Carnatic kritiTelugulate 18th or early 19th century
Endaro Mahanubhavulu
ఎందరో మహానుభావులు
Endaro Mahanubhavulu, "Countless are the great souls, my salutations to all of them", is the fifth of the Pancharatna Kritis of Tyagaraja. Set in raga Sri and Adi tala, it is one of the most celebrated compositions in Carnatic music.
- Written by
- Tyagaraja (died 1847)
- Music
- Tyagaraja
- Raga
- Sri
- In the video
- M. Balamuralikrishna
- Context
- Fifth of Tyagaraja's Pancharatna Kritis
- Year
- late 18th or early 19th century
- Language
- Telugu
Endaro Mahanubhavulu lyrics with English translation
Full sahitya as given on Telugu Wikisource; the swara notation section on that page is not reproduced. Lines marked ॥ఎందరో॥ / ॥రెందరో॥ return to the refrain.
ఎందరో మహానుభావు లందరికి వందనము ॥ఎందరో॥
Endaro mahanubhavu landariki vandanamu ||Endaro||
Countless are the great souls; to every one of them, my salutations. Countless are such great souls.
చందురు వర్ణుని యందచందమును హృదయార విందమున జూచి బ్రహ్మానంద మనుభవించువా ॥రెందరో॥
Chanduru varnuni yandachandamunu hrudayara vindamuna juchi brahmananda manubhavinchuva ||rendaro||
Those who behold, in the lotus of the heart, the beauty of the Lord whose radiance is like the moon, and taste the bliss of the Absolute: Countless are such great souls.
సామగానలోల మనసిజ లావణ్య ధన్యమూర్ధ న్యు ॥లెందరో॥
Samaganalola manasija lavanya dhanyamurdha nyu ||lendaro||
The foremost and blessed ones who delight in the Lord who loves the chanting of the Sama Veda and is lovelier than the god of love: Countless are such great souls.
మానసవనచర వరసంచారము నిలిపి మూర్తి బాగుగా పొడగనేవా ॥రెందరో॥
Manasavanachara varasancharamu nilipi murti baguga podaganeva ||rendaro||
Those who halt the wandering of the mind, which roams like a creature of the forest, and see His form clearly: Countless are such great souls.
సరగున బాదములకు స్వాంతమను సరోజమును సమర్పణము సేయువా ॥రెందరో॥
Saraguna badamulaku svantamanu sarojamunu samarpanamu seyuva ||rendaro||
Those who swiftly offer the lotus of their heart at His feet: Countless are such great souls.
పతితపావనుడనే పరాత్పరుని గురించి బరమార్థమగు నిజమార్గముతోను బాడుచును, సల్లాపముతో స్వరలయాది రాగముల తెలియువా ॥రెందరో॥
Patitapavanudane paratparuni gurinchi baramarthamagu nijamargamutonu baduchunu, sallapamuto svaralayadi ragamula teliyuva ||rendaro||
Those who sing of the Supreme, called the redeemer of the fallen, following the true path of the highest truth, and who, in joyful converse, understand the ragas with their swara and laya: Countless are such great souls.
హరి గుణమణిమయ సరములు గళమున శోభిల్లు భక్తకోటు లిలలో తెలివితో చెలిమితో గరుణగల్గి జగమెల్లను సుధాదృష్టిచే బ్రోచువా ॥రెందరో॥
Hari gunamanimaya saramulu galamuna sobhillu bhaktakotu lilalo telivito chelimito garunagalgi jagamellanu sudhadrishtiche brochuva ||rendaro||
The multitudes of devotees on this earth who wear around their necks shining garlands set with the gems of Hari's virtues, and who, with wisdom and friendship and full of compassion, protect the whole world with a gaze like nectar: Countless are such great souls.
హోయలుమీఱ నడులుగల్గు సరసుని సదా గనుల జూచుచును, పులకశరీరులయి ఆనంద పయోధి నిమగ్నులయి ముదంబునను యశముగలవా ॥రెందరో॥
Hoyalumira nadulugalgu sarasuni sada ganula juchuchunu, pulakasarirulayi ananda payodhi nimagnulayi mudambunanu yasamugalava ||rendaro||
Those who forever gaze with their own eyes upon the gracious Lord of beautiful gait, their bodies thrilled, immersed in an ocean of bliss, glorious in their joy: Countless are such great souls.
పరమభాగవత మౌనివరశశివిభాకర సనక సనందన దిగీశ సురకింపురుష కనక కశిపుసుత నారద తుంబురు పవనసూను బాలచంద్రధర శుకసరోజభవ భూసురవరులు పరమపావనులు ఘనులు శాశ్వతులు కమలభవసుఖము సదానుభవులుగాక ॥రెందరో॥
Paramabhagavata maunivarasasivibhakara sanaka sanandana digisa surakimpurusha kanaka kasipusuta narada tumburu pavanasunu balachandradhara sukasarojabhava bhusuravarulu paramapavanulu ghanulu sasvatulu kamalabhavasukhamu sadanubhavulugaka ||rendaro||
The supreme devotees: the great sages, the Moon and the Sun, Sanaka and Sanandana, the guardians of the directions, the gods and the Kimpurushas, Prahlada the son of Hiranyakashipu, Narada, Tumburu, Hanuman the son of the Wind, Shiva who wears the crescent moon, Shuka, Brahma born of the lotus, and the noblest of the learned, all supremely pure, great and eternal, who forever enjoy divine bliss; and beyond these: Countless are such great souls.
నీ మేను నామ వైభవమ్ములను నీ పరాక్రమ ధైర్యముల శాంత మా నసము నీవులను వచన సత్యమును రఘువర నీయెడ సద్భక్తియు జనించకను దుర్మతములను కల్ల జేసినట్టి నీమది నెఱింగి సతతంబునను గుణభజనానంద కీర్తనము జేయువా ॥రెందరో॥
Ni menu nama vaibhavammulanu ni parakrama dhairyamula santa ma nasamu nivulanu vachana satyamunu raghuvara niyeda sadbhaktiyu janinchakanu durmatamulanu kalla jesinatti nimadi nerigi satatambunanu gunabhajanananda kirtanamu jeyuva ||rendaro||
Those who know Your mind, which proved false creeds empty when true devotion to You, O best of the Raghus, did not arise; who praise Your form, the glory of Your name, Your valour and courage, Your serene mind and the truth of Your word, and constantly sing kirtanas in the joy of extolling Your virtues: Countless are such great souls.
భాగవత రామాయణ గీతాది శ్రుతిశాస్త్ర పురాణపు మర్మములన్ శివాది షణ్మతముల గూఢముల ముప్పదిముక్కోటి సురాంత రంగముల భావముల నెఱిగి భావరాగ లయాది సౌఖ్యముచే జిరాయువుల్ గలిగి నిరవధి సుఖాత్ములై త్యాగరాజాప్తులైనవా ॥రెందరో॥
Bhagavata ramayana gitadi srutisastra puranapu marmamulan sivadi shanmatamula gudhamula muppadimukkoti suranta rangamula bhavamula nerigi bhavaraga layadi saukhyamuche jirayuvul galigi niravadhi sukhatmulai tyagarajaptulainava ||rendaro||
Those who know the secrets of the Bhagavata, the Ramayana, the Gita, the Vedas, the Shastras and the Puranas, the hidden truths of the six faiths beginning with that of Shiva, and the inner hearts of the countless gods, and who, through the joy of feeling, raga and laya, live long in boundless happiness and have become dear to Tyagaraja: Countless are such great souls.
ప్రేమ ముప్పిరిగొను వేళ నామము దలచేవారు రామభక్తుడైన త్యాగరాజ నుతుని నిజదాసులైనవా ॥రెందరో॥
Prema muppirigonu vela namamu dalachevaru ramabhaktudaina tyagaraja nutuni nijadasulainava ||rendaro||
Those who think of the Name at the moment love wells up threefold, and who have become true servants of the Lord praised by Tyagaraja, the devotee of Rama: Countless are such great souls.
Translation: Lyriccs (original translation). Transliteration: Lyriccs.
The story behind Endaro Mahanubhavulu
Tyagaraja (1767-1847) lived in Thiruvaiyaru on the banks of the Kaveri in Thanjavur district and composed hundreds of kritis, most of them in Telugu and addressed to Lord Rama. Five of his longest and most elaborate works, set in the ragas Nata, Gaula, Arabhi, Varali and Sri, are known as the Pancharatna Kritis, the five gems. Endaro Mahanubhavulu is the fifth of them.
A popular tradition links the song to a meeting between Tyagaraja and the Kerala singer Shatkala Govinda Marar, whose musicianship is said to have moved the composer to salute all great souls. Every year, at the Tyagaraja Aradhana festival held at his samadhi in Thiruvaiyaru, hundreds of musicians sing the five Pancharatna Kritis together, and Endaro Mahanubhavulu closes that collective homage.
What Endaro Mahanubhavulu means
The song is an act of humility. Instead of praising God directly, Tyagaraja salutes the devotees: those who see the Lord's moon-like beauty in the lotus of the heart, those who still the restless mind and see his form clearly, those who offer their hearts at his feet, and those who sing of him with true knowledge of swara, laya and raga.
The long charanams list sages, gods and legendary devotees, from Narada and Tumburu to Hanuman, Prahlada and Shuka, and then widen the circle to everyone who knows the inner meaning of the Bhagavata, the Ramayana, the Gita and the scriptures. The final stanza honours the humblest of all: those who simply remember the Name when love wells up in them. For musicians the song is also a statement that music joined with devotion is itself a spiritual path.
Quick facts
- It is the fifth of Tyagaraja's five Pancharatna Kritis.
- It is set in raga Sri and Adi tala.
- Tyagaraja (1767-1847) lived and composed at Thiruvaiyaru in present-day Tamil Nadu.
- The Pancharatna Kritis are sung together by many musicians at the annual Tyagaraja Aradhana in Thiruvaiyaru.