YezundhAle jAnaki- Lyrics

[grsastrigal]

This is ArunAchala kavirAyar's composition. Yesterday, it was rendered by Sanjay in Myalpore concert in mohanam.
This kriti had its poetic beauty of Sita's resurrection from agni sort of how she looked like...beautiful one.

Can any one help me with lyrics pl ? Anyone who has rendered this song apart from sanjay as I said.? If this kriti is alreayd given, please give me the link..

[Lakshman]

There is no song by Arunachalakavi with the starting words you have given. The only song that starts with ezhundALE is given below:

ezhundALE pUnkOdai. rAgA: bilahari. Adi tALA.

P: ezhundALE pUnkOdai ezhundALE sItai
A: kozhundu pOl oLi Ongi kuditta shen taNal nIngi
C1: purandran indrANi bhU mEl AraNan vANi bhUdEshan sharvANi
arundavan uDan kUDa arundatiyum koNDADa amarar sOpanam pADa pUmalar pODa
2: tirumAni tanil vanna shezhum anjal oLi minna dishai engum paLapaLenna dharmam
pugazhnduLLa tazhaikkum ezhubadu veLLa sakala sEnaiyum meLLa kavalai taLLa
3: malaraDi kashangAmal maNikkurai mashangAmal mAlai vaNDashangAmal kalavai
Iram vAngAmal kanivAi naghai nIngAmal kaNDOrgaL EngAmal kSaNam tAngAmal
4: kumkumam pularAmal kuzhal mElvai malarAmal kUndarppU ularAmal angE
rAman munnAlE agni dEvan kaimElE alarnda tAmaraip-pOlE minnalai

[rshankar]

This is the song from the rAmanAtakam that describes how sItA comes out of her agniparIksha. The lyrics are simply amazing...gave me goose-bumps...
Some corrections:
C1: purandran = purandaran (indra)
bhU mEl AraNan = pU mEl AraNan (brahmA)
bhUdEShan = bhUtESan (Siva)
arundavan ? (should mean vasishTha)
C2: tirumAni ?

[smala]

rshankar, please post a translation to fully appreciate this piece. Any audio link would be a bonus.

[Lakshman]

Thanks rshankar for the corrections.

[rshankar]

smala - give me a little time, and I will post an attempt...

[Pratyaksham Bala]

C2:
tirumAni - tirumEni
shezhum anjal - shezhu manjaL
meLLa - meyya
C3:
maNikkurai - maNikkURai
C4:
kUndarppU - kUndaRpU
minnalai - minnalai pOlE

This kriti in Tamil (from arunAchala kavi rAma kAviya gItam) is available at:- http://www.tamilvu.org/slet/l5100/l5100 ... 23&pno=572

[Lakshman]

Thanks PB for the additional corrections.

[rshankar]

Here is my interpretation of this... the detailed imagery is awesome - the point being conveyed in every phrase and line is that the fire, which should, by rights, have destroyed anything and everything, was not able to singe even a hair on sItA's head - such was the intensity of her chastity....

pallavi
ezhundALE pUnkOdai ezhundALE sItai
anupallavi
kozhundupOl oLiOngi kudittu SentaNaL nIngi (ezhundALE…)

Like (pOl) a flame (kozhundu) with flashing (Ongi) and dancing (kudittu) lights (oLi), the beautiful woman (pUnkOdai) arose (ezhundALE), sItA arose (from the fire), even as the fiery (Sen) embers (taNal) died down (nIngi).

caraNam 1
purandaran indirANi pUmEl AraNan vANi bhUtESan SarvANi
arundavan uDan kUDa arundhatiyum koNDADa amarar sOpAnam pADa pU malar pODa (ezhundALE…)

indra (purandaran) with (uDan) saci (indirANi), brahmA (pUmEl AraNan) with sarasvati (vANi), Siva (bhUtESan) with pArvati (SarvANi), and vasishTha with arundhati celebrated (koNDADa), and the gods (amarar) sang (pADa) benedictions (sOpAnam) and showered (pODa) flowers (pU malar) as (sItA arose from the fire).

caraNam 2
tirumEnitanil vaNNa SezhumanjaL oLiminna
diSaiyengum paLapaLenna dharmam pugazh tuLLa tazhaikkum ezhubadu veLLa sakala sEnaiyum meyya kavalai taLLa (ezhundALE…)

(As sItA arose from the fire), the lavishly-applied (Sezhu) colorful (vaNNa) turmeric paste (manjaL) on (tanil) her skin (tirumEni) shone (minna) lustrously (oLi), the fame (pugazh) of righteousness (dharmam) spread (tuLLa) brightly (paLapaLaenna) in all directions (diSaiyengum), the entire (sakala) flourishing (tazhaikkum) army (sEnaiyum) [1] that was assembled in large numbers (ezhubadu veLLa) appreciated the truth (meyya), and everyone's dread (kavalai) was removed (taLLa).

caraNam 3
malaraDi kaSangAmal maNikkURai maSangAmal mAlai vaNDaSangAmal
kalavai Iram vAngAmal kanivAi nagai nIngAmal kaNDOrgaL EngAmal kshaNam tAngAmal (ezhundALE…)

Without her flower-like feet (malaraDi) being worn out (kaSangAmal), without her gorgeous bridal garments (maNikkURai) [2] getting crumpled (maSangAmal), without the bees (vaNDu) on her garlands (mAlai) being disturbed (aSangAmal), without her jeweled girdle (kalavai) losing its freshness (Iram vAngAmal), without her jewels (nagai) coming undone (nIngAmal), without those watching (kaNDOrgaL) languishing (EngAmal), and without waiting (tAngAmal) for even a second (kshaNam) (sItA arose from the fire).

caraNam 4
kungumam pularAmal kuzhalmElvai malarAmal kUndarppU ularAmal
angE rAman munnAlE agginidEvan kai mElE alanda tAmarai pOlE minnalai pOlE (ezhundALE…)

Like (pOlE) a freshly-blossomed (alarnda) lotus (tAmarai), like (pOlE) a blinding streak of lightning (minnal), without her bindi (kungumam) fading or drying out (pularAmal), without the jewels on her hair (kuzhalmEl vai) opening up (malarAmal) [3], without the flowers (pU) on her hair (kUndal) coming undone (ularAmal), (sItA arose from the fire) sitting on (mElE) the hands (kai) of the Lord of fire (agginidEvan), in front (munnAlE) of rAma (rAman) there (angE) [4].

FOOTNOTES
[1] the agniparIkSA happened in front of rAma's victorious army as witness – too bad a certain dhobhi was not part of the crowd there
[2] as sItA presented herself to rAmA, and subsequently entered the fire, dressed in bridal clothes, I have interpreted maNikkURai to be a type of kURai puDavai (bridal saree) – corrections welcome
[3] I have interpreted 'kuzhalmElvai malarAmal' as jewels/things placed (vai) atop her hair (kuzhal mEl) not coming undone or opening up (malarAmal)…corrections welcome
[4] angE I think refers to the battlefield in lankA…

[smala]

rshankar, first a tribute to your skills in presentation.

The stunning imagery in Caranam 3 and 4 takes the breath away. That single reference to her emergence from the fire without anyone in the wide audience languishing...with even a *hint* of anxiety...is key in this agnipariksha, seems to me.

Is arundavan - vasishTha ?

Re. kUra - pudavai, my limited understanding is that it is local, traditional, considered auspicious, cotton pudavai (from kUra nAdu) worn for weddings and important occasions. So am wondering if the bridal clothes here refers to this.

[rshankar]

smala - thank you.

As far as I can tell, arundavan is vasishTha (husband of arundhati)

And I think you are spot-on about kURa poDavai...although with time, the cotton morphed into paTTu....but if it were cotton that sItA wore, imagine the power of the imagery, where cotton garments emerged intact from the fire!

[smala]

Not to rake up the Agnipariksha controversy, but it is stated that Sri Ram rejected the test and Sita even after this test. Valmiki, apparently does not mention that Rama required this test at all.

[sridhar_ranga]

Excellent Ravi.

[3] I have interpreted 'kuzhalmElvai malarAmal' as jewels/things placed (vai) atop her hair (kuzhal mEl) not coming undone or opening up (malarAmal)…corrections welcome

It could simply mean her hair/locks not upturned/rising, as happens when the hair is dry/unoiled (a la someone with "paraTTai talai") - kavirayar may be implying that the heat of agni didn't cause the locks to dry up and rise. The sequence kungumam-kuzhal-kUndaRpU also may imply the locks - something that comes in between the forehead and the flowers adorning the hair.

[Lakshman]

I could not find any information on arundavan (or arunthavan). There is a brief mention of the name here: http://www.cutebabynames.co.in/indian/i ... thavan.php

[smala]

I think there's a common saying...arundavan kannuku irundathu ellaam pei... not sure who/what arundavan is here. Or it may *arandavan* -- one who is already terrified, to him all he sees are ghosts...

[Rajani]

Thanks for the lovely translation, Ravi. The imagery is moving indeed.
"arundavan" would mean "someone who has done great penance (arum-thavam)" and so contexually refers to Vasistha.
Kalavai is the sandalpaste on her limbs.

[rshankar]

Rajani, thank you so much for the clarification - now, 'kalavai Iram vAngAmal' makes perfect sense.
Sridhar - I figured the same thing you did, except, dressed as a bride, between her forehead and the flowers, she would have had talai sAmAn (cuTTi, sUrya prabhai, candra prabhai) there...

[aaaaabbbbb]

rshankarji,really fantastic.Some of us who are unable to understand tamil
can visualise Sita through your translation.
Thank you very much.

[smala]

Rajani, a couple of Devi lyrics in Sanskrit need your translations.

[rshankar]

Smt. Savitri, it is my pleasure to return the favor!

[bkishore]

any audio link??

[bkishore]

Dr Prema Rangarajan link is in sangeethapriya. But in ragamalika