This is a folk song by Annamayya that describes the events soon after Krishna's birth. The anupallavi starts with a line "suvvi suvvi suvvalamma" which is also a popular song's anupallavi from Telugu movie "swathi mutyam". "Suvvi" is a word usually sung in chorus by women. "Suvvalamma" translates to requesting
BalaKrishna Prasad renders this song without the third stanza here.
సువ్వి సువ్వి సువ్వాలమ్మా
నవ్వుచు దేవకి నందను గనియె॥
Word-Word:
సువ్విsuvvi= a chorus; సువ్విsuvvi= chorus to be sung; సువ్వాలమ్మాsuvvalamma= all women join to sing the chorus"suvvi"
నవ్వుచుnavvuchu= with smiles; దేవకి devaki= Devaki, mother of Krishna; నందనుnandanu= son; గనియెganiye= gave birth॥
Meaning:
Suvvi Suvvi suvvalamma
with smiles Devaki gave birth to a son.
శశి వొడచె అలసంబులు గదచె
దిశ దేవతల దిగుళ్ళు విడచె॥
Word-Word:
శశిsasi= moonlight; వొడచెvodache=diminishing; అలసంబులుalasambulu= tiresome/fatigue; గడచెgaDiche=passed;
దిశDisa= Directions; దేవతలdevatalu= Gods; దిగుళ్ళుdigullu= worries; విడచెvidache= left॥
Meaning:
The moonlight diminished, fatigue passed
the direction Gods' worries left
Discussion:
Krishna was born on ashtami(8th day) from poornima , i.e, the krishna paksham or 15 days where the moon starts diminishing from full moon to no moon. Ashtami is exactly the mid day in a paksham. Hence the moon diminished reference which also indirectly refers to the day being ashtami.
Krishna was born at night with the whole world sleeping. But his birth has caused excitement too. Especially to the gods of directions, whose worries were gone after Krishna's birth.
కావిరి విరసె కంసుడు గినిసె
వావిరి పువ్వుల వానలు గురిసె॥
Word-Word:
కావిరిkaaviri= blackness; విరసెvirase= blossomed; కంసుడుkamsuDu= kamsa, the evil uncle of Krishna; గినిసెganise=wrapped;
వావిరిvaaviri= relatives/family; పువ్వులpuvvula= flowers; వానలుvaanalu= rain; గురిసెgurise= showered॥
Meaning:
Blackness blossomed; Kamsa (it) sought
family flowers rain showered
Discussion:
The reference to darkness blossoming alludes to two things. One being that the new born baby was dark skinned, the other being that the night itself became darker in order to allow Krishna's escape from prison where his parents were imprisoned by his uncle Kamsa. Kamsa on hearing the prophecy that the eight child of his sister, Devaki is going to cause his death, imprisons his sister with her newly-wed husband, Vasudev. Kamsa kills all her 7 children as soon as they are born. But nature plays a significant hand in helping Vasudeva swap his son, Krishna with Vasudev's friend,Nanda's new-born daughter. Annamayya refers to the events that follow with Vasudev's journey from prison to Nanda's house.
The darkness that blossomed, sought Kamsa and wrapped his head. Kamsa was incapacitated or unaware of the happenings in the prison. According to Annamayya, as Vasudev made his way out of the prison, flowers showered from trees/plants to welcome Krishna.
గతి సేసె అటు గాడిద గూసె
కుతిలకుడిచి జనకుడు నోరు మూసె॥
Word-Word:
గతిgati= motion; సేసెsese= doing; అటుaTu= there; గాడిదgaaDida= donkey; గూసెgoose= brayed;
కుతిలkuthila=pain; కుడిచిkuDichi=assembling; జనకుడుjanakuDu= father (of Krishna); నోరుnooru= mouth; మూసెmoose= closed;॥
Meaning:
Motion started there; a donkey brayed
assembling pain, Father mouth closed
Discussion:
Commotion started and a donkey started braying. As Vasudeva was escaping from prison, the donkey's braying caused a lot of noise and Vasudeva was scared that the noise would wake up a lot of guards that were sleeping. So Vasudeva, Krishna's father goes to the donkey and tries to calm it and cause it to stop bryaing. There is a reference to the donkey in a popular proverb in Telugu that a King like Vasudeva had to calm a donkey in bad times.
గగురు పొడిచె లోకము విధి విడిచె
మొగులు గురియగ యమునపై నదచె॥
Word-Word:
గగురుgagaru= hair-rising; పొడిచెpodache=poked; లోకముlokam= the world; విధిvidhi= destiny/nature; విడిచెviDiche= left;
మొగులుmogulu= clouds; గురియగguriyaga=thundered; యమునపైyamunapai= on Yamuna; నదచెnaDache= walked॥
Meaning:
hair-rising poked; world left its nature;
clouds thundered; on Yamuna walked
Discussion:
After Vasudeva started his journey outside the prison, the events that followed are hair-rising experiences because, the nature seemed to have left its true "nature". It was a dark night with clouds thundering and it rained heavily. Vasudeva had to cross Yamuna to reach his friend, Nanda's house. Vasudeva crossed Yamuna as though he walked through the waters. FIguratively, Yamuna is supposed to have made way for Krishna.
కలిజారె వేంకటపతి మీరె
అలమేల్మంగ నాంచారమ్మ అలుకలు తీరె॥
Word-Word:
కలిkali=fight; జారెjaare=skid; వేంకటపతిvenkatapati=Venkata's Lord; మీరెmeere= shone;
అలమేల్మంగ= alamelmanga, the goddess of Lotus/Padmavathi; నాంచారమ్మnancharamma=?? a lady; అలుకలుalukalu=anger; తీరెtheere= cease;
Meaning:
Flight broke (that made) Venkatapathi to shine
As Alamelmanga's anger was quenched
Discussion
Annamayya shifts focus from Krishna to Venkatesha in last stanza. Venkatesha's reason of origin is attributed to Lakshmi's anger and abandoning Vaikuntum over Vishnu holding the feet of Brighu for forgiveness, when Brighu had kicked Vishnu in his chest/heart which is Lakshmi's abode. Brighu on being ignored by Brahma and Shiva during his visit to their abodes, is outraged when Vishnu follows their suit. He in a whiff of anger kicks Vishnu on his chest. Lakshmi is not only angered by Brighu's irreverence to Vishnu but also hurt that he had kicked Vishnu on his chest where Lakshmi is supposed to reside :). Her anger is furthered when Vishnu apologises Brighu for ignoring him and holds Brighu's feet. Lakshmi's anger shifts towards Vishnu for apologising and massaging the feet of the culprit who had kicked her abode. She leaves Vaikuntum. Vishnu, unable to bear her separation, roams on Earth until he meets Padmavathi or Alamelmanga. Annamayya refers to this episode when he says that Alamelmanga's anger is quenched.
Any comments and suggestions that help in better understanding of this poem are highly appreciated.
References:
BalaKrishna Prasad renders this song without the third stanza here.
సువ్వి సువ్వి సువ్వాలమ్మా
నవ్వుచు దేవకి నందను గనియె॥
Word-Word:
సువ్విsuvvi= a chorus; సువ్విsuvvi= chorus to be sung; సువ్వాలమ్మాsuvvalamma= all women join to sing the chorus"suvvi"
నవ్వుచుnavvuchu= with smiles; దేవకి devaki= Devaki, mother of Krishna; నందనుnandanu= son; గనియెganiye= gave birth॥
Meaning:
Suvvi Suvvi suvvalamma
with smiles Devaki gave birth to a son.
శశి వొడచె అలసంబులు గదచె
దిశ దేవతల దిగుళ్ళు విడచె॥
Word-Word:
శశిsasi= moonlight; వొడచెvodache=diminishing; అలసంబులుalasambulu= tiresome/fatigue; గడచెgaDiche=passed;
దిశDisa= Directions; దేవతలdevatalu= Gods; దిగుళ్ళుdigullu= worries; విడచెvidache= left॥
Meaning:
The moonlight diminished, fatigue passed
the direction Gods' worries left
Discussion:
Krishna was born on ashtami(8th day) from poornima , i.e, the krishna paksham or 15 days where the moon starts diminishing from full moon to no moon. Ashtami is exactly the mid day in a paksham. Hence the moon diminished reference which also indirectly refers to the day being ashtami.
Krishna was born at night with the whole world sleeping. But his birth has caused excitement too. Especially to the gods of directions, whose worries were gone after Krishna's birth.
కావిరి విరసె కంసుడు గినిసె
వావిరి పువ్వుల వానలు గురిసె॥
Word-Word:
కావిరిkaaviri= blackness; విరసెvirase= blossomed; కంసుడుkamsuDu= kamsa, the evil uncle of Krishna; గినిసెganise=wrapped;
వావిరిvaaviri= relatives/family; పువ్వులpuvvula= flowers; వానలుvaanalu= rain; గురిసెgurise= showered॥
Meaning:
Blackness blossomed; Kamsa (it) sought
family flowers rain showered
Discussion:
The reference to darkness blossoming alludes to two things. One being that the new born baby was dark skinned, the other being that the night itself became darker in order to allow Krishna's escape from prison where his parents were imprisoned by his uncle Kamsa. Kamsa on hearing the prophecy that the eight child of his sister, Devaki is going to cause his death, imprisons his sister with her newly-wed husband, Vasudev. Kamsa kills all her 7 children as soon as they are born. But nature plays a significant hand in helping Vasudeva swap his son, Krishna with Vasudev's friend,Nanda's new-born daughter. Annamayya refers to the events that follow with Vasudev's journey from prison to Nanda's house.
The darkness that blossomed, sought Kamsa and wrapped his head. Kamsa was incapacitated or unaware of the happenings in the prison. According to Annamayya, as Vasudev made his way out of the prison, flowers showered from trees/plants to welcome Krishna.
గతి సేసె అటు గాడిద గూసె
కుతిలకుడిచి జనకుడు నోరు మూసె॥
Word-Word:
గతిgati= motion; సేసెsese= doing; అటుaTu= there; గాడిదgaaDida= donkey; గూసెgoose= brayed;
కుతిలkuthila=pain; కుడిచిkuDichi=assembling; జనకుడుjanakuDu= father (of Krishna); నోరుnooru= mouth; మూసెmoose= closed;॥
Meaning:
Motion started there; a donkey brayed
assembling pain, Father mouth closed
Discussion:
Commotion started and a donkey started braying. As Vasudeva was escaping from prison, the donkey's braying caused a lot of noise and Vasudeva was scared that the noise would wake up a lot of guards that were sleeping. So Vasudeva, Krishna's father goes to the donkey and tries to calm it and cause it to stop bryaing. There is a reference to the donkey in a popular proverb in Telugu that a King like Vasudeva had to calm a donkey in bad times.
గగురు పొడిచె లోకము విధి విడిచె
మొగులు గురియగ యమునపై నదచె॥
Word-Word:
గగురుgagaru= hair-rising; పొడిచెpodache=poked; లోకముlokam= the world; విధిvidhi= destiny/nature; విడిచెviDiche= left;
మొగులుmogulu= clouds; గురియగguriyaga=thundered; యమునపైyamunapai= on Yamuna; నదచెnaDache= walked॥
Meaning:
hair-rising poked; world left its nature;
clouds thundered; on Yamuna walked
Discussion:
After Vasudeva started his journey outside the prison, the events that followed are hair-rising experiences because, the nature seemed to have left its true "nature". It was a dark night with clouds thundering and it rained heavily. Vasudeva had to cross Yamuna to reach his friend, Nanda's house. Vasudeva crossed Yamuna as though he walked through the waters. FIguratively, Yamuna is supposed to have made way for Krishna.
కలిజారె వేంకటపతి మీరె
అలమేల్మంగ నాంచారమ్మ అలుకలు తీరె॥
Word-Word:
కలిkali=fight; జారెjaare=skid; వేంకటపతిvenkatapati=Venkata's Lord; మీరెmeere= shone;
అలమేల్మంగ= alamelmanga, the goddess of Lotus/Padmavathi; నాంచారమ్మnancharamma=?? a lady; అలుకలుalukalu=anger; తీరెtheere= cease;
Meaning:
Flight broke (that made) Venkatapathi to shine
As Alamelmanga's anger was quenched
Discussion
Annamayya shifts focus from Krishna to Venkatesha in last stanza. Venkatesha's reason of origin is attributed to Lakshmi's anger and abandoning Vaikuntum over Vishnu holding the feet of Brighu for forgiveness, when Brighu had kicked Vishnu in his chest/heart which is Lakshmi's abode. Brighu on being ignored by Brahma and Shiva during his visit to their abodes, is outraged when Vishnu follows their suit. He in a whiff of anger kicks Vishnu on his chest. Lakshmi is not only angered by Brighu's irreverence to Vishnu but also hurt that he had kicked Vishnu on his chest where Lakshmi is supposed to reside :). Her anger is furthered when Vishnu apologises Brighu for ignoring him and holds Brighu's feet. Lakshmi's anger shifts towards Vishnu for apologising and massaging the feet of the culprit who had kicked her abode. She leaves Vaikuntum. Vishnu, unable to bear her separation, roams on Earth until he meets Padmavathi or Alamelmanga. Annamayya refers to this episode when he says that Alamelmanga's anger is quenched.
Any comments and suggestions that help in better understanding of this poem are highly appreciated.
References:
[1]http://www.hithokthi.com/showthread.php/6725-Annamacharya-Keerthana-Lyrics-in-Telugu/page68
[2] http://www.sangeetasudha.org/annamacharya/vol4/a1.html
[2] http://www.sangeetasudha.org/annamacharya/vol4/a1.html
[3] www.andhrabharati.com/dictionary
