Lyrics & Translation of Iduvo Tillai (rAga: sindhu bhairavi, tALa: Adi)

[HariKrishna]

Iduvo Tillai (rAga: sindhu bhairavi, tALa: Adi)
Composer: gOpALa kRiShNa bhArati
Language: Tamil?

Seeking lyrics and translation for this song, sung by Sanjay Subrahmanyam on December Season 2013 Kutcheri. Thanks in advance

HK

[Lakshman]

iduvO tillai. rAgA: dEshikatODi. Adi tALA. Gopalakrishna Bharati.

P: iduvO tillaic-cidambara kSEttiram Ishan iruppiDamO
C: madhuram pozhindiDum mariyOr iruppiDam mAmunivar tavam vAzhum perumiDam
padavi perum toNDar paNindu varum iDam pala deivamum tozhum paragati tarumiDam

[rshankar]

Here you go:

pallavi
iduvO tillaic-cidambara kSEttiram Ishan iruppiDamO
Is this (iduvO) the divine place (kshEttiram) called cidambaram (tillaic-cidambara), the place where my lord (ISan) resides (irruppiDamO)?

caraNam
madhuram pozhindiDum maraiyOr iruppiDam mAmunivar tavam vAzhum perumiDam
padavi perum toNDar paNindu varum iDam pala deivamum tozhum paragati tarumiDam
The place (iDam) where learned men (mariyOr) who shower (pozhindiDum) nectar (madhuram) reside (iruppu); the mighty (perum) place (iDam) where famous ascetics (mAmunivar) live in penance (tavam)!
The place where devotees (toNDar) who have attained (perum) a great status/rank (padavi), offer worship (paNindu varum), the salvation (paragati)-offering (tarum iDam) place that many (pala) gods (deivamum) worship at (tozhum)!

A couple of questions:
What is dESitODi?
Does this kRti not have an anupallavi?

[HariKrishna]

Thanks! Just for clarification - Chidambaram is a Shiva temple, right? So this is a Tamil krithi on Shiva?

[HariKrishna]

According to karnatik.com, deshikatODi is a janya rAgam of 8th melakarta rAgam hanumantODi.
However, the CD insert says this song is in sindhu bhairavi.
I'm no expert in identifying rAgams, but it does sound like sindhu bhairavi... I could be wrong.

[Lakshman]

dEshikatODi, otherwise known as deshyatODi, is derived from mELA 8. The notes are: SGMPDNS/SNDPMGRS.
Sanjay has indeed sung this song in sindhubhairavi.
He sings the first line of the caraNa (in the posted lyrics) as the anupallavi and the second line as the caraNa.

[rshankar]

Thanks! Just for clarification - Chidambaram is a Shiva temple, right? So this is a Tamil krithi on Shiva?

IIRC, this tamizh kRti is from nandanAr caritam, and is on the town of cidambaram. Through Nandan, the poet describes cidambaram as a town that has become sacred by the residence of the Lord (Siva), by the learned men who shower nectar (forgot to footnote this - the showers of nectar refers to the chanting of the vEdas by the learned scholars, percieved as sanctifying showers of nectar by the poet), by the ascetics who practice penance there, by the devotees who have achieved a certain status through their piety and selfless service in the heirarchy of those involved in serving the lord, and by the presence of many gods who offer worship there - a land that has become so sacred, that the land itself is capable of granting salvation (paragati), should one get there. Nandan's aim was to get to cidambaram, which he thought was the same as becoming one with the lord, because the place itself was so supremely sacred.

[rshankar]

In Sri Gopalakrishna Bharati's opinion, there were several ways of attaining salvation, all of which revolved around cidambaram and Siva - for example, he considers cidambaram capable of granting paragati as he says in this kRti, should one get there - but, if one can't get to cidambaram, one doesn't have to despair, for (as he says in his AbhOgi kRti, sabhApatikku veru deivam samAnamAgumA) just uttering the name of cidambaram sanctified by Siva once is enough to gain salvation: 'oru daram siva cidambaram enRu sonnAl pOdumE, paragati peRa vERu puNNiyam seyya vENDumA?'