-paksham kaurava-mada-haranam
BAhu-parAkrama-pUrNam
ahalya-shApa-bhaya-nivAraNam||

sakala-vEda-vicAram sarva-jIvanAkAram

[Prasadthevarkat]

Notation of Thathva Jeevathwam is necessary.Help me

[Prasadthevarkat]

Notation of the kritis are helpful

[Lakshman]

Sent.

[Prasadthevarkat]

Thathwa Jeevathwam,notation in English .Keeravani Raga

[Lakshman]

It is sent.