Brahmam Okate

The song that I am currently singing is "Brahmam Okate" by Annamacharya.

The meaning is very nice and is somehting which I was taught to believe in. So, I am enjoying this song. The song itself, though in the Carnatic form, has a folk touch to it. This itself signifies the Universal Spirit or "One God" theory.

brahma okaTE
raagam:
bowLi
maayamaaLava gowLa janyaAa: S R1 G3 P D1 SAv: S N3 D1 P G3 R1 S

OR

naadanaamakriyaa
maayamaaLava gowLa janyaAa: S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N3Av: N3 D1 P M1 G3 R1 S N3

taaLam: aadi
Composer: Annamaacaarya

Language: Telugu

pallavi

tandanAnA Ahi tandanAnA purE tandanAna bhALa tandanAnA bhaLAbrahmamokaTE para brahmamokaTE brahmamokaTE para brahmamokaTE

caraNam 1

kanduvagu hInAdhikamu lindulEvu andariki shrI harE antarAtmAindulO jantukulamu intA okaTE andariki shrI harE antarAtmA

caraNam 2
ninDAra rAjU nidrincu nidrayu okaTE anDanE baNTu nidra adiyu okaTEmeNDaina brahmANuDu meTTu bhUmi okaTE caNDAlundEti sari bhUmi okaTE

caraNam 3
anugu dEvatalakunu ala kAma sukhamokaTE ghanakITa pashuvulaku kAma sukham okaTEdIna mahOrAtramulu tegi dhanAdyuna-kokaTE vonara nirupEdakunu okaTE aviyu

caraNam 4

koralu SiSTnnamulu gonu nAkkalokaTE tirugu duSTAnnamulu dinu nAkkalokaTEparagu durgandhamulapai vAyuvokaTE varusha parimaLamupai vAyuvokaTE

caraNam 5
kaDagi Enugu mIda kAyu eNda okaTE pudami suanakamu mIda bolayu-nendokaTEkaDu puNyalanu pApa karmulanu sarigAva jaDiyu shrI venkaTEShvaru nAma-mokaTE

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Meaning:

pallavi: "Tandanana" is a word giving the punch of rhythm in the song. Ahi, Pure, Bhala are the words expressing the excitement or ecstasy or appreciation. The absolute spirit is one & only one.

caraNam 1: There are no differences of low & high. "Srihari" (A name of Vishnu. Vishnu is the form of God who is in charge of maintenance, protection of the good & destruction of the bad. In this context, Srihari is the Supreme Spirit) is the indwelling Spirit to one and all. All the beings in creation are one because the indwelling spirit in every creature is one and the same.

caraNam 2: Sleep is same to all, be it a king or a servant. Be it a "Brahmin" (man of the highest caste) or "Chandala" (man of the lowest caste), the earth they live on is the one and the same.

caraNam 3: The sensual pleasure is one and the same either for angels or for the insects and animals. The day and night are equal to the rich as well as to the poor.

caraNam 4: One could afford to eat tasty food and the other the condemned food. But the tongues that taste the food are alike. An object of fragrance or an object of foul smell, the air that carries the smell is one and the same.

caraNam 5: Be it an elephant or a dog, the sun shines alike on both of them. For the good and the bad, Lord Venkateshwara alone is "The Savior".

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Other information:Lyrics contributed by Lakshman Ragde.
It is said that this song was a folk song sung called "tandana padam" sung with a folk instrument called "dappu."