Aadisi nodu beelisi nodu-Life lessons from a doll

Read Kannada post here : ಆಡಿಸಿ ನೋಡು ಬೀಳಿಸಿ ನೋಡು-ಬೊಂಬೆಯ ಜೀವನ ಪಾಠ

There is a special type of doll in Southern India (Thanjavur) that wobbles to a great degree but never falls! The trick is in the design of the doll. Three fourth of the doll is hollow while the bottom has the most amount of mass. The center of gravity is close to the heavy spherical bottom and pivots towards center at all times. Poet Chi. Udayashankar uses this incredible doll to give us precious life lessons. When life doesn’t go our way and pins us down, do not give up but spring back up with a smile.

The song is part of a Kannada classic feature film called Kasturi Nivasa, featuring the legendary Dr. Rajkumar. In the song, though the protagonist himself is in immense personal pain, he teaches a young girl life lessons through the doll.

Poet calls life as ‘aata’ meaning game. Whether you are rich or poor, old or young you got to play the game through the highs and lows. Most people turn bitter with mounting problems in life but we have to learn to play the game by seeing the sacrifice that inanimate things go through in their existence. Take the example of sugar cane, even when being crushed it only offers sweet juice. While being ground, sandalwood only offers fragrance. The oil lamp while burning itself offers light to the home.

It was a bit hard to understand the last stanza. I think the poet is saying that the game is over only when a higher power stops playing. If you think I’m wrong in my understanding please comment below. In summary, we all can learn to live a little better by learning from this roly poly doll!

Title : Aadisi nodu, bilisi nodu
Author : Chitnahalli Udayashankar
Genre(s) : Chitrageethe / Film song; Kasturi Nivasa
Language : Kannada

Aadisi nodu, bilisi nodu, uruli hogadu.
Yen barali, yaarigu sotu, taleya baagadu.
Yendigu naanu heege iruve, yendu naguvudu…
heege nagutaliruvudu. ।।1।।

Gudisale aagali, aramane aagali, aata nilladu.
Hiriyare irali, kiriyare barali, bheda toradu.
Kashtavo sukhavo alukade aadi, tugutiruvudu…
tugutiruvudu. ।।2।।

Myyane hinddi, nondaru kabbu, sihiya koduvudu.
Teyutaliddaru gandhada parimala, tumbi baruvudu.
Taane uridaru deepavu manege belaka taruvudu…
deepa belaka taruvudu. ।।3।।

Aadisuvatana kai chalakadali, yella adagide.
Aatana karuneya jeevava tumbi, kunisi naliside.
Aa kai sotare bombeya katheyu, koneyaguvude…
koneyaguvude. ।।4।।

Aadisi nodu, bilisi nodu, uruli hogadu. ।।1।।