Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage | Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane

Movie: Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane (1977)
Director: Girish Karnad, B. V. Karanth
Lead: Nasiruddin Shah, Lakshmi Krishnamurthy, Manu
Music: Bhaskar Chandavarkar
Singers: P.B Sreenivas, B.K Sumithra
Lyrics: Folk song

dharaNi manDala madhyadoLage
a place in the center of the earth

mereyutiha karNATa dEshadi iruva
in the glorious Karnataka, lived a

kALinganemba gollana pariyanentu pELvenu
herder named Kalinga, I will tell about his life


Verse 1

eLeya mAvina marada kELage
By the shade of a mango tree

koLalnUduva golla gauDanu
Playing his flute, the Herder

baLasi ninda turugaLannu
the cows next to the tree,

baLige karedanu harushadi
he called them to his side.


gange bAre gauri bAre
"Come Ganga, come Gauri"

tungabhadre tAyi bAre
"Mother Tungabhadra, come"

puNyakOTi nInu bArE
"Punyakoti, you too come"

endu gollanu karedanu
The herder called the cows.

golla kareda dwaniya kELi
Upon hearing the herder

ella hasugaLu bandu nintu
all the cows came together

chelli sUsi hAlu kareyalu
After milking them

alli tumbitu bindige
the pots were filled.

satyavE bhagavantanenda puNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of Punyakoti who said truth is god


Verse 2

habbidA male madhyadoLage
Inside the dense forest

arbhutAnendemba vyAghranu
A tiger named Arbhuta

abbarisi hasihasidu beTTada
Was shrieking due to hunger,

kibbiyoLu tAniddanu
he was wandering around a cave

siDidu roshadi moreyuta huli
The tiger was angered and provoked

guDuguDisi bhOriDuta chhangane
Roared and jumped

tuDukaleragida rabhasakanji
With such a force

chedari hOduvu hasugaLu
The cows were frightened

puNyakOTi emba hasuvu
A cow who goes by name Punyakoti,

tanna kandana nenedukonDu
thinking about her offspring

munna hAlanu koDuvenenuta
to feed the milk to her calf

chendadi tA barutire
She was coming joyfully

indenage AhAra sikkitu
"I have got my food today"

endu bEgane dushTa vyAghranu
Said the cruel tiger

bandu baLasi aDDagaTTi
He blocked the cow's way

nindanA hulirAyanu
The royal tiger.

satyavE bhagavantanenda puNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of Punyakoti who said truth is god


Verse 3

mEle biddu ninnanIgale
"I will jump on you right now,

bILahoyvenu ninna hoTTeya
I will slice your stomach,

sILibiDuvenu enuta kOpadi
I will cut you" shouted angrily

khULa vyAghranu kUgalu
The merciless tiger.

ondu binnaha huliye kELu
"I have a request, o tiger

kandaniruvanu doDDiyoLage
My kid is in the barn

ondu nimishadi moleya koTTu
I will feed him in a minute

bandu sEruve nillige
And I will come here soon"

hasida vELege sikkidoDaveya
"I have found you when I'm hungry

vashava mADade biDalu nInu
if I do not capture you now,

nusuLi hOguve matte baruveya
you will escape from me, why will you come back?

husiya nuDiyuve enditu
you lie!", the tiger said.

satyavE namma tAyi tande
"Truth is my mother and father

satyavE namma bandhu baLaga
Truth is my relatives and friends

satya vAkyake tappi naDedare
If I'm not true to my words

mechchanA paramAtmanu
The supreme god will not approve"

satyavE bhagavantanemba puNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of Punyakoti who said truth is god


Verse 4

kondu tinnuvenemba hulige
"To the tiger who wanted to eat me,

chendadinda bhAshe koTTu
I have given my word that I will come back"

kanda ninnanu nODi hOguve
"Wanted to see you, my child"

nendu bandenu doDDige
"So I have come here to the barn"

Ara moleyanu kuDiyalamma
"Whose milk shall I drink?"

Ara baLiyali malagalamma
"With whom shall I sleep?"

Ara sEri badukalamma
"With whom I shall live?"

Aru nanage hitavaru
"Who can I trust?"


ammagaLirA akkagaLirA
"Mothers, Sisters"

enna tAyoDa huTTugaLirA
"The ones who grew up with my mother"

kanda nimmavanendu kANiri
"Look after my child like he is your own,

tabbaliyanI karuvanu
this orphan child."

munde bandare hAyabEDi
"Don't attack by your horns"

hinde bandare odeyabEDi
"Don't kick by your hooves"

kanda nimmavanendu kANiri
"Look after my child like he is your own,

tabbaliyanI karuvanu
This orphan child."

satyavE bhagavantanemba puNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of Punyakoti who said truth is god


Verse 5

tabbaliyu nInAde magane
"You have become orphan, my kid"

hebbuliya bAyannu hoguvenu
"I'm going into mouth of the tiger"

ibbarA RuNa tIritendu
"Our debts have paid off"

tabbikonDitu kandana
She hugged her calf.

gOvu karuvanu biTTu bandu
The cow left her calf

sAvakAshava mADadante
Did not waste much time

gaviya bAgila sErinintu
She came to the cave

tavakadali huligenditu
And said tiger anxiously


khanDavideko mAmsavideko
"Take my parts, take my meat"

gunDigeya bisiraktavideko
"Take the hot blood in my heart"

chanDavyAghrane nInidellava
"Take it all, o tiger"

nunDu santasadindiru
"Eat them and be happy"


puNyakOTiya mAta kELi
After hearing Punyakoti's words

kaNNanIranu surisi nondu
Crying and with sadness,

kanneyivaLanu kondu tindare
"If I kill and eat this cow,

mechchanA paramAtmanu
The supreme god will not approve"

enna oDahuTTakka nInu
"You are like my sister"

ninna kondu Ena paDevenu
"What will I gain by killing you"

ennutA huli hAri negedu
said the tiger and jumped

tanna prANava biTTitu
taking its own life.

satyavE bhagavantanemba puNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of Punyakoti who said truth is god


Verse 6

puNyakOTiyu nalidu karuvige
Punyakoti with happiness

uNNisItu moleya bEgadi
Fed the milk to her calf

chennagollana karedu tAnu
Called the herder

munna tAdintenditu
And told him.

enna vamshada gOvgaLoLage
"To all the cows"

ninna vamshada gollaroLage
"To all the herders"

munna prati sankrAntiyoLage
"Before every Sankranthi,

chenna kRishhNana bhajisirai
Worship lord Krishna"

Evanu saubhAgya sampada bhAva jApita kRiishhNanu 4x
"Krishna is the one true god who brings happiness and fortune"


- Translated by Nishanth