ramatyagarajatelugukeerthana

නගුමෝමු ගනලේනි

नगुमोमु गनलेनि in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ carnatic·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Evening or night, when the heart is quiet; on Rama Navami and Tyagaraja Aradhana·📜 Kriti of Saint Tyagaraja in raga Abheri, Adi tala (Telugu, early 19th century CE)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Kriti of Saint Tyagaraja in raga Abheri, Adi tala (Telugu, early 19th century CE) · Saint Tyagaraja · 1767-1847 CE

Tyagaraja worshipped Rama through nearly a thousand songs, speaking to him as friend, master, mother and king. Tradition places this kriti in a season of despair, when the saint's daily worship seemed to bring no answering vision. Out of that silence rose 'Nagumomu' — a complaint, a sigh and a surrender in one: if the servants would not plead, if Garuda would not hurry, still the saint had no one else to call but the ruler of the worlds.

✦ As told in scripture

Hagiographies of Tyagaraja tell that Rama did answer his songs — appearing to him on the Kaveri's banks and, at the end, granting him the vision he begged for in this kriti. Musicians say no eye stays dry when 'Nagumomu' is sung with full feeling; many a listener has found an unexplained peace, as if the smiling face itself had glanced their way.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

නගුමෝමු ගනලේනි නාජාලි තෙලිසි නනු බ්රෝවග රාදා ශ්රී රඝුවර නී

nagumōmu ganalēni nājāli telisi nanu brōvaga rādā śrī raghuvara nī

Meaning:हे श्री रघुवर! तुम्हारा हँसता हुआ मुख न देख पाने की मेरी व्यथा जानकर भी, क्या तुम आकर मेरी रक्षा नहीं कर सकते?

Verse 2

නගරාජධර නීදු පරෛවාර ලෙල්ල ඔගිබෝධන ජේසේ වාරලු ගාරේ යිටු ලුණ්ඩුදුරෙ

nagarājadhara nīdu paraivāra lella ogibōdhana jēsē vāralu gārē yiṭu luṇḍudure

Meaning:हे गिरिराज को धारण करनेवाले! क्या तुम्हारे परिजन सब सुयोग्य मंत्रणा देनेवाले नहीं हैं? क्या वे सब ऐसे ही चलने देंगे — क्या कोई भी मेरी बात तुम तक नहीं पहुँचाएगा?

Verse 3

ඛගරාජු නී යානති විනි වේග චනලේදෝ ගගනානි කිලකු බහු දූරම්බනිනාදෝ ජගමේලෙ පරමාත්ම එවරිතෝ මොරලිඩුදු වග ජූපකු තාලනු නන්නේලුකෝර ත්යාගරාජනුත නී

khagarāju nī yānati vini vēga canalēdō gaganāni kilaku bahu dūrambaninādō jagamēle paramātma evaritō moraliḍudu vaga jūpaku tālanu nannēlukōra tyāgarājanuta nī

Meaning:क्या पक्षिराज गरुड़ तुम्हारी आज्ञा सुनकर शीघ्र नहीं उड़े — या उन्होंने कह दिया कि धरती स्वर्ग से बहुत दूर है? हे जगत का शासन करनेवाले परमात्मा, मैं और किसके आगे गुहार लगाऊँ? मुझसे यह उपेक्षा मत दिखाओ — मैं सह नहीं सकता। मुझे अपनाकर सँभाल लो, हे त्यागराज-वंदित प्रभु!

Word-by-Word Meaning

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නගුමෝමු ගනලේනි🔊nagumōmu ganalēni(One who is) unable to behold (your) smiling face.

නාජාලි තෙලිසි🔊nājāli telisiKnowing my pitiable anguish.

නනු බ්රෝවග රාදා🔊nanu brōvaga rādāCan you not (come and) protect me?

ශ්රී රඝුවර🔊śrī raghuvaraO best of the Raghu dynasty — Rama.

නගරාජධර🔊nagarājadharaO bearer of the king of mountains.

ඔගිබෝධන ජේසේ වාරලු ගාරේ🔊ogibōdhana jēsē vāralu gārēAre they not all able advisers (who could counsel you rightly)?

ඛගරාජු නී යානති විනි🔊khagarāju nī yānati viniGaruda, the king of birds, on hearing your command.

ගගනානි කිලකු බහු දූරම්බනිනාදෝ🔊gaganāni kilaku bahu dūrambaninādōDid he say that the earth is very far from the sky?

ජගමේලෙ පරමාත්ම🔊jagamēle paramātmaO Supreme Soul who rules the world.

නන්නේලුකෝර ත්යාගරාජනුත🔊nannēlukōra tyāgarājanutaTake me into your care, O Lord praised by Tyagaraja.

Benefits of Chanting नगुमोमु गनलेनि

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Gives voice to viraha bhakti — the purifying ache of longing for God's darshan — melting the heart in devotion.

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A song for times of feeling forgotten or unanswered: it teaches that even complaint, offered lovingly, is prayer.

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The plaintive raga Abheri releases pent-up sorrow and settles the mind into tender calm.

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One of the most celebrated kritis in all of Carnatic music, sung by every great master.

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Deepens attachment to the smiling face of Rama — the 'nagumomu' — as the object of meditation.

How to Chant नगुमोमु गनलेनि

Repetitions1times

Best TimeEvening or night, when the heart is quiet; on Rama Navami and Tyagaraja Aradhana

FaceFacing the deity of Rama

Sing slowly in raga Abheri, Adi tala, letting the plea 'nanu brovaga rada' ('can you not protect me?') carry your own longing. This is a song to be felt more than performed — offer it as a letter of complaint written in love, before the smiling face of Rama.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete नगुमोमु गनलेनि written in the Sinhala 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.

'Nagumomu' is the smiling face (of Rama); 'ganaleni' means 'unable to see'. The kriti opens: 'Knowing the anguish of one who cannot behold your smiling face, can you not protect me, O Raghuvara?'

In loving reproach, the saint wonders why the Lord has not come: did Garuda, his carrier, not fly fast enough on hearing the command — or did he grumble that earth is too far from heaven? The playful complaint hides deep yearning.

In raga Abheri (Adi tala) — its plaintive, pleading beauty has made this kriti one of the most performed pieces in Carnatic music.

Viraha — the pain of separation from God. Tyagaraja teaches that such longing, poured out honestly before the Lord, is itself one of the highest forms of devotion.