In Annamayya's songs expressing love for the Supreme Lord as the intimate lover of the individual self, the Lord is the hero and the individual self or AtmA is the heroine. In this song, the heroine is a tribal woman who says that she longs for none other than Him and it is appropriate for Him to join her rather than she getting branded as someone in love with Him and longing for Him desperately.
The below song is in line with nammazhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi verse 10.10.2 where he swears on the Lord and His consort Sridevi (thiruvANai ninANai kaNdAy..)
Pallavi:
Stay there, stay there
I swear on You!
Won't my folks
Laugh at me for being your lover
By which You come so near?
॥పల్లవి॥ నిలు నిలు దగ్గరకు నీ యాన నీకు
వలచితినని మావారెల్ల నగరా
Inner meaning:
The heroine or the devotee is not seeking any credit for oneself for being His lover. As per the conviction of Sri Annamacharya and Azhwars, it is the Lord Who comes to the individual self without any expectation from the latter.
CharaNam 1:
Don't want don't want
Pearl-studded necklaces
For us who live in the hills
When I feel shy to see myself in the mirror
Will not my folks
Who are too smart
Laugh at You for Your present?
Inner meaning:
The kin of the tribal woman are great devotees or bhAgavatOttamas as in case of many other songs of Annamacharya. They long for none other than the Supreme Being and live in His thoughts. Hills stand for His abode the seven hills. Will they not laugh at You if You present me a few necklaces instead of presenting Yourself to me?
॥చ1॥ వద్దు వద్దు కొండలలోవారికి మాకింతేసి
పెద్దపెద్ద ముత్యాలుపేరులిన్నేసి
అద్దము చూచిదె నాకు నంతకంటె సిగ్గయ్యీని
గద్దరి మాచెంచువారు గని నిన్ను నగరా
Charanam 2:
Enough of gold chains and gold rings
And enough of necklages studded with blue sapphires
Keep them with You
We are the ones who stay in a corner
If I display all these jewels
Will my folks not laugh at me?
Inner meaning:
Staying in a corner means staying at His feet. Keep the ornaments with You means acknowledging that He is the sole owner of everything.
॥చ2॥ చాలుఁజాలు బంగారు సరుపణు లుంగరాలు
నీలపుఁగంట సరులు నీకే వుండనీ
మూలనుండేవారు గాక ముత్యాలచెరఁగుల-
చేలగట్టుకొన్న నన్ను చెంచెతలు నగరా
Charanam 3:
Don't come, don't come!
I swear on Your consorts.
What has so excelled
Between You and I?
With great zeal
You came and joined me
Will the people who see this
Not smile?
Inner meaning:
When the heroine says "don't come" it means "you come"! Swearing on His consorts means swearing on Sridevi Who stands for His grace or krupA, and Bhudevi the presiding deity of earth Who stands for His forgiveness or kshamA. His consorts also means the other devotees who were blessed to unite with Him. Lord's coming and joining the individual self is a cause of joy for the well-wishers of the heroine.
॥చ3॥ రాకురాకు యీడకు నీ రమణుల పాదమాన
నాకు నీకు నింతేసి ననుపేఁటికి
దీకొని కూడితి నన్ను తిరువేంకటేశ యీ-
కాకరిచేఁతలకు లోకమువారు నగరా
Click here for an audio link (please listen from 13.35 onward).
Music Composed by: Dr. Josyabhatla Rajasekhara Sarma
Sung by: Chandana Bala Kalyan
Raaga: Athana
