Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—21-- tandai tAy irundAl … தந்தை தாய் இருந்தால்

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—21

  tandai tAy irundAl … தந்தை தாய் இருந்தால்

rAgam: Shanmugapriya     tALam: Adi

Composer: K. Ponnaiah Pillai

Note: The authorship of this song is in dispute. Some places mention it is by Ponnaiah PiLlai (PP). Others say it is by Gopalakrishna Bharathi (GKB). The two versions given are slightly different in wording and also there are additional verses in the version by GKB. For what it is worth both versions are given here. For the full text version by GKB please scroll to the end..

Authorship attributed to Ponnaiah PiLLai at this site  http://tamil.thehindu.com/society/spirituality/article5921356.ece

This one says it is GKB

http://www.karnatik.com/c1161.shtml

If only you have a father and a mother….

Composition:  tandai tAy irundAl ulagattil…

Composer:     K. ponnaiyA piLLai

mudrA:           none

(signature):   

rAgam:           shanmukhapriyA (56th mELam)    

tALam:           Adi

ArOhaNam:   SR₂G₂M₂PD₁N₂ S

avarOhaNam: SN₂D₁PM₂G₂R₂S

பல்லவி

தந்தை தாய் இருந்தால் உலகத்தில் உமக்கிந்த 
தாழ்வெல்லாம் வருமோ அய்யா  பெற்ற              (தந்தை தாய்) 

அனுபல்லவி

அந்தமிகுந்த ஸ்ரீ அம்பலவாணரே   அருமையுடனே பெற்று                 

பெருமையுடன் வளர்த்த                                              (தந்தை தாய்) 

சரணம்

கல்லால் ஒருவன் அடிக்க உடல் சிலிர்க்க 
       காலில் செருப்பால் ஒரு வேடன் வந்தே உதைக்க 
வில்லால் ஒருவன் அடிக்க காண்டீபம் என்னும் 
        வில்லால் ஒருவன் அடிக்க 
கூசாமல் ஒருவன் கை கோடாலியால் வெட்ட
        கூட்டத்தில் ஒருவன் பித்தா பேயா என திட்ட 
வீசி மதுரை மாறன் பிரம்பால் அடிக்க   
      அந்த வேளை யாரை நினைந்தீரோ அய்யா பெற்ற  (தந்தை தாய்)

Lyrics in Roman script

Pallavi:           tandai tAy irundAl ulagattil umakkinda

                        tAzhvellAm varumO ayyA peRRa                 (tandai)

Anupallavi:    anda migunda sri ambala vANarE arumaiyuDanE

                        peTRu perumaiyuDanE vaLartta                               (tandai)

CaraNam:       kallAl oruvan aDikka uDal silirkka kAlin seruppAl

                                    oru vEDan vandE udaikka

                        villAl oruvan aDikka --gANDIpa mennum

                                   villAl oruvan aDikka

                        kUsAmal oruvan kai kODAliyAl veTTa

                                   kUTTattil oruvan pittA pEyA enat tiTTa

                       vIsi Madurai mARan pirambAl aDikka

                               anda vELai yArai ninaindIrO ayyA                      (tandai)

           

Meaning:

Pallavi:           If only you had a father and a mother, you would not suffer all the indignities in this world!

           

Anupallavi:    In this vast universe, if only you had your parents who conceived you with such a rarity and reared you with pride, you would not have to face the hardships you are facing.

           

CaraNam:       One fellow hit you with a stone, another stepped on you with his footwear. One other person hit you with an arrow from his bow, another one cut you with an ax. In a crowd one abused you with epithets such as “madman and ghost”. The Pandya king (Madurai MARan) caned you. On such occasions whom did you think of, oh Lord?

General Comments:

This song can be characterized as conforming to the figure of speech known as “vanjcap pugazhcci aNi” in Thamizh and “nindAstuti” in Sanskrit. The point driven is positive but a negative approach is taken. Some poets resort to this mode, especially when dealing with divinity or well-heeled philanthropists. A familiar poem attributed to KALamEgap pulavar comes to mind.

வாதக்காலாம் தமக்கு மைத்துனருக்கு நீரிழிவாம் 

போதப் பெருவயிறாம் புத்திரர்க்கு -- மாதரையில்

வந்தவினை தீர்க்க  வகையறியான் வேளூரான் 

எந்தவினை தீர்த்தான் இவன்?

            vAdakkAlAm tamakku maittunarkku nIrizhivAm

            bOdap peruvayiRAm puttirarkku--mAdaraiyil

            vandavinai  tIrkka  vagaiyaRiyAn  vELUrAn

            endavinai  tIrttAn  ivan?

The poem mentioned above was written in praise of the presiding deity at Vaideeswaran koil who is believed to cure all ills of the devotees who pray at the temple. The veiled praise is obvious as the reference is to the family of Lord Siva. Lord Siva Himself is referred to as being afflicted with foot pain (reference to his dancing feet), Vishnu (brother-in-law) is on the water-bed always, and Ganapati (son) has a bloated belly, altogether a family afflicted with many ailments (!!). When He cannot cure his own family’s illness, how can He cure the ills of His devotees?

The song in discussion closely parallels the theme mentioned above. Lord Siva was worshipped by so many noted devotees each in their own style.  Ponnaiah Pillai makes reference to stories from various episodes including the popular TiruviLaiyADal.  He narrates the incidents from the purANAs. There was this SAkkiya NAyanAr, who not being satisfied with being a Buddhist, adored Lord Siva. Apparently he threw a stone at the Lord inadvertently during meditation at the sanctum, which the Lord accepted as a form of worship. It became a daily worship practice for the nAyanAr. The Lord was obviously pleased. The bow and arrow insult refers to Arjuna ( of Mahabharata) when he was seeking the pAsupatAstram from the Lord in order to win over his rivals.

There is also a reference to Kannappa nayanar who offered both of his eyes to the Lord upon seeing bleeding from the Lord’s eyes. The hunter had to keep his foot at the second eye of the Lord for locational identity in order to remove his own second eye to replace the Lord’s. Sundaramurthy nayanar sang the Lord’s praise, “pittA piRai sUDi perumAnE aruLALA…”. The reference in the song to caning the Lord by the Pandya king is taken from TiruviLaiyADal purANam wherein the Lord wanted to help an old lady carry out her obligation of carrying sand to block the floods in Madurai in exchange for pittu, a sweet snack. The king caned Him for resting and not doing His duty (without realizing his misdeed).

Ponnaiah Pillai refers to all these revered incidents and makes light of the situations by using the vanjacap pugazhcci aNi. He is telling the Lord that He would not have had to undergo such “mistreatments” if only He had parents. Nice concoction!

This song was first popularized by the late N. C. Vasantagokilam (one of the most under-recognized musicians of yesteryears).

Composer’s Bio:

K. Ponnaiah Pillai (1888-1945) hailed from the famous ThanjAvUr quartet family. He was the grandson of the Ponnaiah  of the Thanjavur Quartet (Chinnaiah, Ponnaiah, Shivanandam, and VaDivElu). He learned music, dance, and mridangam from his illustrious uncle Pandanainallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai. Later on he joined his father, Kannusamy Pillai, and taught music and dance to several disciples. He became a music professor in the Music College in Chidambaram and taught vocal music and mirdangam to students.

Ponnaiah Pillai also served the Music Board of the University of Madras and the Music Academy at Madras creditably.  His songs were published in a compendium titled  “Rajah Annamalai Tamil Isaik Karuvoolam”.

Some of Ponnaiah Pillai’s compositions that are heard often in the dance and music concerts and commercial recordings are: ranganAtuDE (saurAshtiram) murugan kauttuvam (gauLai) and mAyA atIta (mAyAmALavagauLai).

Audio/video links:

Listen to N C VasantakOkilam here   or  here

Listen to SuguNA VaradAchAri    here

Listen to Aruna Sairam here

Listen to S Sowmya here

Authorship is attributed to Gopalakrishna Bharathi in the following version.

தந்தை தாய் இருந்தால் இவ்வுலகத்தில் உமக்கிந்த 

தாழ்வெல்லாம்  வருமோ ஐயா

அந்தமில் நடனம் செய்யும் அம்பல வாணனே 
அருமையாகவே பெற்று  பெருமையுடன் வளர்த்த 

கல்லால் ஒருவன் கடந்தடிக்க உடல் பதைக்க 
காலின் செருப்பால் ஒரு வேடன் எதிர்த்து உதைக்க 

வில்லால் ஒருவன் வந்தடிக்க
உமது திருமேனி என்னமாய் நொந்ததோ 

கூசாமல் இடையன் கைக்கோடாரியால் வெட்ட 
கூட்டத்தில் ஒருவன் பித்தா பேயா எனத் திட்ட
வீசி மதுரை மாறன் பிரம்பால் அடிக்க 
அந்த வேளை யாரை நினைந்தீரோ ஐயா

சீலமில்லாதொரு பெண் காரியுமிழலாச்சே
சேர்ந்தவளும் தலைமீதேற எளிதாய்ப் போச்சே
பாலகிருஷ்ணன் இதைப் பார்க்கும்படியாச்சே
பாருலகில் எங்கணும் பார்க்கில் இதுவே பேச்சே

Lyrics in Roman script

tandai tAy. rAgA: mukhAri /SaNmukhapriyA. cApu tALA.

P: tandai tAy irundAl ivvulagattil umakkinda tAzhvellAm varumO ayyA
A: andamil naTam seyyum ambalavANarE arumaiyAghavE peTru perumaiyuDan vaLartta
C1: kallAl oruvan kaDindaDikka uDal padaikka kAlin seruppAl oru vEDan edirttudaikka
villAl oruvan vandaDikka umadu tirumEni ennamAi nondadO
2: kUsAmal iDaiyan kaik-kODAriyAl veTTak-kUTTattil oruvan pittA pEyA enat-tiTTa
vIsi madurai mAran pirambAl aDikka anda vELai yArai ninaindIrO ayyA
3: shIlamillAdoru peN kAriyumizhalAccE sErndavaLum talai mIdEra eLidAip-pOccE
bAlakrSNan idaip-pArkkum paDiyAccE pArugilengaNum pArkkil iduvE pEccE