Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Are you in the illusion

Below is a transliteration and translation of one of the memorable works of Kanaka Daasa, a 16th century poet. I have not gone into summarizing or explaining it, as his songs are simple and catered to an audience with an intelligence requirement of just devotion.

Are you in the illusion
---- by Kanaka Daasa.

Do you reside in the illusion or is the illusion existing in you,

Are you present in the Body or does the body exist in you, O Lord!

Does the house exist in the field or the Field is in the house
Are both the field and the house in the eyes,
Do the eyes reside in the intellect or the intellect is in the eyes,
Are both the eyes and the intellect in you, O Lord!

Does the sweetness lie in sugar or the sugar exists in the sweetness,
Or perhaps both sugar and the sweetness are in the tongue,
Is the tongue in the intellect or the intellect is in the tongue,
Are both the the tongue and the intellect in you, O Lord!

Do the flowers have fragrance or the flowers reside in fragrance,
Or perhaps, both the flower and the fragrance are in the act of smelling,
Oh Lord Adikeshava of Kaaginele who has no equal,
I am incapable of explaining this, everything is in you, O Lord!

Transliteration (From Kannada to English)

nee maaye-yoLagO ninn-oLu maaye-yo

nee dEha-doLagO ninn-oLu dEhavO hariye

bayal-oLage aalayavo aalaya-dolage bayalo
bayalu aalaya-veradu nayana-doLago
nayana buddhiya-oLago buddhi nayanada-oLago
nayana buddhi-gaLeradu ninn-oLago hariye

savi-yu sakkare-yolago sakkare-yu savi-yoLago
savi-yu saakare-yeradu jihwe-yoLago
jihwe manasina-oLago manasu jihweya-oLago
jihwe manasu-gaLeradu ninn-oLogo hariye

kusuma-dali gandha-vo gandha-dali kusuma-vo
kusuma gandha-gaLeradu aaGraaNa-doLago
asama-bhava kaagi-nele-yaadi keshava-raaya
usura-lennaLa-valla ella ninn-oLago hariye

Pronounciation help for transliteration
  • ee -> as in 'eel', example: nee
  • e -> like an 'e' in begining of 'elephant', example: maaye
  • E -> like an 'e' after 'a' in aeroplane, example: dEha
  • L -> 'l' pronounced with a bent tongue like an 'l' in 'told', example: oLage
  • O -> like an 'O' in 'Oats'
  • d -> like 'th' in 'the', example: kusuma-dali
  • dh-> like 'dh' in 'buddha', example: buddhi
  • G-> like 'Gha' in 'Ghana', example: aaGraaNa
  • n-> like 'n' in 'ten', example: nayana
  • N-> like 'n' in 'tent', example: gaNapati

2 comments:

Vivek Haridas said...

Dear friend,

Your views have been taken into consideration and accordingly I have altered the text.

But, I have removed your comments for sensitivity issues. Please dont mind.

Thanks.

Krishnan said...

This is a nice one.