Adaddella oLite aayitu
To understand this song from Purandara dasaru you have to read the story of how a rich diamond merchant, Srinivasa Nayaka became Purandara Dasa.
Srinivasa Nayaka was the son of a diamond merchant. He grew up in luxury but was a miser. His wife saraswathi bai was a very pious lady. After his parents death Srinivasa Nayaka inherited his father’s business and grew it more. He was so rich that he was called nava koti narayana ( narayana who had 9 crores)
Looking at srinivasa’s growing miserliness, god decided to teach him a lesson. He went in the guise of a poor Brahmin to Srinivasa Nayaka’s store to beg for money for his son’s thread ceremony. Srinivasa refused to entertain him for many days. Then finally getting fed up with the beggar Srinivasa gives him a useless coin and asks him to leave him alone.
The Brahmin takes the coin to Srinivasa Nayak’s wife and tells her his woes. Being a very compassionate woman but a dutiful wife, saraswathi is unhappy with her husband’s miserliness but also doesn’t want to give the Brahmin anything without asking her husband. The Brahmin suggests that she give something that her parents had given her, for she had every right on that. So, saraswathi gives her nose stud to the Brahmin.
The Brahmin takes it to Srinivasa Nayaka’s store again to pawn it for money. Srinivasa recognises the diamond stud and is furious with his wife. He locks the diamond stud in a safe in his store and goes home to check with his wife if it indeed was her’s. When Srinivasa sees that saraswathi is not wearing her diamond nose stud, he is almost certain that it is the stud in his store. He asks where the stud is, saraswathi hides what actually happened and tells that she had removed it for washing. Srinivasa asks her to wear it immediately. Saraswathi goes inside as if to get the diamond stud. She is unhappy that she lied and while praying to Lord Krishna tries to consume poison.
When she just about to drink the poison she hears a metallic noise and sees the diamond stud where the poison was. She is elated to have witnessed such a miracle and tells Srinivasa the truth and the greatness of the Lord. Srinivasa is surprised and rushes to his store to check in the locked safe. He is even more surprised to see that the diamond nose stud had vanished from a locked safe. At that moment he becomes a transformed man.
He gives away all his riches and becomes a Dasa. A Dasa is someone who spends most of his time engrossed in God. They beg for food for themselves and their family.
In this song Purandara Dasa praises his wife for showing him the right path. It was her piety and devotion to Krishna that made her witness a miracle. It was her devotion that made Srinivasa Nayaka realise that devotion was the path to salvation.
Pallavi
aadaddella oLithE aayithu namma
Whatever happened is good
Adaddella= adaddu (= whatever happened) + ella ( =all)
OLite = good
Ayitu = happened
Namma = our
Sreedharana sEvege saadhana sampaththaayithu
It became a means for serving the Lord shreedhara
Shreedharana = for Lord shreedhara
Sevege = to serve
Sadhana = means
Sampathayitu = sampattu( = wealth)+ ayitu ( =became)
( here Sadhana sanpathaayitu would also mean it became the capital amount. In a way it means the beginning. Like you would start a business with a capital amount. In the same way what ever happened in Srinivasa Nayak’s life became that capital amount for Purandara dasaru to serve the Lord. That amount ( the incidents that happened, which made him a realised man) acted as a means through which he could serve the Lord. This is my interpretation, correct me if I am wrong)
Anupallavi
danDige beththa hiDiyuvudakke
To hold the tambura and the stick
Dandige= a musical instrument with 1 to 4 strings to keep the shruti and the rhythm correct while singing.
Betta = any long stick, like a walking stick
Hidiyuvudakke = hidiyuvudu( =to hold) + adakke ( for that )
manDe maachi naachuthalidde
I was Bending my head in embarrassment
Mande = head
Maachi = bend, looking down
Naachutalidde = naachutali ( = being ashamed )+ idde ( = I was)
henDathhi santhathi saaviravaagali
Let the number of that wife increase in thousands
Hendathi = wife
Santati = number ( it also means off Spring, progeny. Then it would mean let the off Spring of such wife increase. I feel since this song is in praise of his wife he would mean the women like his wife. Again correct me if I am wrong )
Saaviravaagali = saviravu (= thousands) + aagali ( =let it be )
danDige beththa hiDisidaLayya
She made me hold the tambura and the stick
HiDisidaLayya= hidisidaLu (= made me hold ( feminine) )+ ayya ( man )
( he is so full of gratitude towards his wife that she made him realise his goal in life, that of becoming a Dasa)
(aadadella)
Charanam
gopaLa butti hiDiyuvudakke
To hold the begging bowl
GopaLa = alms
Butti = basket
Gopala butti = a begging bowl, a cloth strung over the shoulder in such a way that it would be like a bag to hold grains given by people.
Hidiyuvudakke = hidiyuvudu(= to hold) + adakke (= for that )
bhoopathiyanthe garvisuthidde
I was being proud like as though I were a King
Bhoopatiyante = bhoo(=earth, land) + pati(=Lord)+ ante (=like that)
Bhoopati= Lord of the land , King
Garvisuthidde. = garvisutta ( = being proud) + idde (=I was)
Aa patni kula saaviravaagali
Let The community of wives increase in thousands
Aa = that
Patni = wife
Kula = community
gopaLa butti hidisidaLayya
She made me hold the begging bowl, oh man
(aadadella)
thuLasee maleya haakuvudakke
To wear the tulasi garland
Tulasi = a sacred bush, also a herb with a lot of medicinal value, the holy basil, ocimum sanctum
Maleya = that garland
Haakuvudakke = haakuvudu ( = to put on)+ adakke ( = for that)
arasanante tirugutalidde
I was wandering like a king
Arasanante= arasanu(=like King ) + ante (=like that )
Tirugutalidde = tirugutali(=wandaering) + idde ( = I was)
sarasijaaksha Sree purandara viThalanu
The lotus eyed Lord Purandara vithala
Sarasijaaksha = saras ( = lake, pond) + jaa ( = born of ) + aksha(= eyes)
Sarasija = one born of the pond = lotus
thuLasee maleya haakidanayya
He put the tulasi garland on me
Haakidanayya = hakidanu (= he put ) + ayya
Once initiation is done a Dasa has to go around begging for alms for sustenance. So the Dasa usually is pictured with a musical instrument to aide in singing, a walking stick( implies that he is walking great distances) a jolige or Gopala butti a long cloth tied at the ends and strung on the shoulder to make a bag to collect grains and other food items. At the end of the day the Dasa goes home with these items and cooks his meal, if living with family this is also used to feed his family. He also wears a garland made of tulasi. This garland purandaradasaru says was given to him by the Lord himself. Implying either that he was initiated by a saint or that his devotion to vithala made him wear the garland in other words compelled him to become his servant forever, His Dasa forever.
(aadadella)