karuNiso ranga karuNisO
Composer: Sri Purandaradasa
Raag: Jogiya; Taal: Tritaal (Hindustani)
Translated by Sri Chakravarthi Madhusudana
pallavi
karuNiso ranga karuNisO
hagalu iruLu ninna smaraNe mareyadante
charaNas
rukumaangadanante vrata maaDalariyenO
shukamuniyante stutisalariye
bakavairiyante dhyaanava maaDalariye
devakiyante etti muddisalariye 1
garuDanante pottu tirugalu ariye
kareyalariyeno kariraajanante
vara kapiyante daasya maadalariye
siriyante sukhavittu sevisalariyeno 2
baliyante daanava koDalariyeno bhakti-
chalavanariye prahlaadanante
olisalaarenu arjunanante sakhanaagi
salaho devara deva purandaraviThala 3
Translation
Bless me, Ranga, bless me
So I will never forget to remember you night and day
I do not know how to perform vratas like Rukmaangada
Nor do I know how to praise you like the sage Shuka
I do not know how to contemplate on you like the Enemy of Baka *
Neither can I hold and adore you like Devaki did.
I cannot carry you and wander about like Garuda can
I cannot call out for you as the King of Elephants did **
I do not know how to be a servant like Hanumaan
I do not know how to serve and make you happy like Sri Lakshmi.
I do not know how to be charitable like Mahaabali
Neither have I the persistent devotion of Prahlaada
Unlike Arjuna, I do not know how to cherish you as a friend
Please help me, Purandara ViThala, God of all gods.
(*Means Bhimasena. In this context, it probably means Sri Madhvacharya who is believed to be an incarnation of Bhima. **Reference is to the story of Gajendra Moksha)
The late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s rendition is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KJk-yC_MSs
Translations to English of the lyrics of Krithis of Carnatic music , which are tomes of devotion.
Oh Krishna! such a nice composition by Purandara dasa.
ReplyDeleteI keep listening to this song, its so nicely sung by Bhimsen joshi. It will bring goose bumps every time I listen!
Thanks for giving the translation.
Thank u so much for the wonderful translation.im so blessed to have come across this site and this song today.wd GOD's blessings im gna learn this bhajan.
ReplyDeleteThank u so much, wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, very beautifully explained
ReplyDeleteI could not express thanks properly for this translation
ReplyDeleteThanks for the translation. Now on I can sing with much more devotion having understood the full meaning. Dhanyawaadagalu
ReplyDeleteThanks for explaining the references to Bakavairi and Kari raja.
ReplyDeleteI love hum around this prayer all the time. Gives me goose bumps and leaves me teary eyed. Its not just only the composition, which ofcourse is as beautiful as God himself can be, but it is also about the way Late. Pam Bhim's (as he is called lovingly) rendition, the ups and downs, the oscillation ...just just brings out my heart to the brink of melting.
ReplyDeleteI always hum around this song. It keeps ringing in my mind and gives me goose bumps while leaving me teary eyed. The composition is as beautiful as God himself can be. Add to it the beauty of rendition by Late. Pam Bhim....brings my heart to the brink of melting. Countless thanks would'nt be enough to praise the master Late Pam Bhim.
ReplyDeleteThe devotion and the humility is beautifully expressed in Kannada and of course in Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's rendition of this song. I had a lump in my throat by the end of the song.
ReplyDeleteIt is literature like this that makes me want to read Kannada literature. I hope I get around to doing it soon.
I cannot call out for you as the King of Elephants did.
ReplyDeleteThe singer is referring to King Gajendra, who called out to Lord Vishnu to save him, when he was trapped by a crocodile.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gajendra_Moksha
I cannot call out for you as the King of Elephants did.
ReplyDeleteThe singer is referring to the King Gajendra, who called out to Vishnu, to save him when he was trapped by a crocodile.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gajendra_Moksha
God bless you for this effort to spread understanding of our spiritual and cultural heritage.
ReplyDelete