An Exclusive Video "Na Ninna Dhayanadoliralu" - Kanada - Purandaradasa - M Balamuralikrishna (1987)

Here is an offering of a composition of Sri. Purandaradāsa (1484 – 1564) “Nā ninna dhyānadoliralu” rendered by Dr. M Balamuralikrishna (BMK) in the rāga Kānada. This video is from a TV broadcast called “Swara Rāga Sudha” from 1987.

This celebrated composition portrays a picture of a state of the meditative mind. Sri. Purandaradāsa gives several examples of the dualities of transactional world we live (such as heat-cold; pleasure-pain; gain-loss; grace-disgrace, attraction - aversion etc.) and how they become an object of witness when one is firmly rooted in the Self through the practice of meditation.

The state of mind of one who has surrendered to the will of God, discussed here in the composition, would also remind us to recall to reflect the witnessing consciousness of a yogi’s state and his response to the stimuli of the external world as taught by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.

“Even as tortoise draws-in its limbs, the wise can draw-in their senses at will. Aspirants abstain from sense pleasures, but still crave for them. These cravings all disappear when they see the highest goal” [BG, Ch-2; verse:58-59]

“All rivers flow into ocean but cannot make the vast ocean to overflow; so flows the streams of the sense-world into sea of peace that is the sage. But this is not so with the desirer of the desires” [BG, Ch-2; verse:58-59]

Here is an English transliteration of the composition. There are some small variations in the wordings rendered by BMK, however these does not affect the meaning of the song.

nā ninna dhyāna doliralu mikka-
hīna mānavarénu māda ballaró ranga |p|

matsarisuvarella kūdi māduvudénu?
acchyuta ninnaya dayaviralu
kicchige iruve muttuvudé kéleló ranga vātsalya bidadiru ninna nambide déva |1|

kannadiyolagina gantu kanda kalla
kannavikkalavana vashvahudé?
ninna nambalu muddu purandara vitala
chinnakke putavittantahudu ranga |2|

A translation is only a bridge to the original text and often an unsatisfactory one at that and here is a free translation into English for those who do not follow Kannada.

“O Lord, Ranga, when I am absorbed in meditating on you, can the lowly people be competent to commit anything to me?

People who are indulged in envy could they join to do any harm to me? Can ants besiege the fire? If a thief perceives a treasure in a mirror, can he dig and possess it? Achyuta, the infallible, could I be affected by these dualities, if I have your graceful blessings on me which is pure and efflugent like the burnished gold. Do not refrain showering your compassion, listen to me, I have trusted you.”

In this 12-minute video, BMK presents a brief rāgālāpana and a svara-vinyāsam for the composition to which he mirrors the intent of the composer through his rendition.