tillana meaning

[kunjamma]

It would of great help if some one could post the lyrics and word to word meaning of the Dhanashri tillana of maharaja Swati tirunal.It is in Adi Talam.

[Lakshman]

If you had done a search of our site you would have found this:

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic. ... ana#p87543

[rshankar]

Kunjamma - here is my attempt at padArtha:

pallavi
gIta dhuniku takadhIm krtatatatOm nAc rahi gOri tAdhittai tai tattai tirataka
The lovely lass (gOri) is dancing (nAc rahi) to the sound (dhuni) of the song (gIta) that goes 'takadhIm....

anupallavi
bAj pAyal kahE jhanana jhanana bAja pAyal kahE jhaNana jhanana jhanana nanana tOm jhaNana jhanana jhanana nanana tOm jhaNana jhanana jhanana nanana
(And as she dances), her ringing (bAj) anklets (pAyal) are intoning/saying (kahE) the syllables jhanana jhanana...

caraNam 1
tAn gAvE takata tai ta tai taitta taitta tana tadhAm dhImna kiTa taka dhI
dhImna kiTa taka dhIm dhImna kiTa takadhIm hata tOm hata tOm hata
And the aria (tAn) goes/sings (gAvE) 'takata tai.....'

caraNam 2
padumanAbh tumhAri lIlA-kyA kahUn mein sAnvarO
tAp sankaT SaraN AyO sOh hamArO tum harO
Oh dark-hued (sAnvarO) lotus (paduma)-naveled (nAbh) one, what (kyA) can I (mein) say (kahUn) about your (tumhArI) divine antics (lIlA)?

(ciTTasvara)
tadhim tadhIm dhirana udanita tAni tAni tadhIm tadhim dhiranA nA dhittOm tata kata tari
tattAra tara tAni dhIm alari kalari takata dhatAra tataka mAm tAni tanika tAm tAmta
dhIm dhIm dhIm tanana alari tAm tAmta takatari alari tOm tOm tOm takanaka tani udari

[krishnaa]

Ravi... as usual.. its wonderful!!!
and its one of my favorites... your translation matches the re-freshness in the lyrics

but this has been given before also, isnt it?

[HariKrishna]

Question regarding the meaning - this sounds like a "secular" song, but at the end there is the reference to the lotus-naveled one (Vishnu?). Is this the tillAnA a song about a girl dancing out of bhakti to Vishnu, or is some other meaning meant to be taken by this reference?

[rshankar]

Unless the two parts (the 'secular' first, and the 'devotional' second) are connected, it makes no sense, IMO.

[HariKrishna]

OK, was wondering if I was the only one who thought that. Well, if anyone else can shed light on the meaning, I would be most appreciative.