Word-to-word meaning of kaNTi kaNTi niluvu

[rshankar]

Can someone please give me word-to-word meanings for this composition?

These are the lyrics for this absolutely lovely composition of Sri annamACaryA - very sensitive tuning by Sri K. Venkataraman, and an incomparable rendering by Smt. MSS - the recording is superb, with just the voices in the forefront, and the accompaniments very pleasing, but in the background. Lji had posted them many years ago on forumhub.

(The only difference I can hear is in the punnAgavarALI caraNam - I hear it as 'taruNi alamElumangA dharaNi bhAmayulu')

kaNTi kaNTi. rAgamAlikA. Adi tALA.

(rAgA: nadanamakriya)
P: kaNTi kaNTi niluvu cakkani menu daNDalunu naNTucu pulanu jUcE nagumOmu dEvuni
C1: kanakapu pAdamulu gajalu andEnunu ghana pItAmbaramupai kaTTu kaTTAri
monasi oDDaNapu mogapuna molamulu konara nAbhi kamalam udara bandhamulu
(rAgA: punnagavarali)
2: garima varada hasta kaTTi hastamulunu sarasnatilla shankha cakra hastamulu
uramupai kaustubhamu oppagu hAramulu taruNi alamElu mangA dharaNi bhAramulu
(rAgA: sindhubhairavi)
3: kaTTina kaNTha sarulu ghanabhuja kIrtulu kaTTANi mutyAla singAra nAmamu
neTTa neshi vEnkatEsha nIku karNa patramulu aTTEshira sumIda amarE kirITamu

Thanks!

[krishnaa]

Ravi,
i have the running meaning of the kriti, if you want it, please let me know.

[rshankar]

Krishnaa,

Please do...I will try to use my rudimentary knowledge of telugu to try and piece together the word-to-word meaning!

Ravi

[krishnaa]

This translation is from the book - Nectar Ocean of Annamacharya.

Pallavi
I saw! I saw!! The tall beautiful form decorated with garlands! The one who casts mesmerizing looks, the Lord with the smiling face! (I saw!)

caranam 1
The golden feet, the dazzling anklets with small bells
The golden coloured silk robes, the dagger tied over it! (I saw!)
The beautiful waist belt and the clasping waist thread
For thw stomach with a lotus like navel, a befitting belt! (I saw!)

caranam 2
The great varada hasta and kaTi hasta!
The hands that have upheld the Sankha - cakra
The kaustubha on the chest, and the befitting garlands (I saw!)

caranam 3
The closely tied necklaces, the great shoulder ornaments
The beautiful tirunAmam seeming like a string of pure pearls
SrI venkaTesha! For you, there are these attractive ear-rings
Likewise, a befitting crown on your head! (I saw!)

I hope this helps. The meaning of the last line of the second caranam is missing.
for my info, what is the tirunAmam?

[sridhar_ranga]

for my info, what is the tirunAmam?

I guess in this context it refers to the tirumaN or the oordhva puNDram worn on the forehead (two white vertical lines and one saffron/yellow line between them)

Sri

[rshankar]

Thanks krishnaa. Does help enormously - and tirunAmam is what sridhar has explained.

The scectarian mark that denotes a vaiSNavaite is a nAmam:
http://www.indianmirror.com/culture/namam.gif
This is placed on the forehead and other parts of the body - the arms, chest etc.

The prefix 'tiru' refers to the divine nature of this mark adorning Lord venkaTESvara's forehead.

Rigapada/Shishya - can you check the meaning that krishnna has posted and make addition/corrections?

Specifically, how is the reference to alamElu mangA relevant here in this description of the lord in tirumala, because, IIRC, alamElu mangA sannidhi is in tiruccANUr.

[krishnaa]

Thanks evryone for the explainations... tirunAmam is what is known as tilak in northern india. i understand it very well now. Yes, vaishnavas put 12 tilak marks on their body, we usually call it dwAdasha tilak.

Ravi, You are welcome!
almelumaga is non different from Mahalkshmi, and she always sports on the chest of the Lord. Despite her other forms being installed in many other temples and places, she has her permenent residence on the chest of Sri Venkataraman.