22 kharaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P D2 N2 S
Av: S N2 D2 N2 P M1 R2 S

taaLam: dEshaadi
Composer: Tyaagaraaja
Language: Telugu

pallavi

kanna taNDri nApai karuna mAnakE gAsi tALanE

anupallavi

ninna sEyu panulu nEdugEka vErenna lEdanucu vEmArulaku

caraNam

eduru dAnanE ingita berigi cedaranIka pancEndriya manaci ninu
vadalalEni dhairyashAli gAdani madana kOtirUpa tyAgarAjanuta

Meaning:

By Aparna from Neccheli (original article here, reproduced with permission)

Carnatic Compositions - The Essence and Embodiment
-Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi

kanna taNDri - Father (biological)
nApai - upon me
Karuna - kindness
mAnakE - don’t stop
gAsi tALa lEnE - can not bear

Ninna - yesterday
chEyu panulu - works
nEdugAka - not today again
vErenna - choose other
lEdanucu - did not
vEmArulaku - thousand times

eduru dAnanE - in front of you
ingitam - knowledge
erigi - knowing
cedaranIka - without fail
panchEndriyam - the five senses/desires
aNaci - controlled
Ninnu - you
vadalalEni - could not let go
dhairyasAli - courageous
gAdani - lack of
Madana - beautiful manmadha
kOtirUpa - in the form that is equivalent to million manmadha
tyAgarAjanuta - praised by tyagaraja

Tyagaraja, being an ardent devotee of RAma, without a doubt composed many songs in praise of RAma. However, this krithi is a rare one that refers to the father, while portraying himself as a child. In pallavi he pleads to his father not to stop being kind to him and he can not bear his anger. In anupallavi, he states that he has been conducting his life doing the same thing every day for thousands of days, because he knows nothing better. In charanam, he elaborates by saying that even though he is aware that one can attain self realization with a steady and controlled mind, yet he doesn’t have courage to leave the lord who is as beautiful as million cupids or lord Rama.

This is a song to celebrate the troubles and triumphs encountered by all the fathers across the globe. In this song, Thyagaraja emphasizes the importance of a father, as the ultimate goal for humans is self realization through mental discipline and devotion. He says father is the one to guide, mentor and coach us to attain such discipline. Father is known as the “Pratyaksha Daivam” or god in front of us. Here is a very appropriate poem written by a noted Telugu poet Potana who refers to Sri KrishNa as a father of all fathers in Srimadbhagavatham.

“tanDrulakella tanDriyagu dhAtaku tanDrivi dEva! nIvu mA

tanDrivi tallivim bativi daivamun sakhivin guruDavun

danDrulu nI kriyam brajala dhanyula jesire velpulainanO

tanDri bhavanmukhambujamu dhanyata gAnaru maa vidhambunan”

The poem is chanted by the citizens of Dwaraka saying, Oh KrishNa you are the father for lord Brahma who is the father for all fathers. You are our father, mother, husband, friend, teacher and god. Oh father, if all fathers (kings) take care of their children/citizens like the way you do, then everybody will be living in happiness and contentment.

Meaning by V. Sadagopan

Kanna TanDri Naapai is a plaintive cry for the Lord's DayA . Sadhguru asks : " Oh My Father ! Please do not hold back your compassion for me . I can not bear the suffering caused by Your neglect. Please do not ever deny me Your DayA on the grounds that (1) I am just going through the daily routines of life such as eating and sleeping and leading an animal edition of human existence (2)I do not have the resolution and faith to possess ceaseless devotion to You and (3) I do not understand the relationship between me as a Sesha Jeevan and Yourself as a SarvasEshi and my supreme Master .

Notation:

Other information:
Lyrics contributed by Lakshman Ragde. Meaning contributed by Aparna Gunupudi via Neccheli and V Sadagopan.