by Damodara Rao Dasu

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tandanAna ahi - bowLi

In this great song, Annamayya preaches that all people are equal in this world irrespective of their wealth, status, caste, erudition, etc.

P tandanAna ahi tandanAna purE
tandana bhaLa tandanAna ||
Beat Syllables
C1 brahma mokkaTE para brahma mokkaTE para
brahma mokaTE parabrahma mokatE ||
He is consciousness. He is super consciousness. He is Jeevatma; he is Paramatma.
C2 kanduvagu heenA dhikamu lindu lEvu
andariki Sree harE antarAtma
indulO jantukula mantA nokaTE
andariki Sree harE antarAtma ||
There is neither high nor low in this world. Sri Hari is the inner self for all. All the living beings are equal. Sri Hari is the inner self of all.
C3 ninDAra rAju nidrinchu nidrayu nokaTE
anDanE banTu nidra adiyu nokaTE
menDaina brahmANuDu meTTu bhoomi yokaTe
ChanDaLu DunDETi sari bhoomi yokaTE ||
Sleep of a king and his servant is the same. A learned Brahmin and even a low caste person are buried in ground only.
C4 anugu dEvatalakunu ala kAma Sukha mokaTE
ghana keeTa paSuvulaku kAma sukha mokaTE
dinamahOrAtramulu tegi dhanADyuna kokaTE
vonara niru pEdakunu vokkaTE aviyu ||
Sexual pleasure is same to devatas, animals and insects. Day and night are the same for the rich and the poor.
C5 korali SishTAnnamulu gonu nAkalokaTE
tirugu dushTAnnamulu tinu nAkalokaTE
paraga durgandhamula pai vayu vokaTE
varasa parimaLamupai vAyuvokaTE ||
Hunger is same for the one who enjoys rich food and for the poor who eat rotten food. Same wind blows on rotten things and fragrant things.
C6 kaDagi Enugu meeda gAyu enDokaTE
puDami Sunakamu meeda bolayu nenDokaTE
kaDu puNyulanu pApa karmulanu sari gAva
jaDiyu Sri vEnkatESwaru nAmamokaTE ||
The Sun shines on the mighty elephant and on the street dog equally. Only Sri Venkatesa's name protects pious people and sinners with equal compassion.

tolli yunu - neelAmbari

In this song, Annamaiah visualizes Krishna as the divine child, lying on a banyan leaf and floating on ocean. He says that Venkatesa is none other than Krishna.

P tolli yunu marrAku toTTelane yoogegana
chellu baDi noogeeni Sree ranga SiSuvu ||
Long ago child Sri Ranga floated on the ocean, lying on a banyan leaf (Vatapatra Sayee).
C1 kaliki kAvEri taragala bAhu latalanE
talaga kiTu ranga madhyapu toTTelan
palu mAru danu noochi pADagA noogeeni
chilu pAla nelavi tO Sree ranga SiSuvu ||
Beautiful waves of the river Kaveri are like delicate arms, constantly swinging the banyan leaf like a cradle. The child Sri Ranga is pretty with his lips smeared with sweet milk. He is comforted by swing and song.
C2 adivO kamalajuni tiru vArAdhanam banaga
adana kamala bhavAnDamanu toTTelan
udadhula tarangamulu noochagA noogeeni
chedarani sirula tODa Sree ranga SiSuvu ||
See the holy worship of Vishnu, the lotus born. The cradle is the universe. The child Sri Ranga is swinging on the waves, in all splendor.
C3 vEdamule chErulai velayanga sEshuDE
pAdu konu toTTelai paraga gAnu
Sree dEvi tO gooDi Sree vEnkaTESuDai
sEda dEreDi vADe Sree ranga SiSuvu ||
The Vedas are his garlands. Adi Sesha is his swing. Sri Venkatesa is relaxing with his consort Sridevi. That child Sri Ranga is Venkatesa himself.