Monday, July 14, 2008

Sumati Satakam 3

ఎప్పుడు సంపదగలిగిన
అప్పుడు బంధువులు వత్తురది ఎట్లన్నన్
తెప్పలుగ చెరువు నిండిన
కప్పలు పదివేలు చేరు గదరా సుమతీ
eppudu sampada galigina
appudu banDuvulu vattiradi etlannan
teppaluga ceruvu nindina
kappalu padivElucEru gadarA sumatI

ఎప్పుడు = whenever
సంపదగలిగిన = riches come
అప్పుడు = then
బంధువులు వత్తురు = relatives will come
అది ఎట్లన్నన్ = If you ask how It is
తెప్పలుగ = plentiful
చెరువు నిండిన = if the tank is full (with water)
కప్పలు = frogs
పదివేలు = ten thousand
చేరు = will join
గదరా సుమతీ

When riches come to you relatives will also come to you. It is like when there are good rains and the tank is full, frogs will appear there in thousands. Another simple fact and the same as in the earlier padyam.
People will not really like you when you are poor. They will even keep distance from you, lest you may ask for some assistance. But when you are rich or you get to become rich, all these relatives who earlier have deserted you will come back to you as if nothing happened.
In all the Satakams, there will be a simple proposition and the same will be illustrated with some worldly phenomenon which is very well known.
Here the matter of relatives coming back is likened to the act of frogs. Frogs leave the tank when it dries up. Biology says that frogs will also dry up and wait till there is water. But, the poet does not take that into account. He simply says that the frogs will come back in thousands when the rains come and the tank is full of water. Frogs are not exactly in love with the tank. What they need is water. They will come when there is water.
Relatives also do not love you if you are poor. They are in love with the money that you have. So, they come to you only when you have money. People! Frog people! That is what the poet means.

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