aadaddella oLite aayitu

aadaddella oLite aayitu

(Purandara Dasa. Raaga: PantuvaraaLi, TaaLa: Adi)

Translated by
Chakravarthi Madhusudana



( Purandara Dasa was a formerly a very wealthy businessman known as Srinivasa Nayaka. The noble and charitable act of his wife made him realise the worthlessness of material wealth. He relinquished all his possessions and became a mendicant in search of God. He is said to have composed this song in memory of this occasion.)

Pallavi
aadaddella oLite aayitu
namma shreedharana sevege saadhana sampattayitu

Charanams
daNDige betta hiDiyuvudakke
maNDe maachi naachutalidde
heNDati santati saaviravaagali
daNDige betta hiDisidaLayya 1

gopaaLa buTTi hiDiyuvudakke
bhoopatiyante garvisutidde
aa patnee vrata saarthakavaagali *
gopaaLa buTTi hiDisidalayya 2

tulasee maale haakuvudakke
aalasanaagi tirugutalidde **
jalajanayana shree purandara viThala
tulasee maale haakisidanu 3

(Variants: * aa patnee kula saaviravaagali
** arasanante tirugutalidde )

English translation
Pallavi
Whatever happened was for the best
Turned out to be the glorious means to serve Sridhara

Charanams
Ashamed was I, hiding my head,
To hold the lute and the cane.
May the wife’s tribe increase
She made me hold the lute and the cane. 1

Too proud was I like a lord
To carry the begging bowl.
May the wife’s austerities flourish
She caused me to carry the begging bowl. 2

Wander about did I, too slothful
To wear the garland of tulsi leaves.
The lotus eyed Purandara Vitala
Made me wear the garland of leaves. 3