Ekkalattilum

Lyrics

Notation

From Shivkumar Kalyanaraman (shivkumar.org)

Pallavi:
ekkAlattilum maravEne-ini nAnE (ekkAlattilum)

Anupallavi
maikkAlanai akkAlattil maDiyavudaitta aDi malarinai (ekkAlattilum)

caraNam 1
viDaiyaiyum konrai toDaiyaiyum matishaDaiyaiyum mazhuppaDaiyaiyum
tOluDaiyu maNiyiDaiyum vizhik-kaDaiyaiyum nalamaDayavE nAn
(ekkAlattilum)

caraNam 2
purattaiyum adanurattaiyum shuTTa tarattaiyum aindu nirattaiyum dasha
karattaiyum sheyyum varattaiyum pancAkSarattaiyum cidambarattaiyum nAn
(ekkAlattilum)

caraNam 3
iShanai prakAshanai guha dAsanai kArkkumnEshanai anbar
pUshanai shei vishvAsanai tillai vAsanai naTarAjanai nAn
(ekkAlattilum)

Meaning: (Courtesy: Innikkum Thamizisai:
http://inikkumtamizhisai.blogspot.com/2016/07/thamizh-songs-in-carnatic-music9.html )

P: I shall now (“ini nAnE”) never forget you (“maravEne”) at any time (“ekkAlattilum”).

A: In the ancient time (“akkAlattil”), you annihilated Yaman (kAlan, maik-kAlanai), the Lord of death,
way back with your foot (“maDiya-vudaitta”). I shall not forget your foot (“aDi”) which is like a flower
– (“malar-inai”).

C1: I shall not forget the bull (nandi) that you ride (“viDaiyaiyum”), the garland of (yellow) konRai
flowers that adorn your locks of hair (“konrai toDaiyaiyum”) wherein you sport the moon
(“matishaDaiyaiyum”), the axe that you wield in your hand (“mazhuppaDaiyaiyum”), the tiger hide that
you wear (“tOluDaiyu”), your waist adorned with jewels (“maNiyiDaiyum”), and the corner of your eye
(“vizhik-kaDaiyaiyum”) in order to gain your kindness (“nalamaDayavE nAn”).

C2:     I shall never forget the three worlds (tiripuram – “purattaiyum”)), their strengths
(“adanurattaiyum”), and the manner in which you destroyed them (“shuTTa tarattaiyum”), the five
faces (or five functions: “aindu nirattaiyum”), and ten hands (“dasha karattaiyum”) of yours, your
boons (“sheyyum varattaiyum”), the five-letter name of yours (na-ma-si-vA-ya: “pancA-kSara-
ttaiyum”), and the city of Cidambaram (“cidambarattaiyum nAn”).

C3:    I shall not forget you the effulgent (“prakAshanai”) Lord (“iShanai”), a friend (“anbar”) who
protects (“kArkkum nEshanai”) guhadAsan (me), one (“pUshanai”) whom the devotees worship (“shei
vishvAsanai”), and one who dwells (“tillai vAsanai”) in tillai (cidambaram), the one and only natarAjan
(“naTarAjanai nAn”).

General Comments:
This song, a favorite of the DKP-DKJ (DK Pattammal-DK Jayaraman) school, is fully alliterative with a
galloping play of words (akin to a rushing rapids) centered on Lord SivA. It also contains a couple of
references to mythology regarding the valiant acts of Lord SivA. One of them relates to the burning of
Tiripuram (the three cities held by the demons) and the other protecting the 16-year old devotee
Markandeyan from the jaws of death (Yaman).

This song describes the various features and attributes of Lord Siva. In one sense it draws inspiration from
and is reminiscent of Sundaramurthy Nayanar’s famous tEvAram song sung about the Lord in a town
called TirumazhapADi near TiruvaiyAru.

Pallavi:
ekkAlattilum maravEne-ini nAnE (ekkAlattilum)

P: I shall now (“ini nAnE”) never forget you (“maravEne”) at any time (“ekkAlattilum”).

  1           2            3            1      2             3               1        2         3
; ; ; D dn S sr G      Mpm Gmr || R ,s S ; ; ss nd N       P–D,N,        || S ; ; ; ; ; ; ;    ; ; ; ; ||
      Ek- kA - - - -   la - - - - - tti- lum ma-ra- -      - vE- - -        ne - - - - - - -    ----

; ; ; D D N S R Mpm Gmr || R ,s S ; ; ss nd N              P – nD N ,    || S ; ; ; ; ; ; ;    ; ; D N ||
      Ek- kA - - - - la - - - - - tti- lum ma-ra- -        - vE- - -        ne - - - - - - -   - - I ni

S ; ; ; rgmg Gmr       R S D ns ||
nA - - - - - - - -     - - - - -

D P ; D dn S sr G pmG mgR || R gr S ; ; ss nd N              P – nD N , || S ; ; ; ; ; ; ;     ; ; D N ||
nE - Ek- kA - - - - la - - - - - tti- lum ma-ra- -           - vE- - -     ne - - - - - - -     - - I ni

S ; ; ; rgmg Gmr       R S D ns ||
nA - - - - - - - -     - - - - -

D np ; D dn S sr G pmG mgR || rg mm gg S ; ss nd N             P – nD N , || S ; ; ; ; ; ; ; S ; S ; ||
nE - Ek- kA - - - - la - - - - - tti- - - - lum ma-ra- -       - vE- - - ne - - - - - - - I ni

snsr sn S nd- ns nd M mgmp mgS             ||
nA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

rrss N D dn S sr G Mpm Gmr || R ,s S ; ; ss nd N P – nD N , || snsr S ; ; ; ; ; S ; S ; ||
nE - Ek- kA - - - - la - - - - - tti- lum ma-ra- - - vE- - - ne - - - - - - I ni

nsrg mgS sn- rs nd M mgmp grS         ||
nA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

rrss N D dn S sr G Mpm Gmr || R ,s S ; ; ss nd N P – nD N , || snsr S ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ||
nE - Ek- kA - - - - la - - - - - tti- lum ma-ra- - - vE- - - ne - - - - - - - - - - -

Anupallavi
maikkAlanai akkAlattil maDiyavudaitta aDi malarinai (ekkAlattilum)

A: In the ancient time (“akkAlattil”), you annihilated Yaman (kAlan, maik-kAlanai), the Lord of death,

  1          2           3           1            2         3
; ; ; gs S ; S N   D ns nD ,    || M ; ; - D     N ; ; ; S ; S ; ||
     Mai- kkA- -   la -- nai-      - - - a       kkA- - la - ttil

; ; ; S S ; S N D ns nD n       || P ; ; - D N ; ; ; S ; S ; ||
     Mai- kkA- - la -- nai-         - - - a kkA- - la - ttil

; ; ; gs S ; S N   D ns nD n    || sndn P- D N ; ; ; S N S ;                    ||
     Mai- kkA- -   la -- nai-      - - - a kkA- - la - ttil

… with your foot (“maDiya-vudaitta”). I shall not forget your foot (“aDi”) which is like a flower –
(“malar-inai”).

S ,n R ; S ; - S ,n nS, N D     || pdpd D ,n rs-nd M M Mpg Gmr ||
ma- Di ya vu- dai- - tta           a - - - Di - - - ma- - la ri-- nai - -

R S ; - gs S ; S N    D ns nD n    || M ; ; - nd rsN ; sRs S ;                  ||
       Mai- kkA- -    la -- nai-      - - - a kkA- - la - ttil

NS srG M ; - R ; S ; ssnd || pdpd dnrs S-nd M M Mpg Gmr ||
ma- Di ya vu- dai- - tta     a - - - Di - - - ma- - la ri-- nai - -

R S ; - gs S ; S N    D ns nD n    || P ; ; - nd N ; ; NS S ;                   ||
       Mai- kkA- -    la -- nai-      - - - a kkA- - la - ttil

NS srG M ; - R ; S ; ssnd || pdpd dnrs S-nn D M Mpg Gmr ||
ma- Di ya vu- dai- - tta     a - - - Di - - - ma- - la ri-- nai - -

R S ; - ssnd dn S sr G pmG mgR || R ,s S ; ; ss nd N P – nD N , || snsr S ; ; ; ; ;     ; ; ; ; ||
        Ek- kA - - - - la - - - - - tti- lum ma-ra- - -  vE- - - ne - - - - - -          ----

caraNam 3
iShanai prakAshanai guha dAsanai kArkkumnEshanai anbar
pUshanai shei vishvAsanai tillai vAsanai naTarAjanai nAn
(ekkAlattilum)

I shall not forget you the effulgent (“prakAshanai”) Lord (“iShanai”),

  1          2        3          1         2          3
; ; ; - S S R – G ; Mpg G ; || Gmg Gmr Rmg r S , ssnd N ;                  ||
        I Sha- nai pi – ra -   kA - - - sha – nai gu - - ha

a friend (“anbar”) who protects (“kArkkum nEshanai”) guhadAsan (me),

S;;;    R ; rS,    D ns Dnp   || nD , N ;       S ,r ssnd D N S ;               ||
dA- -   sa- nai    kA- rkkum - nE- - -         sha- nai-- an- bar

; ; ; - S S R – G ; Mpg G ; || G ; Gmr Rmg r S , N ; S ;              ||
        I Sha- nai pi – ra -   kA - - - sha – nai gu - - ha

S;;;    R ; rS,    D ns Dnp   || nD , N ;       S ,r ssnd N ; S ;               ||
dA- -   sa- nai    kA- rkkum - nE- - -         sha- nai-- an- bar

one (“pUshanai”) whom the devotees worship (“shei vishvAsanai”),
… and one who dwells (“tillai vAsanai”) in tillai (cidambaram),
… the one and only natarAjan (“naTarAjanai nAn”).

; ; ; - M M ; M ; D ns Dnp          || ND N ; S ; ssnd      DN S;        ||
       pU sha- nai shei – vi - -       shvA- - sa – nai--   til - lai

NS RG M ; G ;       rS, ssnd       || pdpd D ,n rs-nnD M ;- Mpg Gmr ||
vA- - - sa- nai     na Ta- -          rA- - - - - - ja- nai nAn - - -

R S ; M M ; M ; D ns Dnp             || ND N ; S ; ssnd      DN S;       ||
     pU sha- nai shei – vi - -         shvA- - sa – nai--    til - lai

NS RG M ; G ;       rS, ssnd       || pdpd dnrs S-nnD M ;- Mpg Gmr ||
vA- - - sa- nai     na Ta- -          rA- - - - - - ja- nai nAn - - -

R S ; - ssnd dn S sr G pmG mgR || R ,s S ; ; ss nd N P – nD N , || snsr S ; ; ; ; ;   S ; S ; ||
        Ek- kA - - - - la - - - - - tti- lum ma-ra- - -  vE- - - ne - - - - - -       I - Ni -

nsrg mgS sn- rs nd M mgmp grS           ||
nA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

rrss N D dn S sr G Mpm Gmr || rgmm gs ; ; ss nd N P – nD N , || S ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ||
nE - Ek- kA - - - - la - - - - - tti- - - lum ma-ra- - - vE- - - ne - - - - - - - - - - -