Harinarayana Kauthuvam
Raga: Nattai
Tala: Adi
Composer: Traditional
Kauthuvam is an initial dance piece performed by the dancer in praise of his/her special deity. Kauthuvam warms up the dancer with rhythmic syllables and a melodic rendering of lyrics. This Kauthuvam is a hymn or song in praise of Lord Vishnu, bestower of knowledge and benevolence. The song praises Lord Vishnu for how he preserves righteousness, protects his devotees, and frees them from the cycles of birth and death through his ten avatars.
Lyrics and Meaning:
tat dhit tOm nam enRoRu tALam
There is a (oRu) rhythm cycle (tALam) called/that goes (enRu) ‘tat dhit tOm nam’
tALa kripai gnyAnatezhuvadu hari nArAyaNa kavitvamE
This piece of poetry (kavitvamE) on vishNu (hari nArAyaNa) bestows knowledge (gyAnam) and benevolence (kripai) as it resounds (tezhuvadu) to the tALam (tALa)
bhuktiDa hAram uDaiyavar ADa uRudiyAi vAnavar ottiDavE
As the one who wears (uDaiyavar) a garland (hAram) of the units of time (bhuktiDa) dances (ADa) and the gods (vAnavar) keep time with cymbals (ottiDavE) firmly/precisely (uRudiyAi)
kunda kukunda kukundari kiTa taka muttu mAri piLLai jaga jaga
The composer muttu mAri piLLai
ezhuvatinAngu caturyugamum yengum muzhangiya tanga padam
The stable/firmly planted (tanga) feet (padam) that resounded (muzhangiya) all over (yengum) and all through the 74 (ezhuvattinAngu) mahAyugas (caturygamum)
caturangam turattiDum cakra rAyan dharaNi aLandavan catur vEdan
The Lord with the discuss (cakra rAyan) who was able to rout (turattiDum) a big army (caturangam), the essence of the four (catur) vEdas (vEdan) who measured (aLandavan) the world (dharaNi)
ilangai rAvaNan tuLanga maDiyavE malanga maDiseida madhusUdanan
The slayer of the demon madhu (madhusUdanan) who killed (maDiseida) the scared and shaken (malanga, tuLanga) rAvaNa (rAvaNan) of Lanka (ilangai)
matsya, kUrma, varAha avatAran maNNai aLandavan mahA mAyan
The prime (mahA) illusionist (mAyan) who measured (aLandavan) the earth (maNNai) and incarnated (avatAran) as matsya, kUrma and varAha
accam tavirta souriya rAyan
vishNu (sauriya rAyan) who prevented (tavirta) fear (accam)
hari narayaNa kavitvamE
This is the harinArAyaNa kavitvam (kavitvamE)!
