In this series, we present, each month, a prayer kirtan composed by His Holiness Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji. These kirtans underline the importance of prayers and show us how to pray.
Surrender through Prayer
In Bhagavad Gita, the Lord says
“sarva dharmAn parityajya mAmekam sharanam vraja,
aham tvAm sarva pApebyo mokshayishyami ma sucha”
(O Arjuna!) Abandon all your efforts (to attain me) and seek refuge under My Feet. I will relieve you of all your sins and grant you liberation!”
In the Bhagavad Gita, after Lord Krishna expounds in detail the various paths to reach Him, Arjuna still remains perplexed. The Lord then tells him the above verse. He asks Arjuna to abandon all efforts and simply surrender to him, promising to take care of the rest.
Although surrendering to the Lord seems so simple and straightforward, it is in fact extremely difficult to put it into practice. The ‘ego’ residing within us will hinder us from doing a complete surrender. How then can one surrender completely? It can be done only by the grace of the Lord. And such grace can be obtained only through sincere prayer.
So this month, we present Sri Swamiji’s “Thiruvadi Thamarayai”, a song set in Bheemplas raga. In this song (in Tamil), Sri Swamiji prays to Krishna, and tells him that He is his sole refuge and beseeches Him to protect him.
Thiruvadi Thamaraiyai
Raga: Bheemplas
Tala: Adi
thiruvaDi thAmarayai gathiyenDru thanjam aDaindhen
kai viDAmal kAtthiDuvai premika varadha
en muyarchi edhum illai
muyanDru muyanDru thOTTRu dhAn pOnEn
muTTrilum unaiyE sharaN pugundhEnE
kArmugil vaNNane karuNA pUrNanE
taruNam idhai arindhu kAtthiDuvAi nIyE
rAdhaiyin maNALanE bhakthargaLin bhAgyamE
nittham nittham unai nAn koNDaDiDuvenE
yamunai karaiyil viLaiyADiDuvonE
ennaiyum kAtthiDuvAi muraLidharA!
Meaning
Your Lotus Feet are my only refuge!
O Premika Varada! Protect me! Do not let go of me!
My efforts are nothing here
I tried and tried again, but only lost every time
Hence, I surrendered completely to you
O dark-hued One! The epitome of compassion!
Knowing that this is indeed the right time, please take care of me!
O consort of Radha! The fortune of devotees!
Every passing day, I shall celebrate You grandly
O One who plays on the banks of Yamuna
O Muralidhara! Please take care of me also!
Sowmya Balasubramanian, Fremont CA
