by Damodara Rao Dasu

Kshetrayya (1600-1680) Kshetrayya, a famous composer and poet of 17th century wrote many padams in Telugu with Srungara Rasa as main theme expressing his intense devotion to the Lord Muvva Gopala of his native village Muvva (which means dancing bell) in Andhra Pradesh.This is known as Madhura Bhakti wherein a devotee identifies himself/herself as the beloved partner of the Lord and the padams are the outpourings of intense love with Lord Krishna. Kshetrayya 's Padams have a great impact on the dance forms of South India.In the past Devadasis (dancers in the service of God) used to sing and perform these songs in temples but now a days Padams have become an integral part of Classical Dance Performances on stage especially to show the artist's talent in Abhinaya. Mudra (identity) Muvva Gopala

P	enta chakkani vADE nA sAmi veeDenta chakkani vADE ||	What a handsome Lord, What a charming Lord !
AP	inti muvva gOpAluDu santatamu nA madiki santOsamu chEsenE ||	Oh maidens, Gopala, with dancing bells on his feet always delights my heart.
C1	molaka navvula vADE muddu mATala vADE taLukAru chekku Taddamula vADE talirAku jigi degaDa dagu mOvi kalavADE ||	His smile is delicate like sprouts. His talk is lovely. His cheeks are glossy like mirror and his lips are red like tender leaves.
C2	chiruta prAyamu vADE chelu vonda vidiya chan duru gEru nosala chE merayu vADE cheraku viltuni ganna doravale nunnADE merugu chAmana chAya mEnamaruvADE ||	He is young and brilliant. His eyebrows are like crescent moon. He is the father of Manmadha who is holding a sugarcane as bow. His sky-blue body is shiny and attractive.
C3	podalu kendAmara pempodavu padamula vADE kodama singapu naDumu komaramaru vADE mada giri kari karamula marapu chEtula vADE sudati muvva gOpAlu Denta sogasu kala vADE ||	His feet are tender like lotus petals. His hands hold firmly like the trunk of an elephant. His waist is slim like lion's waist. He is beautiful and captivating. Oh maiden with beautiful teeth, how pretty is Gopala with dancing bells on his feet.

P	inta proddAye inka vADEmi vachchEni ||	It is very late in the evening. I lost all hopes of Muvva Gopala's return. There is no point in brooding over that,
C1	chintimpa pani lEdu cheliya muvva gOpAlu chEri nAtO nEstamu chEsina pApamA keeravANi rO Ela vEginchE vE neevu noorina gandha kastoori pAra vEsi pavaLinchu E ramaNi inTa nunnADO yoorella mATu maDage ||	Is it a sin to be friendly with me? Oh my maiden, your voice is sweet like the voice of parrot . Why don't you tell me? Where did he go throwing away sandalwood paste and Kasturi perfume (musk). Is he spending the night with another beautiful woman when the whole town is quiet.
C2	bhAsurAngi rO vinave pakshulu modalu gAnu vasamula chEri tama vanitala gooDe Asinchina phalinche darudu gAdaTavE nE chEsina pApamu evvaru chEsinArE O cheliya ||	Listen, my young lady, birds have returned to their nests to meet their spouses. I must have committed a sin, Oh my friend, all my hopes are getting belied.
C3	pammina vEDuka tOnu paDakillu SrungArinchi emme kADu vachchu nani eduru choochiti sommulElE virulElE sogasevvaru choochedarE komma nannElina muvva gOpAluni namma rAdE ||	I decorated my bedroom happily for my lover. I waited in eagerness for his arrival. Why do I need these ornaments and flowers? Who will enjoy my beauty? Oh my dear lady, don't believe this Muvva Gopala.

P	inka ninnu bonittunA ibha rAja varadA ||	Will I allow you to go, Oh Gopala, one who bestowed boons to the king of elephants.
AP	Suka vANi chEta nee suddu lella vinnaTlAye ||	The parrot has revealed all your talks.
C1	navvulanTa yunnAvEmO nA paddu chooDu mee sAri puvvu bODUla chEta ravva sEyinchaka mAna javvana mella nee pAlu chEsi chAla nammi yunnandu kevvate tO nO kooDi vachchi ipuDu lEdani bonkEvu ||	You may say it is just for fun. Keep your vow at least now. I'll not keep quiet. I'll ask all the women to expose you. I surrendered all my youth to you with implicit faith. You spent time with someone else, but you are lying.
C2	pannuga muvva gOpAla bAsa lichchi nannu kooDi vanne lADikE lOnaina vaga lella vinnAra nEDu ||	Oh Muvva Gopala, you have schemed. You promised to be with me but I heard of your love to the other clever lady.

P	aluka deerenA nEDaina nee aluka deerenA ||	Are you pacified now? Have you got over your indignant mood?
C1	paluku lADu kunTirA muvva gO pAluDu neevu muddula gumma mee chakkera bomma mee iddari manasu challa nAyenA nikka mAnateeyavE nEDu mee nenjili deerenA makkuva tO nEDaina meeku manchi dina mAyenA akkaDikakkaDa vibhuDu neevu nusurusu rani yunTire cheliya mee ||	Oh my sweet lady, did Muvva Gopala and you talk lovingly with each other? Oh sweet doll, have both of you spent time pleasantly? Tell me the truth, is your heart's desire fulfilled? Did you have a nice day? Or Did you and your Lord abuse each other angrily?
C2	sudati rO okari kokaru mOmulu choochu konTirA pedavulAni tiyyani muddulu peTTu konTirA adumukoni kougiLLa niddaru galsi yunTirA padari vAniki neekun bOya pagala valenE yunDe nE cheliya mee ||	Oh lady with beautiful teeth, did both of you gaze at each other? Oh my friend, did you both kiss sweetly on lips ? Did you both embrace closely ?
C3	bAlarO nEDaina Eka Sayya meeda pavaLinchitirA mElu mElani iddari valapulu mechchu konTirA chAla vEDuka tO muvva gOpAluDu neevu kooDitirA vELa vELala chADi mATalu vinTi ranu konTiri kadavE mee ||	Oh young lady, did both of you sleep on the same bed at least today? Did you sleep on the same bed and did you praise each other's love? Were you listening to your Lord talking secretly about others?

P	aligitE bhagya mAye marEmi vADalagitE bhAgyamAye ||	Even if Muvva Gopala is annoyed with me, I am happy.
AP	taliru bONirO vAni danDincha galana vA ara sompu mATa lADE vAnikinE taruNirO manchi dAna nayyEnA sarasaku rADAye sakhiyarO nAmOmu tirigi chooDaDEmO dEvuDunnADu vA||Dali ||	Oh my dear lady, am I capable of punishing him? He doesn't speak wholeheartedly. Can I ever become his favorite? Oh my dear friend, he doesn't come closer to see my face. I just keep my faith in God.
C1	bALi lEdinka nEla nAtO pondu chAlu kAbOlu santOsha mAye neelAgune vAni kitavu kAdEmO neela vEni rO nATi nenarinchuka lEka vA ||Dali ||	He seems to be fed up with my company. Oh my lady with black tresses, he is not bothered of my well- being. He is pitiless.
C2	bAla prAyamu nADe bhramiyinchi nannu vA DElina suddu lennennO kalavu chAla nAtO bAsalu chEsinADE yO balarO muvva gOpAlu DippuDu vA||Dali ||	From my very young age, I am enticed by his pleasing words. He promised so many things to me. Oh my young lady, Muvva Gopala is now annoyed with me.

P	alAge manchidi kanimmana vE yoyamma ||	It is alright. Let him do as he pleases.
AP	bAla muvva gOpAluDu pantame sAdhinchenamma ||	Young Muvva Gopala achieved his plans.
C1	vinavE vAniki nA chEti viDemainanu gArAdaTa tana eduru kaTla nilachina kAdaTa nanu choochina pApamaTa nA mATanTE sainchaDanTa tanaku gAni eemEnu dAchi evari kayyE nammA ||	Listen my lady, he refuses even to take tamboolam (betel leaves) from my hands. He hates my presence. He feels that it is a sin to see me. He even dislikes my talk. What for is this body, if it is not for him?
C2	viri bONi nEnunna inTi porigillAyena chEra DaTa arasi nE vachchina dOva naina rADaTa mari nA vale nunna pratimala naina kanu gonaDaTa sarasijAkshi ee pApapu janma nevari kayye namma ||	Oh my beautiful lady, he doesn't want even to come near my house. He doesn't even tread the path I walked on. He refuses even to see idols resembling me. Oh lotus eyed woman, nobody should be cursed with this kind of sinful birth as mine.
C3	vanita muvva gOpAluDu tanu dA nochchu kunnADA tanatO nEmi pani yunnadi pommani nADaTa yanasinadi kalla lanTa ichchina bAsa lEdanTa manasu lEni vAnitO nE mATlADi endu kayyE namma ||	Oh my lady, I heard that Muvva Gopala asked me to go away saying that he has no business with me. He said that he never met me before and that he never promised to me anything. Why should I talk to such a heartless person?

P	eelAgaTavE buddhi indu bimbAnanA ||	Oh my lady with moon like face, why are you so thoughtless?
AP	nAlO neelO bhEda mEmE nAtO nAnati ee vELa muvva gOpAlu nee mElu vAni chEyanA ||	Am I a stranger to you? If you permit me, I'll make Muvva Gopala favorable to you.
C1	viddelu chaduvaka penchina chilukaku suddulu telupaka sudati rO neevu addama rAtiri yasurusu ranu konTi muddu mOmu vADa niddura lEkunnAvu ||	You need not reveal your thoughts to your innocent pet parrot. Oh lady with beautiful teeth, you were sighing in the middle of midnight. Your face is pale due to sleeplessness
C2	koDe gubbala paini kongu bacharimpaka tODi vArijAkshula tO mATa lADaka ADi kalaku lOnai ala maTa nondu chu chEDe Ela chekkiTa cheyyi chErchu konnAvu ||	You are absent minded even to cover your bosom. You remain silent when you are amidst girlfriends. You get lost in sorrow and dreams. Why do you keep your hand on cheek and remain languid.
C3	kooDi muvva gOpAlu guNamulu teliyaka kODigapu mATa lADi kOmalirO vAni bAsi vADalO nee sari vanitalu navvaga ADADa bhrama chendinaTlu tiruga vidhamEmO ||	Oh my delicate lady, when you meet Muvva Gopala, you did not get to know his qualities. You distanced yourself from him by your taunting talk. You have become laughing stock amidst your friends. Why are you wandering in confusion?