Lyrics Of Annamacharya Keerthana - Nanati Brathuku Natakamu
Keerthana : Nanati Brathuku
Ragam: Revathi
nAnATi batuku nATakamu
kAnaka kannati kaivalyamu
This day-to-day (nAnATi) life (batuku) is a drama (nATakamu) What is seen yet not seen clearly (kAnaka kannadi exactly means something which is seen yet not seen; for instance an object at a far off distance) is liberation/salvation (kaivalyamu)
caraNam 1
puTTuTayu nijamu pOvuTayu nijamu
naTTa naTimi pani nATakamu
yeTTa neduTagaladI prapaNcamu
kaTTagaTapaTiti kaivalyamu
(naanaaTi)
To be born (puTTuTayu) is truth (nijamu), to die (pOvuTayu literal meaning is to go; to leave) is truth. All the work (pani) between these two (naTTanaDimi) is a drama. That which is right in front (yeTTa neduTagaladI) is the world (prapaNcamu). That which is the ultimate last (kaTTakaDapaTidi) is liberation.
caraNam 2
kuTicEdannamu Shoka cuTTeDidi
NaTu mantrapu pani nATakamu
voDigaTTu konina vubhayakarmulu
gaTidATinapuDE kaivalyamu
(naanaaTi)
To partake/relish (kuDicEdi) rice/food (annamu), to wrap around (cuTTeDidi) a cloth/saree (kOka), this conjured-in-the-middle (naDamantrapu) work (pani) is a drama. When one crosses beyond (gaDidATinapuDE) the above mentioned dual duties (vubhayakarmulu) only then there is liberation.
caraNam 3
tekadu pApamu tIradu puNyamu
naki naki kAlamu nATakamu
yeguvane ShRI vEnkaTEShvaru Telika
gakhanamu mItiti kaivalyamu
(naanaaTi)
takadu - does not get cut
papamu - sin
tiradu - no completion of; not enough of
punyamu - good deeds
naki naki - is something to laugh about (in Tamil: ‘nagai’ - to be laughed at)
kalamu - time ; because of time; bound by time
natakamu - drama
yeguvane - the one who is a higher place; the only higher place
Shri vengateshvaru - Lord Sri Venkateswara
gaganamu - akasam; sky; the universe
mididi - Beyond the skies and the universe
kaivalyamu - salvation/ liberation
Meaning: Our sins don’t dwindle. Our good deeds don’t extend. In between these, we do something, which is the much laughable drama. Beyond these, there is one and only one Lord Sri Venkateshwara. Beyond the universe He is there and that is where the liberation is
Commentary :
When one goes through this kriti, one is reminded of William Shakespeare and his lines in the Drama As You Like It - the famous poem “All the World’s a Stage”
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women are merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts…
Very much like the bard, Annamacharya talks about life as a mere drama. The drama gets enacted day in and day out. The drama is what we see as we are all in the midst of it. But, the salvation, the liberation lies outside the drama. The wise ones are able to recognize this and go beyond.
We are born. We die. Between the two extremes lies the drama. We all eat. We all dress up. Between all this lies the drama.
In this drama, our sins add up. Our good deeds dwindle. There is one Lord Sri Venkateshwara who stands above all these. He is the one who is outside all this drama. He is the one who is conducting the drama. He is the one who is enjoying the drama. So, if you want to get out of the drama, catch his lotus feet. Realise that all these are mere drama and go out. That way is where liberation lies.
Credits: Anonymous