aadaddella
oLite aayitu
(Purandara Dasa. Raaga: PantuvaraaLi,
TaaLa: Adi)
Translated by
Chakravarthi Madhusudana
( Purandara Dasa was a formerly a very wealthy businessman known as Srinivasa Nayaka. The noble and
charitable act of his wife made him realise the
worthlessness of material wealth. He relinquished all his possessions and
became a mendicant in search of God. He is said to have composed this song in
memory of this occasion.)
Pallavi
aadaddella oLite aayitu
namma shreedharana sevege saadhana sampattayitu
Charanams
daNDige betta hiDiyuvudakke
maNDe maachi naachutalidde
heNDati santati saaviravaagali
daNDige betta hiDisidaLayya
1
gopaaLa buTTi hiDiyuvudakke
bhoopatiyante garvisutidde
aa patnee vrata saarthakavaagali *
gopaaLa buTTi hiDisidalayya
2
tulasee maale haakuvudakke
aalasanaagi tirugutalidde **
jalajanayana shree purandara
viThala
tulasee maale haakisidanu
3
(Variants: * aa patnee kula saaviravaagali
** arasanante tirugutalidde )
English translation
Pallavi
Whatever happened was for the best
Turned out to be the glorious means to serve Sridhara
Charanams
Ashamed was I, hiding my head,
To hold the lute and the cane.
May the wife’s tribe increase
She made me hold the lute and the cane. 1
Too proud was I like a lord
To carry the begging bowl.
May the wife’s austerities flourish
She caused me to carry the begging bowl. 2
Wander about did I, too slothful
To wear the garland of tulsi
leaves.
The lotus eyed Purandara
Vitala
Made me wear the garland of leaves. 3