Chakkani Raja
The spacious royal road becomes a metaphor for devotion to Rama.
| Music | Detail |
|---|---|
| Composer | Tyagaraja |
| Raga | Kharaharapriya |
| Tala | Adi, two-kala |
| Type | Kriti |
| Language | Telugu |
Lyrics
Pallavi
cakkani rāja mārgamuluṇḍaga
sandula dūranēlē ō manasā
Anupallavi
cikkani pālu mīgaḍayunḍaga
chīyanu gaṅgāsāgaramēlē
Charanam
kaṇṭiki sundarataramagu rūpamē
mukkaṇṭi nōṭa celagē nāmamē
tyāgarājiṇṭanē nelakonnādi daivamē
iṭuvaṇṭi śrī sākēta rāmuni bhaktiyanē
Meaning
Why squeeze into side lanes when a clear royal road is available? Tyagaraja asks the mind to recognise devotion to Rama as that open way. The next comparison sets rich milk against an undesirable drink. The closing lines bring the argument home through Rama’s beauty, the name cherished by Shiva, and the deity present in the composer’s own dwelling.
Musical context
The final bhaktiyanē, “called devotion,” completes the image introduced in the pallavi. Following that connection reveals the whole kriti as one unfolding metaphor rather than three unrelated verses.