Govina Haadu
This post was inspired by “Bengalooru Baale“‘s blog “Kannada haaDu Saahitya”
dharaNi manDala madhyadoLage
mereyutiha karNATa dEshadOLiruva
kALinganemba gollana
pariyanentu pELvenu
In the midst of the Deccan Plateau
In the proudly shining country of Karnata
Of the cowherd “Kalinga”
I am telling you a tale today
eLeya mAvina marada kELage
koLalnUduta golla gauDanu
baLasi ninda turugaLannu
baLige karedanu harushadi
Beneath a freshly flowered mango tree
Blowing his flute, the cowherd fella
Of all the cows those were standing spread
He called them with joy
gange bAre gauri bAre
tungabhadre tAyi bAre
PuNyakOTi nInu bArE
endu gollanu karedanu
Ganga Come, Gauri come
Tungabhadra, oh mother, come
PuNyakoTi, you too come
Saying thence, the cowherd called
golla kareda daniya kELi
ella hasugaLu bandu nindu
chelli sUsi hAlu kareyalu
alli tumbitu bindige
On hearing the cowherd’s voice
All the cows came and stood
allowing the cowherd to milk them
the milkpot got filled
satyavE bhagavantanemba PuNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of PuNyakoTi which believed “Truth is God”
habbidA male madhyadoLage
arbhutAnendemba vyAghranu
abbarisi hasihasidu
beTTada kibbiyoLu tAniddanu
In the midst of the mountain mass
A tiger named ArbhutA
roaring and hungry
was present in the thickets of the hill
moredu rOshadi guDugutA
huli bhOriDuta
chhangane jigidu negeyalu
chedari hOdavu hasugaLu
Thundering in anger and pride
the tiger roared
and on jumping instantly
all the cows scattered
PuNyakOTi emba hasuvu
tanna kandana nenedukonDu
munna hAlanu koDuvenenuta
chendadi tA barutire
the cow named PuNyakoTi
thinking of its calf
i will feed my calf first, thinking thence
is coming with a spring in the step
indenage AhAra sikkitu
endu bEgane dushTa vyAghranu
bandu baLasi aDDagaTTi
nindanA hulirAyanu
today i got a meal
thinking so, the cruel tiger
approaching and obstructing
stood the tiger
mEle biddu ninnanIgale
bILahoyvenu ninna hoTTeya
sILibiDuvenu enuta kOpadi
khULa vyAghranu kUgalu
I will fall on you now
and will attack your abdomen
and tear apart, saying so with anger
the tiger roars
ondu binnaha huliye kELu
kandaniruvanu doDDiyoLage
ondu nimishadi moleya koTTu
bandu sEruve nillige
Oh special tiger, please listen
calf is present at the ranch
in a minute, will give breast
will reach u here
hasida vELege sikkidoDaveya
vashava mADade biDalu nInu
nusuLi hOguve matte baruveya
husiya nuDiyuvenenditu
time when hungry, the ornament
without using, to leave it, you
would escape, would you come again
you are lying, it said.
satyavE namma tAyi tande
satyavE namma bandhu baLaga
satya vAkyake tappi naDedare
mechchanA paramAtmanu
truth is our mother and father
truth is our relatives and friends
truthful statement, walking against
God will detest it
satyavE bhagavantanemba PuNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of PuNyakoTi which believed “Truth is God”
kondu tinnuvenemba hulige
chendadinda bhAshe koTTu
kanda ninnanu nODi pOguve
nendu bandenu doDDige
the tiger who told me that he would kill and eat me
I have nicely given my word
my child, to look and you and go
I have come to the ranch
Ara moleyanu kuDiyalamma
Ara baLiyali malagalamma
Ara sEri badukalamma
Aru nanage hitavaru
Whose breast shall I drink from
Whose next shall I lie down
With whom shall I live with
Who is good to me
ammagaLirA akkagaLirA
enna tAyoDa huTTugaLirA
kanda nimmavanendu kANiri
tabbaliyanI karuvanu
Oh Mothers and Sisters,
Oh my mother’s siblings
Treat this child as your own
this orphan calf
munde bandare hAyabEDi
hinde bandare odeyabEDi
kanda nimmavanendu kANiri
tabbaliyanI karuvanu
Dont knock/gore if comes in front
Dont kick if he comes behind
Treat this child as your own
this orphan calf
tabbaliyu nInAde magane
hebbuliya bAyannu hoguvenu
ibbarA RuNa tIritendu
tabbikonDitu kandana
You became an orphan, oh son
I am going to the tigers mouth
Thinking the bond between the two has ended
It embraced the child
satyavE bhagavantanemba PuNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of PuNyakoTi which believed “Truth is God”
gOvu karuvanu biTTu bandu
sAvakAshava mADadante
gaviya bAgila sErinintu
tavakadali huligenditu
the cow leaving its calf back came
without making any unwanted delays
reached the door of the den and
told the tiger in eagerness
khanDavideko mAmsavideko
gunDigeya bisiraktavideko
chanDavyAghrane nInidellava
nunDu santasadindiru
take my muscle, take my meat
take the warm blood running in my chest
o cruel tiger, all this you
eat and be contented
PuNyakOTiya mAta kELi
kaNNanIranu surisi nondu
kanneyivaLanu kondu tindare
mechchanA paramAtmanu
on hearing the words of PunyakoTi
pouring tears from the eyes and disturbed
this pure girl, if i kill and eat
the God would not like it
enna oDahuTTakka nInu
ninna kondu Ena paDevenu
ennutA huli hAri negedu
tanna prANava biTTitu
you are my sister who was born together
what would i gain by killing you
telling so, the tiger flew and jumped
and left its life
satyavE bhagavantanemba PuNyakOTiya kateyidu
This is the story of PuNyakoTi which believed “Truth is God”
PuNyakOTiyu nalidu karuvige
uNNisItu moleya bEgadi
chennagollana karedu tAnu
munna tAdintenditu
PuNyakoTi with joy, to the calf
fed its breast quickly
called the cowherd and it
initially mentioned thus
enna vamshada gOvgaLoLage
ninna vamshada gollaroLage
munna prati sankrAntiyoLage
chenna kRishhNana bhajisiri
Evanu saubhAgya sampada
bhAva jAtipa kRishhNanu
of all the cows which are of my lineage
of all the cowherds who are of your lineage
before every “sankraNthi”
pray to the Lord Krishna
He is the most benevolent
sense emanating KrishNa
