Ethai Kandu nee-- Lyrics and Meaning..

[janaki_rajan]

Can someone provide the lyrics and meaning for the song "Ethai Kandu nee"? Is there any recording that I can listen to online?

Thanks,
Janaki

[Lakshman]

This songs is by Ghanam Krishna Iyer and expresses simlar sentiments as Purandaradasa's kSirAbdhi kannikE.

ettai kaNDu nI. rAgA: kalyANi. rUpaka tALA.

P: ettai kaNDu nI iccai koNDAiyaDi magaLE en peNNE kaNNE nI ippOdE
A: shuddha payittiyakkAran gangAdharan tOgaiyai munnavan pEyuDan
Adiya tondikkO pazham kandaikkO Erum nandikkO seyyum vindaikkO
C1: puliyai urittu ADai aNIndiTTa pOrvai AsaikkO valiyai karattil
mazhuvai eindum manadu tuNivukkO malaiyin pAMbai piDittukazhuttil mATTik-koNDadaip-
pUTTik-koNDiTTa mAlaikkO tarum sElaikkO seyyum vElaikkO shiva lIlaikkO
2: mAmanum mAmiyum onrAi seiginra varisip-perumaikkO sOmanai shirattil
aNIndu oru kaN tulangum neTrikkO kAmanai venravar AlattaiyuNDu mArkaNDanukkAgavE
caNDanai udaitta kAlukkO sAmbal mElukkO kari tOlukkO kaLai vAlukkO

[rshankar]

Here you go.

This is not exactly in the same league as purandara dAsa's kSIrAbdhi kannikE - in that, each and every form of vishNu is very reverentially described, while here, SivA's characteristics are sort of made fun of. Will make an excellent padam.

I am not sure of the context of this composition - is this a conversation between mEnA and pArvatI?

P: ettai kaNDu nI iccai koNDAiyaDi magaLE en peNNE kaNNE nI ippOdE

In the pallavi, the mother (or should I say a concerned parent?) asks her love-struck daughter: "What (ettai) is it that you (nI) have noticed (kaNDu) that has made you (nI) fall in love (iccai koNDAi) now (ippOdE) with this person, my dear daughter (magaLE), young lady (peNNE), the apple of my eye (kaNNE)?"

A: shuddha payittiyakkAran gangAdharan tOgaiyai munnavan pEyuDan
Adiya tondikkO pazham kandaikkO Erum nandikkO seyyum vindaikkO

In the anupallavi, she continues, "don't you realize that Siva (gangAdharan), the person you have lost your heart to is a certifiable/raving (Suddha) lunatic (payittiyakAran)? He has already elevated (munnavan) a woman (tOgaiyai)[1]. Have you been enslaved by his friendship (tondikkOO?) in dancing (ADiya) with his gaNas (pEyuDan)? Or maybe by his old (pazham) tatters (kandaikkO?)? Or could it be the bull (nandikkO?) that he mounts (Erum)? Or is it the amazing acts (vindaikkO?) that he accomplishes (Seyyum)?"

C1: puliyai urittu ADai aNIndiTTa pOrvai AsaikkO valiyai karattil
mazhuvai eindum manadu tuNivukkO malaiyin pAMbai piDittukazhuttil mATTik-koNDadaip-
pUTTik-koNDiTTa mAlaikkO tarum sElaikkO seyyum vElaikkO shiva lIlaikkO

The mother continues "do you desire (ASaikkO?) the garment (ADai) that he wears (aNindiTTa) after skinning (urittu) a tiger (puli) for a sheath/cover (pOrvai)? Or did you fall for his daring (tuNivukkO?) heart (manadu) - that makes him fearlessly hold/wield (eindum) a battle-axe (mazhuvai) in his poowerful (valliya) hands (karattil)? Or, do you desire the mountain (malaiyin) snakes (pAmbai) that he has caught (piDittu) and slung (mATTi) around his neck (kazhuttil), fastening (pUTTi-konDu) them (adai) as garlands (mAlaikkO?)? Or is for the saree/cloth (SElaikkO?) that he offers (tarum)? Or, is it for his antics (Seyyum vElaikkO?), or his sporting (Siva lIlaikkO?) that you want him?"

2: mAmanum mAmiyum onrAi seiginra varisip-perumaikkO sOmanai shirattil
aNIndu oru kaN tulangum neTrikkO kAmanai venravar AlattaiyuNDu mArkaNDanukkAgavE
caNDanai udaitta kAlukkO sAmbal mElukkO kari tOlukkO kaLai vAlukkO

The mother continues: "Tell me: Is it the desire for the vanity (perumai) that comes from the gifts (variSai) that your in-laws (mAmanum mAmiyum)[2] will give you (Seiginra) together (onrAi)? Or, are you attracted by the moon (sOmanai) that he wears (aNindu) as an ornament on his head (Sirattil), or the (oru) eye (kaNN) that brightens (tulangum) his forehead (neTrikkO?)? Or, are you besotted by the fact that he is the one who won over (venravar) manmatha (kAmanai), or that he swallowed (unDu) the deadly halAhalam (Alattai)? Or, are you in love with the foot (kAlukkO?) that kicked (udaitta) yamA (caNDanai) for the sole purpose (AgavE) of protecting mArkaNDEya (mArkaNDEyanukku)? Or, is it the holy ash (SAmbal) that is smeared on his body (mElukkO?), or the elephant (kari) skin (tOlukkO?) that is draped around him[3], or is it his handsome (kaLai) youth (vAlukkO?) that you are infatuated with?"

[1] This refers to gangA.
[2] Siva has no parents, no uncles, or aunts. So, I do not understand the reference to mAmA and mAmI
[3] What is the story behind Siva and the elephant skin? purandara dAsa also refers to this, and describes SIva as 'gaja carmAmbara dhara'

[Umesh]

Would this song be classified as a ninda stuthi?

And regarding footnote #3,
http://www.shaivam.org/siddomain/mamata.html

In dance, Siva as gaja samhara murthy is popularly depicted with two upturned mushtis above the head and the left leg lifted to the right side and tucked behind the knee of the right leg.

[rshankar]

Thanks, Umesh! But none of these tales actually describe him as skinning the elephant-demon and wearing his skin (unlike the case with the puli tOl - where, the descriptions of the dAruka vana episode do contain the story where he kills the tiger the sages sent to harm him, with his nails and subsequently using the skin of the animal as his garment).

[arasi]

Ravi,
'certifiable lunatic'--I like that

tondai=uRavu, intimacy (tondi belongs to offspring).

mAman and mAmi's absence is the very reason for the snide remark. Yes, nindA stuti. However, I find the composer getting into an admiring mode here and there without realizing it, and that is fine by me!

[janaki_rajan]

Thanks Ravi for the word-word meaning; certainly a very good Ninda Stuti.

I am little confused with the composer of this song. Is it Ghanam Krishna Iyer as mentioned by Lakshman sir or is it Marimuthu Pillai? I also saw the song being attributed to Subburama Iyer?

Thanks,
Janaki

[janaki_rajan]

Also, are there any books or good websites that give translations for Padams and Javalis?, esp. Javalis.

Thanks,
Janaki

[Lakshman]

My reference is from Adi Sangeeta Rasarnavam by K.V.Srinivasa Iyengar.

[rshankar]

Arasi,

Glad you liked it!

Janaki,

Thanks. Sites that give translations are either not into details (they give vAkyArtha), or, I find the style very difficult to navigate through!

[dnayar]

Namaskaram
I’ve looked everywhere for the notations or a clear recording of this padam
Could someone please help?
Thanks
Divya