Brahmam Okkate (Annamacharya) Meaning — Line by Line

బ్రహ్మం ఒక్కటే

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Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of Brahmam Okkate (Annamacharya) with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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Verse 1. brahma mokkaṭē parabrahma mokkaṭē
Verse 2. kanduvagu hīnādhikamu lindu lēvu
Verse 3. niṇḍāra rāju nidriñcu nidrayu nokaṭē
Verse 4. anugudēvatalakunu alakāma sukha mokaṭē
Verse 5. korali śiṣṭānnamulu guḍucuṭa yokaṭē

Verse 1#

బ్రహ్మ మొక్కటే పరబ్రహ్మ మొక్కటే పరబ్రహ్మ మొక్కటే పరబ్రహ్మ మొక్కటే

brahma mokkaṭē parabrahma mokkaṭē parabrahma mokkaṭē parabrahma mokkaṭē

MeaningThere is but one Brahman, one Supreme Brahman alone.

Verse 2#

కందువగు హీనాధికము లిందు లేవు అందరికి శ్రీహరే అంతరాత్మ ఇందులో జంతుకుల మింతా నొక్కటే అందరికి శ్రీహరే అంతరాత్మ

kanduvagu hīnādhikamu lindu lēvu andariki śrīharē antarātma indulō jantukula mintā nokkaṭē andariki śrīharē antarātma

MeaningHere there are no distinctions of high and low; Sri Hari (Vishnu) alone is the inner Self of all. In this world the entire family of living beings is one and the same; for all of them, Sri Hari is the indwelling Self.

Verse 3#

నిండార రాజు నిద్రించు నిద్రయు నొకటే అండనే బంటు నిద్ర అదియు నొకటే మెండైన బ్రాహ్మణుడు మెట్టు భూమి యొకటే చండాలుడుండేటి సరిభూమి యొకటే

niṇḍāra rāju nidriñcu nidrayu nokaṭē aṇḍanē baṇṭu nidra adiyu nokaṭē meṇḍaina brāhmaṇuḍu meṭṭu bhūmi yokaṭē caṇḍāluḍuṇḍēṭi saribhūmi yokaṭē

MeaningThe sleep in which a mighty king slumbers is one and the same as the sleep of the servant beside him. The earth the eminent Brahmin treads upon is the very same earth on which the outcaste stands — it is equal.

Verse 4#

అనుగుదేవతలకును అలకామ సుఖ మొకటే ఘన కీటకాదులకు కామ సుఖ మొకటే దిన మహేశ్వరునికిని తెలిసి సుఖ మొకటే వను చీమల కైనను వట్టి సుఖ మొకటే

anugudēvatalakunu alakāma sukha mokaṭē ghana kīṭakādulaku kāma sukha mokaṭē dina maheśvarunikini telisi sukha mokaṭē vanu cīmala kainanu vaṭṭi sukha mokaṭē

MeaningFor the favoured gods, the pleasure of desire is the same; for the lowliest insects, that pleasure of desire is the same; for great Maheshwara who knows it, the joy is one; even for the crawling ants, the bare feeling of pleasure is one and the same.

Verse 5#

కొరలి శిష్టాన్నములు గుడుచుట యొకటే తిరుగు దుష్టాన్నములు తినుట యొకటే పరగ దుర్గంధములపై వాయు వొకటే తిరుమని వేంకటేశు తెలిసిన వా రొకటే

korali śiṣṭānnamulu guḍucuṭa yokaṭē tirugu duṣṭānnamulu tinuṭa yokaṭē paraga durgandhamulapai vāyu vokaṭē tirumani vēṅkaṭēśu telisina vā rokaṭē

MeaningTo eat refined, noble food and to eat the coarse food found while wandering is the same act of eating; the same wind blows alike over fragrant things and foul; and all those who have truly known the holy Lord Venkateswara are one and alike. There is but one Supreme Brahman for all.

Word-by-Word Breakdown

బ్రహ్మ మొక్కటే

brahma mokkaṭē

The Brahman (supreme reality) is one alone.

పరబ్రహ్మ మొక్కటే

parabrahma mokkaṭē

The Supreme Brahman is one alone (there is only one God for all).

కందువగు హీనాధికములు ఇందు లేవు

kanduvagu hīnādhikamulu indu lēvu

Here there are no distinctions of high and low (no inferior or superior).

అందరికి శ్రీహరే అంతరాత్మ

andariki śrīharē antarātma

Sri Hari (Vishnu) alone is the inner Self of all.

ఇందులో జంతుకులము ఇంతా నొక్కటే

indulō jantukulamu intā nokkaṭē

In this (world) the whole family of living beings is one and the same.

నిండార రాజు నిద్రించు నిద్రయు నొకటే

niṇḍāra rāju nidriñcu nidrayu nokaṭē

The sleep in which a great king slumbers is one and the same (as another's).

అండనే బంటు నిద్ర అదియు నొకటే

aṇḍanē baṇṭu nidra adiyu nokaṭē

And the sleep of the servant beside him — that too is the very same.

మెండైన బ్రాహ్మణుడు మెట్టు భూమి యొకటే

meṇḍaina brāhmaṇuḍu meṭṭu bhūmi yokaṭē

The ground on which the eminent Brahmin treads is one (the same earth).

చండాలుడుండేటి సరిభూమి యొకటే

caṇḍāluḍuṇḍēṭi saribhūmi yokaṭē

The very same earth is that on which the outcaste stands — it is equal.

అనుగుదేవతలకును అలకామ సుఖ మొకటే

anugudēvatalakunu alakāma sukha mokaṭē

For the cherished gods, the pleasure of desire is one (the same).

ఘన కీటకాదులకు కామ సుఖ మొకటే

ghana kīṭakādulaku kāma sukha mokaṭē

For the lowly insects and the rest, the pleasure of desire is the very same.

వను చీమల కైనను వట్టి సుఖ మొకటే

vanu cīmala kainanu vaṭṭi sukha mokaṭē

Even for the crawling ants, the bare feeling of pleasure is one and the same.

కొరలి శిష్టాన్నములు గుడుచుట యొకటే

korali śiṣṭānnamulu guḍucuṭa yokaṭē

Eating refined, noble food (with relish) is one act.

తిరుగు దుష్టాన్నములు తినుట యొకటే

tirugu duṣṭānnamulu tinuṭa yokaṭē

Eating the coarse, poor food found while wandering is the very same act (of eating).

పరగ దుర్గంధములపై వాయు వొకటే

paraga durgandhamulapai vāyu vokaṭē

The very same wind blows over fragrant and over foul-smelling things alike.

తిరుమని వేంకటేశు తెలిసిన వా రొకటే

tirumani vēṅkaṭēśu telisina vā rokaṭē

Those who have truly known the holy Lord Venkateswara are all one (alike in His sight).

Origin & History

Source: Telugu keertana of Annamacharya (Annamayya), in praise of Lord Venkateswara (15th century CE)

Author: Annamacharya (Tallapaka Annamayya)

Period: 1408-1503 CE

Annamacharya was born at Tallapaka and from childhood was wholly devoted to Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala, on whom he composed tens of thousands of keertanas. In 'Brahmam Okkate' he sets aside all worldly hierarchy, declaring that the one Supreme Brahman dwells equally in every being. Many of his songs, including this one, were inscribed on copper plates and preserved in the Tirumala temple, rediscovered centuries later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 'Brahmam Okkate'?▼

It is a famous Telugu keertana (devotional song) by the saint-composer Annamacharya (Annamayya), declaring that there is only one Supreme Brahman who is the inner Self of all beings, and therefore no real distinction of high and low exists before God. It is among the most loved of his compositions.

Who was Annamacharya?▼

Annamacharya (Annamayya, 1408-1503) was a great saint-poet and the earliest known composer (Pada-kavita Pitamaha) of Carnatic music, devoted to Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala. He is said to have composed 32,000 keertanas, many engraved on copper plates preserved at Tirumala, expressing devotion, philosophy and social equality.

What is the message of the song?▼

Its message is the oneness of the Divine and the equality of all life. Through vivid examples — the same sleep for king and servant, the same earth under all, the same pleasure for gods and ants — Annamayya teaches that the one Lord Sri Hari is the Self within everyone, so distinctions of birth and status are unreal.

Which deity does the song praise?▼

It praises Lord Venkateswara (Sri Hari / Vishnu) of Tirumala, named in its final line as 'Venkatesu'. Annamayya devoted his life and all his songs to this Lord, and 'Brahmam Okkate' weaves devotion to Venkateswara together with the teaching of universal oneness.

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