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𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂

तक्कुवेमि मनकू in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ carnatic·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Morning, or whenever anxiety about lack and hardship arises; on Sri Rama Navami·📜 Kirtana of Bhadrachala Ramadasa (Telugu, 17th century CE)
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Origin & Story

Kirtana of Bhadrachala Ramadasa (Telugu, 17th century CE) · Bhadrachala Ramadasa (Kancherla Gopanna) · c. 1620-1688 CE

Ramadasa's life swung between glory and dungeon, yet his songs never bargain — they trust. In this kirtana he answers every anxiety of a householder's heart with a roll-call of rescues: the Lord has saved the Vedas, the worlds, the wronged and the oppressed in age after age; he stands discus in hand beside his own; and he has demonstrably protected Ramadasa himself. Therefore — what can we lack?

As told in scripture

Ramadasa spent twelve years in the Golconda fortress prison for building Rama's temple with tax gold. The legend tells that Rama and Lakshmana, as the youths Ramoji and Lakshmoji, repaid every coin to Sultan Tanisha in one night and freed the saint — the living proof behind this song's refrain that those who have Rama can lack nothing.

Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂 𑌰𑌾𑌮𑍁𑌂-𑌡𑍋𑌀𑌕𑍍𑌕𑌡𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑍁 𑌵𑌰𑌕𑍂

takkuvēmi manakū rāmuṃ-ḍokkaḍuṇḍu varakū

Meaning:हमें कमी ही किस बात की, जब तक एक राम हमारे हैं?

Verse 2

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌕𑌤𑍋𑌡𑍁𑌗𑌾 𑌭𑌗𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌡𑍁 𑌮𑌨 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌧𑌾𑌰𑌿𑌯𑍈 𑌚𑍇𑌀𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌨𑍇𑌀 𑌉𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗𑌾 1 𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂

prakkatōḍugā bhagavantuḍu mana cakradhāriyai centane uṇḍagā ॥ 1 ॥ takkuvēmi manakū ॥

Meaning:जब स्वयं भगवान, चक्र धारण किए, साथी बनकर हमारे पास खड़े हैं — तो हमें किस बात की कमी?

Verse 3

𑌮𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌚𑍁𑌸𑍋𑌮𑌕𑍁𑌨𑌿 𑌮𑍁𑌨𑍁 𑌜𑌮𑍍𑌪𑌿𑌨 𑌆 𑌮𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌪𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑍁𑌨𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗𑌾 2 𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂

mruccusōmakuni munu jampina ā matsamūrti manapakṣamunuṇḍagā ॥ 2 ॥ takkuvēmi manakū ॥

Meaning:जब वे मत्स्यमूर्ति हमारे पक्ष में हैं, जिन्होंने कभी चोर सोमकासुर का वध किया — तो कमी किस बात की?

Verse 4

𑌭𑍂𑌮𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌗𑌮𑍁𑌲𑍁 𑌪𑍋𑌀𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍁𑌗 𑌗𑍋𑌀𑌲𑌚𑌿𑌨 𑌵𑌾𑌮𑌨𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑍁 𑌮𑌨𑌵𑌾𑌡𑍈 𑌯𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗 3 𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂

bhūmisvargamulu ponduga golacina vāmanuṇḍu manavāḍai yuṇḍaga ॥ 3 ॥ takkuvēmi manakū ॥

Meaning:जब वामन, जिन्होंने अपने पगों से धरती और स्वर्ग सहज नाप लिए, हमारे अपने हैं — तो कमी किस बात की?

Verse 5

𑌦𑌶𑌗𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌵𑍁𑌮𑍁𑌨𑌿 𑌦𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌿𑌞𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌨 𑌆 𑌧𑌶𑌰𑌧 𑌰𑌾𑌮𑍁𑌨𑌿 𑌦𑌯 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗 4 𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂

daśagrīvumuni daṇḍiñcina ā dhaśaradha rāmuni daya manakuṇḍaga ॥ 4 ॥ takkuvēmi manakū ॥

Meaning:जब दशग्रीव रावण को दंड देनेवाले दशरथ-नंदन राम की दया हम पर है — तो कमी किस बात की?

Verse 6

𑌦𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌕𑌂𑌸𑍁𑌨𑍀 𑌦𑍁𑌞𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌨𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌿 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁𑌡𑍁 𑌮𑌨𑌪𑍈 𑌗𑍃𑌪𑌤𑍋 𑌨𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗 5 𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂

duṣṭakaṃsunī duñcinaṭṭi śrī kṛṣṇuḍu manapai gṛpatō nuṇḍaga ॥ 5 ॥ takkuvēmi manakū ॥

Meaning:जब दुष्ट कंस का संहार करनेवाले श्रीकृष्ण कृपा-दृष्टि से हम पर हैं — तो कमी किस बात की?

Verse 7

𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌦𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌨𑌿 𑌗𑌾𑌚𑍇𑌀𑌡𑌿 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌿 𑌨𑍇𑌀𑌰𑌨𑌮𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌯𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗 6 𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂

rāmadāsuni gāceḍi śrī mannārāyaṇi neranammiyuṇḍaga ॥ 6 ॥ takkuvēmi manakū ॥

Meaning:जब रामदास की रक्षा करनेवाले श्रीमन्नारायण पर हमारा पूर्ण विश्वास है — तो हमें कमी ही किस बात की?

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌵𑍇𑌮𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑌕𑍂🔊takkuvēmi manakūWhat do we lack? What shortage can we have?
𑌰𑌾𑌮𑍁𑌂-𑌡𑍋𑌀𑌕𑍍𑌕𑌡𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑍁 𑌵𑌰𑌕𑍂🔊rāmuṃ-ḍokkaḍuṇḍu varakūSo long as the one Rama is with us.
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌕𑌤𑍋𑌡𑍁𑌗𑌾 𑌭𑌗𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌡𑍁🔊prakkatōḍugā bhagavantuḍuThe Lord himself as the companion at our side.
𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌧𑌾𑌰𑌿𑌯𑍈 𑌚𑍇𑌀𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌨𑍇𑌀 𑌉𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗𑌾🔊cakradhāriyai centane uṇḍagāStanding right beside us, bearing the discus.
𑌮𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿🔊matsamūrtiThe Lord in his Matsya (fish) incarnation, slayer of Somaka.
𑌵𑌾𑌮𑌨𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑍁 𑌮𑌨𑌵𑌾𑌡𑍈 𑌯𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗🔊vāmanuṇḍu manavāḍai yuṇḍagaWhen Vamana (the dwarf incarnation) is our very own.
𑌦𑌶𑌗𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌵𑍁𑌮𑍁𑌨𑌿 𑌦𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌿𑌞𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌨🔊daśagrīvumuni daṇḍiñcinaWho punished the ten-necked (Ravana).
𑌦𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌕𑌂𑌸𑍁𑌨𑍀 𑌦𑍁𑌞𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌨𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌿 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑍁𑌡𑍁🔊duṣṭakaṃsunī duñcinaṭṭi śrī kṛṣṇuḍuSri Krishna, who crushed the wicked Kamsa.
𑌨𑍇𑌀𑌰𑌨𑌮𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌯𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌗🔊neranammiyuṇḍagaWhen we have placed our complete trust (in him).

Benefits of Chanting तक्कुवेमि मनकू

A shield-song against fear and want: reciting it plants the conviction that with Rama beside us, nothing is lacking.

Remembers five saving forms of the Lord — Matsya, Vamana, Rama, Krishna, Narayana — like a compact dashavatara smarana.

Composed by a saint in captivity, it lends strength in hardship, debt, illness and loneliness.

Simple refrain structure makes it ideal for congregational bhajan and children's singing.

Builds nishchala bhakti — unwavering trust — the central virtue of Ramadasa's life.

How to Chant तक्कुवेमि मनकू

Repetitions1times
Best TimeMorning, or whenever anxiety about lack and hardship arises; on Sri Rama Navami
FaceFacing the deity of Rama

Sing the refrain 'Takkuvemi manaku, Ramundokkadundu varaku' with full conviction, letting the whole gathering repeat it after each charanam. With each verse, recall the story it names — Matsya and Somaka, Vamana's strides, Rama and Ravana, Krishna and Kamsa — and end resting your own troubles on the protector of Ramadasa.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete तक्कुवेमि मनकू written in the Grantha script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.
Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.
'What do we lack?' — the refrain declares that so long as the one Rama is with us, nothing whatever can be wanting.
The discus-bearing Lord beside us, Matsya who slew the demon Somaka (recovering the Vedas), Vamana who measured earth and heaven, Rama who punished ten-headed Ravana, Krishna who destroyed Kamsa, and Narayana who protects Ramadasa.
Kancherla Gopanna (c. 1620-1688), revenue officer of Bhadrachalam, who built the great Rama temple there, was imprisoned for it in Golconda for twelve years, and poured out hundreds of Telugu kirtanas — becoming, with Tyagaraja, the fountainhead of Rama-bhakti music.
Whenever fear of scarcity or helplessness looms. Ramadasa sang of the Lord's sufficiency from inside a prison cell — the song is meant for exactly such hours.

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