varulgalamo lyrics and meaning

[parimalphadke]

This is for impeccable duo -- Shankar and Laxman . I need the lyrics and meaning of Varugalamo . Also it would be great if you could give me some info about Nandanar Charitam. Being a Maharashtrian I know very little about this -- I would like to know more interesting details about this song and its background.

I found an interesting link from youtube--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrvk-aFVjUw

[Lakshman]

varugalAmO ayyA. rAgA: mAnji. cApu tALA.

P: varugalAmO ayyA undan arugil ninru koNDADavum pADavum nAn
A: parama krpAnidhi allavO indap-parayan upacAram shollavO undan
paramAnandat-tANDavam pArkkavE nAningE
C: bhUmiyil pulaiyanAip-pirandEnE nAn puNNiyam sheyyAmal irundEnE en
sAmi un sannidhi vandEnE bhavasAgaram tannaiyum kaDandEnE karai kaDandEnE
sharan aDaindEnE tillai varadA paritApamum pApamum tIravE nAn

[rshankar]

Parimal, here you go: This is one of the 'goose-bump' songs on my list - an example of a composition where, (if sung right), the rAga and the words play synergistically off each other creating rasAnubhava of the highest caliber.

Nandanar caritam (as portrayed by Sri Gopalakrishna Bharati) in brief: Nandan was an outcaste - he was born into a family that cured the hides of animals that had been slaughtered/died, and also worked as indentured servant of a local brAhmin landlord, working in the fields. A devout bhakta of Siva, he entertains thoughts of actually 'seeing' the Lord in his temples despite being an untouchable who would not be allowed entry into the sanctum sanctorum. On a visit to the temple of tirupangUr, he stands outside the sanctum and tries to catch a glipmse of the lord, but to his consternation, the huge bull of the Lord, nandi, is in his line of vision, and obstructs his darSan. He sings out in anguish (*). The Lord, impressed with nandan's sincerity, orders nandi to move - and when he did, nandan was overjoyed, and the place is also called 'nandi vilagina Ur' - the village where the unmovable nandi had moved. After this darSan, he heard that one had to 'see' the Lord at cidambaram at least once in a lifetime - so he petitions his overlord for permission to go to cidambaram. The brAhmin ridicules him, but under nandan's constant entreaties, he pretends to relent and tells him that if he's able to harvest the entire field overnight, he could go to cidambaram. That night, it is believed that Siva's gaNas descend on the field and harvest the crops and prepare the land for the next planting. When the brAhmin sees this the next morning, he realizes that he was mistaken, and the weight of nandan's spiritual prowess penetrates even his thick skull. When nandan arrives in cidambaram, he is not allowed into the city, because the whole city was considered to be a temple where untouchables could not enter. Very disturbed, he prays to the lord for help again (**). It is believed that the Lord appeared in the dreams of the priests of the temple and asked them to bring nandan to him - when nandan enters the sanctum he becomes one with the lord in a blaze of light.
*: Sri GKB composed vazhimaRaittirukudE oru mADu for this situation
**: varugalAmao ayyA was the composition Sri GKB used to highlight this prayer

pallavi
varugalAmO ayyA undan arugil ninru koNDADavum pADavum nAn

My Lord (ayyA) [1], may I (nAn) be permitted to come (varugalAmO) close and stand/stay/exist (ninru) beside (arugil) you (undan) to celebrate (koNDADavum) [2] and sing (pADavum) your praises?

anupallavi
parama kripAnidhi allavO indap-parayan upacAram shollavO undan
paramAnandat-tANDavam pArkkavE nAningE (varugalAmO ayyA...)

Aren't (allavO) you the veritable repository (nidhi) of compassion (kripA)? Do you need this (inda) lowly harijan/untouchable (parayan) to explain (SollavO) the niceties of being civil (upacAram)? So, please (my Lord), may I (nAn) (be permitted to come close to you) here (ingE), so that I can observe (pArkkavE) your (undan) supremely (parama) blissful (Ananda) cosmic dance (tANDavam) to my heart's content?

caraNam
bhUmiyil pulaiyanAip-pirandEnE nAn puNNiyam sheyyAmal irundEnE en
sAmi un sannidhi vandEnE bhavasAgaram tannaiyum kaDandEnE karai kaDandEnE
sharaN aDaindEnE tillai varadA paritApamum pApamum tIravE nAn (varugalAmO ayyA...)

(My Lord), not only was I (nAn) was born (pirandEnE) as an outcaste (pulaiyanAi) upon this earth (bhUmiyil), but I have also lived (irundEnE) my life without accumulating/performing (SeyyAmal) deeds that would gain me moral merits/virtue (puNNiyam). However, my (en) lord and master (sAmi), the benefactor (varadA) [3] of cidambaram (tillai), I have arrived (vandEnE) at your sanctum (sannidhi) and sought (aDaindEnE) your refuge (SaraN) after crossing (kaDandEnE) this worldly ocean of misery (bhavasAgaram) and attaining (kaDandEnE) the shore (karai). So, (may) I (nAn) (be permitted to come and stay close to you) so that my painfully miserable anguish (paritApamum) and heinous sins (pApamum) are destroyed (tIravE) forever?

FOOTNOTES
[1] The sthAyi bhAva of this composition is humble humility and trepidation – this is established immediately by the blend of mAnji and the word 'ayyA' – a word that is the perfect admixture of familiarity and respect – nandan feels that he has earned the right, and yet is not sure if his wish will be honored
[2] ninru koNDADavum can also be split as ninru koNDu (standing/staying) + ADavum (dancing) – which may also be appropriate with the following pADavum (singing)
[3] varadA = vara (boons) + dA (giver of)

[smala]

A glimpse of the moving plea, beseeching, as Nandanar seeks permission to enter the premises....in this rare scene from the b & w classic, Nandanar (Dandapani Desikar), song by MMD.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrvk-aFVjUw


-Movie Nandanar (1935), filmed by Manik Lal Tandon/Ellis R. Duncan, had K.B Sundarambal cast as Nandanar. Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer played "vedhiyar".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandanar_%281935_film%29

-Another production of Nandanar (1942) by Gemini studios, the most popular, had Dandapani Desikar playing the role of Nandanar, Serukalathur Sama as the landlord, with Kothamangalam Subbu, L. Narayana Rao and Sundari Bai.

-Apparently, Nandanar had a 1933 version as well.
http://www.hindu.com/cp/2008/05/30/stor ... 431600.htm

If anyone can upload the full film in segments on youtube/google video, that would be worth it.

[smala]

And a really cute version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bLGYFICUrQ

A group effort.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef_PY4LBHKY

[parimalphadke]

thanks a lot to Laxman , Shankar and Shyam priya .

It is such a moving composition. Also thanks for giving a holistic background , now it would be very interesting to choreograph considering the context is clear .

[Lakshman]

Here is another video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG12oUAetkc

[smala]

Parimal - names appear clearly on the left - please do post them correctly. Shri Lakshman, for example.

[Lakshman]

I understand all maharastrians will spell my name with an x but I don't know why!

[ksl]

this my fav varugalamo online. sivasri portrays nandanar with emotion so much deeper than many others elder and experienced than her!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrn8V3qkc5g

[madhan]

Seriously...!! I wonder if someone of her age cud do this piece more effectively..! I was hoping against hope that no one shd have posted this video!

[ksl]

i was hoping someone would have already posted this. Surpisingly, no one did!

[smala]

Yes, Sivasri depicts the surrender-supplication very well. Great presentation for one so young.

While the wide-eye look (with a scrunched forehead) expands the plea to a heart-felt prayer like beseeching, thought her constantly maintaining that look was a bit overdone, making it ineffective and a little contrived.

[ksl]

@SP

I agree. But as i said before, this is the best vid online. much much better than some others, dont u think?

Most abhinaya that graceful young dancers do is limited to raised eyebrows, wide eyed look, fluttering lashes, pouting and puppy eyed expression. All i expect from them is to get the sthayi right and graceful. Anything deeper requires more life experience and a good teacher. It is shameful that most adults with that sort of life experience (and a LOT of students!) give a bland/inappropriate performance. So, i cant complain when a 10 year old at least gets me to watch more than 5 minutes of her video, esp when shes portraing the matured subject of surrender

[smala]

....this is the best vid online. much much better than some others, dont u think?

True. Let's hope a male dancer, perhaps from TFA/Shankar Kandasamy group comes up with a stunner.

[parimalphadke]

oops sorry ...will post the names correctly.