Tandanana Ahi (Brahma Okate)

Raga: Bowli

Tala:Adi

Composer: Annamaacaarya

Language: Telugu

Tandanana is a famous kirtana (devotional song) by Annamacharya, a 15th century Telugu poet whose songs had been engraved on copper plates, hidden for 300 years inside the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, concealed in a very small room

This dance is a lively one that celebrates the oneness of everything in the world. Whether a person is rich or poor, whether they sleep in a bed or on the floor, whether it is an elephant or an ant, we are all one and we all have God flowing through us.

This dance is special to Kalyani because its central meaning is very much her own personal philosophy - that despite all our differences, we are all one.

tandanana ahi tandanana pure tandanana bhala tandanana bhala

brahmamokate para brahmamokate brahmamokate para brahmamokate

kanduvagu hInadhikamu lindulevu andariki shrI hare antaratma

indulo jantukulamu inta okate andariki shrI hare antaratma

nindara raju nidrincu nidrayu okate andane bantu nidra adiyu okate

mendaina brahmanudu mettu bhumi okate candalundeti sari bhumi okate

anugu devatalakunu ala kama sukhamokate ghanakita pashuvulaku kama sukham okate

dIna mahoratramulu tegi dhanadyuna-kokate vonara nirupedakunu okate aviyu

koralu sistnnamulu gonu nakkalokate tirugu dustannamulu dinu nakkalokate

paragu durgandhamulapai vayuvokate varusha parimaLamupai vayuvokate

kadagi enugu mIda kayu enda okate pudami suanakamu mIda bolayu-nendokate

kadu punyalanu papa karmulanu sarigava jadiyu shrI venkateshvaru nama-mokate

Translation:

Tandanana is a word giving the punch of rhythm in the song. Ahi, Pure, Bhala are the words expressing the excitement or ecstasy or appreciation. The absolute spirit is one & only one.

There are no differences of low & high. "Srihari" (A name of Vishnu. Vishnu is the form of God who is in charge of maintenance, protection of the good & destruction of the bad. In this context, Srihari is the Supreme Spirit) is the indwelling Spirit to one and all. All the beings in creation are one because the indwelling spirit in every creature is one and the same.

Sleep is same to all, be it a king or a servant. Be it a "Brahmin" (man of the highest caste) or "Chandala" (man of the lowest caste), the earth they live on is the one and the same.

The sensual pleasure is one and the same either for angels or for the insects and animals. The day and night are equal to the rich as well as to the poor.

One could afford to eat tasty food and the other the condemned food. But the tongues that taste the food are alike. An object of fragrance or an object of foul smell, the air that carries the smell is one and the same.

Be it an elephant or a dog, the sun shines alike on both of them. For the good and the bad, Lord Venkateshwara alone is "The Savior".