Meaning-Madanaga Mohana

[jandancer]

Hi
Can anyone please post the meanings of this song

Madanaanga mohana sukumarane - by Oothukadu Venkata kavi.

Thanks!!!

[Lakshman]

madanAnga mOhana. rAgA: khamAs. Adi tALA.

P: madanAnga mOhana sukumAranE vraja vanitaiyar uLLam magizhum vasudEvanE
A: taruNap-pA dhA nI sA nI dhA pA mA tAmaraip-pA dhA ni sA nI dha pA mA shen-tAmarai malarppAdA
ni sA nI dha pA mA ga ma pa dha ni sa rAdhEya vairi jAyA sOdara rAdhikA kAnta nanda gOvinda
C: ettanai nEram nAn pADuvEn un innishaiyam kuzhal vENugAnattil takiTa dhImkiNatOm
takiTa tadingiNatOm ena ettanai nEram nAn AduvEn ingu nanda kumAranin gAnattirkku ishainda paDiyum
angu en mAmiyAr nAttanAr sholpaDi Ada vENum idu pADAgap-pOccu ADi vaccAccu

[rshankar]

Here is my attempt at translating this - it was one of the first songs of Sri OVK I had heard as a musical piece in a CD released by the Bombay Sisters (I think they may have been one of the first to bring out a thematic CD on Sri OVK's works), and I remember being captivated by the lyrics - the concerns of an innocent gOpi who has to leave her mother's house, her beloved krishNa, and her days of fun and frolic behind, and assume the responsibilities of married life in another village. It was only much later that I appreciated the complex musicality of the anupallavi with its svara sAhityam.

Lji, I have made some minor corrections to the sAhitya.

pallavi
madanAnga mOhana sukumAranE vraja vanitaiyar uLLam magizhum vasudEvanE

Oh enticing/attractive (mOhana) young man (sukumAranE) with a form like manmatha (madanAnga) [1], the maidens (vanit(d)aiyar) of brindAvan (vraja) enjoy (magizhum) you to their heart's (uLLam) content, Oh vAsudEva (vAsudEvanE)!

anupallavi
taruNap-pAdA nI sA nI dhA pA mA tAmaraip-pAdA ni sA nI dha pA mA shen-tAmarai malarp pAdA
ni sA nI dha pA mA ga ma pa dha ni sa rAdhEya vairi jAyA sOdara rAdhikA kAnta nanda gOvinda

Oh Lord with tender (taruNa) feet (pAdA)! Oh Lord with feet (pAdA) like a lotus (tAmarai) flower! Oh Lord with feet as tender and red as a red (Sen) lotus (tAmari) flower (malar)! You are the brother (sOdara) of the wife (jAyA) of the enemy (vairi) of the son of rAdha (rAdhEya) [2], the beloved (kAnta) of rAdhikA, and the delightful (nanda) cowherd (gO-vinda).

caraNam
ettanai nEram nAn pADuvEn
un innishaiyum kuzhal vENugAnattil
takiTa dhImkiNatOm takiTa tadingiNatOm ena
ettanai nEram nAn AduvEn
ingu nanda kumAranin gAnattirkku ishainda paDiyum ADivaittAccu
angu en mAmiyAr nAttanAr sholpaDi ADa vENDum idu pADAip-pOccu

For how much (ettanai) more time (nEram) will I (nAn) be able to sing (pADuvEn)? For how much (ettanai) more time (nEram) will I (nAn) be able to dance (ADuvEn) to the music (vENugAnattil) emanating from your (un) sweet/intoxicating/melodious (inniSaiyum) flute (kuzhal) to the sorkaTTu that go thus (ena): 'takiTa dhImkiNatOm takiTa tadingiNatOm'? I have danced (ADivaittAccu) to my heart's content (iSainda paDiyum) to the music (gAnattirku) of this son (kumAranin) of nandagOpan (nanda) here (ingu), in this village. But alas, over there (angu) [3], I am sure to find it (idu) tediously tiresome (pADAi pOccE) to dance (ADa vENDum) to the instructions/commands (SorpaDi) of my (en) mother-in-law (mAmiyAr) and sister-in-law (nArttanAr)!

FOOTNOTES
[1] madanAnga - one with limbs (anga) of manmatha (madana)
[2] rAdheya is karNa, rAdheya's enemy is arjuna, arjuna's wife is subhadra, and krishNa is subhadra's brother - rAdhEya vairi jAya sOdara
[3] 'ingu' (here) is the gOpi's maikE (mother's house), while 'angu' (there) is her husband's place

[jandancer]

thank you so much!

[keerthi]

Excellent song!

rshankar, the brilliance of your translation matches that of Venkata kavi's composition...

[rshankar]

rshankar, the brilliance of your translation matches that of Venkata kavi's composition...

Not really, BUT, I will gladly take the compliment!!

[arasi]

ravi,
angu mAmiyium nAttiyum meccA viDinum, nATTiyakkArarODu nAnum um mozhi peyarppin azhagai meccugiREn

a propos, angam can also mean 'form'.

[rshankar]

Arasi,

Thank you! And thank you for pointing out that angam can mean form as well.

[ksrimech]

ravi, you translation is nice. One addition though. This can be at the location of rAsalIlA. If remember most of the gopi were married women. Ingu could also me rAsalIlA kSEtram aka the yamunApulinavana (as in ramatE yamunA pulinavanE) and angu means mAmiyAr vIDu their present home. sukhabrahma RSI explains how they were compelled to leave their daily chores in the night to go to the place were SrIkRSNa was playing the flute. There is also a reference to a gopi going to SrIvaikuNTam from near the door steps of her house as she was feeling the separation of pangs from SrIkRSNa yet she couldn't walk past her in-laws.

[rshankar]

Krishna,

nIDAmaNgaLam krishNamUrti bhAgavatar in one of upanyAsams explained it as the plight of a gOpI who has to leave vrindAvan and go to her husband's place...your explanation also fits perfectly.

[ksrimech]

Yes, bhagavathar's version is also autentic.

[laya2]

Hi

Can somebody please clarify.

ettanai nEram nAn pADuvEn - what does this line literally mean. I am not looking for word to word meaning

Does it mean that "you know how long i will dance and sing which is definitely not a problem for me" but I have a problem dancing to the tunes of mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Or does it mean she is complaining about Krishna " I am have been dancing and singing and waiting for you. Where are you"

Kindly clarify the meaning behind this line please.

Thank you.

[rshankar]

Sri Nidamangalam Krishnamurthy Bhagavatar in his Krishna Ganam series explains this kRti as the 'lament' of a young gOpi who has to leave bRndAvan and go away to her husband's village - in that context, she says, "after having spent my time here dancing and singing along to kRshNa's tunes, I unfortunately have to now dance to the tune of my mother-in-law and sister-in-law".