Appear as you are - Be as you appear (The essence of Ittange Iruveno Hariye)

The essence of "Ittāṅge Iruvenō Hariye"

"Appear as you are, be as you appear"

The beautiful verse from Sri Sripadarajaru's composition "Ittāṅge Iruvenō Hariye" (ಇಟ್ಟಾಂಗ ಇರುವೆನೋ ಹರಿಯೇ) is a masterclass in spiritual surrender (Sharanagati).

It captures the absolute peace that arrives when an individual completely dissolves their ego and drops all resistance to life's circumstances.

Key Philosophical Themes of the Composition

Sri Sripadarajaru uses stark, powerful contrasts in this song to teach profound spiritual truths:

Sharanagati

True surrender means accepting life's highs and lows with identical mental poise (Samatva).

In the text, he says: If You grace me, You might feed me rich food and clarified butter (tuppa) on a golden plate. But if Your favor shifts, You might make me beg for dry scraps in the forest. I accept both conditions equally, because You are the author of both.

Shedding the Ego Mask

Human anxiety stems from protecting an artificial social identity and feeding the ego.

Sri Sripadarajaru sings that God may dress him in beautiful silk robes (pītāmbara) or reduce him to wearing a simple loincloth (kaupīna). By declaring his willingness to wear either, the saint throws off social expectation to stand completely bare and truthful before the Divine.

The song reminds us to shed the heavy burdens of ego, pride, and social expectations, choosing instead to stand truthfully before the Divine.

Protection from the "Current" of Materialism

While we accept our material circumstances, we must protect our spiritual environment.

The saint prays to Sri Ranga Vitthala: "Let me always be in the company of your devotees, and save me from the company of the wicked". While we yield to the outer circumstances directed by destiny, our inner mind should remain Anchored entirely to God.

I will remain exactly as You keep me, O Lord Hari. (Ittāṅge Iruvenō Hariye) - This timeless song is far more than a devotional hymn—it is a radical psychology of authentic presence and complete surrender.

Radical Acceptance: Rather than fighting against the unpredictable currents of life, the saint shows us the profound peace found in saying: "I am where I am because You have placed me here.

The Supreme Anchor: While we perform our daily actions, the ultimate outcomes and circumstances are steered by a higher power. Trusting that power brings immediate relief from anxiety.

Whether God places us on a throne or in a humble corner, this song teaches us to accept our life's status with a smiling, quiet heart.

"Appear as you are, be as you appear"—perfectly echoes the absolute authenticity lived and taught by Sri Sripadarajaru. It is the ultimate antidote to the pretentiousness of the human ego.

Eliminating the gap between our outer behavior and our inner thoughts - true spiritual growth happens when our internal state matches our external devotion. Outer rituals are meaningless if the heart is not genuinely anchored in complete surrender (Sharanagati).

SriPadaRajaru reminds us that true peace comes from aligning our inner soul with our outer presentation. By dropping our egos, we stop performing for human validation and begin living truthfully before the Divine.

In our journey through life, we often carry the heavy burden of social expectations. We wear different masks to fit in, to look successful, or to gain validation from the world around us. But true spiritual wisdom—taught beautifully by sages like Sri Sripadarajaru—demands absolute, uncompromised authenticity.

To "appear as you are" means having the courage to stand truthfully before the Divine and the world, completely stripped of pride, ego, and artificial titles.

“Ittāṅge Iruvenō Hariye,” Sri Sripadarajaru sings that whether he is dressed in royal silks or a simple loincloth, his inner self remains unchanged. He doesn't fake a status to impress society; he accepts exactly how the Divine has placed him.

The Takeaway for Modern Living

Stop performing for human applause. Drop the exhausting pressure of trying to look perfect. When you align your soul with your presentation, you step into a space of radical acceptance and profound inner peace. Be real, be humble, and trust the higher power steering your current circumstances.

Sri KrishnaArpanamastu

naham karta harih karta

तं वंदे नरसिंहतीर्थनिलयं श्रीव्यासराट् पूजितं |

ध्यायंतं मनसा नृसिंहचरणम् श्रीपादराजं गुरुं |

taṃ vaṃde narasiṃhatīrthanilayaṃ śrīvyāsarāṭ pūjitaṃ |

dhyāyaṃtaṃ manasā nṛsiṃhacaraṇam śrīpādarājaṃ guruṃ |

Hari SArvottama - Vaayu Jeevottama

Lyrics - ಇಟ್ಹಾಂಗೆ ಇರುವೆನೊ ಹರಿಯೇ ಎನ್ನ ದೊರೆಯೇ

ಇಟ್ಹಾಂಗೆ ಇರುವೆನೊ ಹರಿಯೇ ಎನ್ನ ದೊರೆಯೇ ||ಪ||
ಸೃಷ್ಟಿವಂದಿತ ಪಾದಪದುಮ ಶ್ರೀಹರಿಯೇ ||ಅ.ಪ||

ಸಣ್ಣ ಶಾಲ್ಯೋದನ ಬೆಣ್ಣೆ ಕಾಸಿದ ತುಪ್ಪ
ಚಿನ್ನದ ಹರಿವಾಣದಲಿ ಭೋಜನ
ಘನ್ನಮಹಿಮ ನಿನ್ನ ಕರುಣ ತಪ್ಪಿದ ಮ್ಯಾಲೆ ಕ-
ದನ್ನ ಕಾಣದೆ ಬಾಯ್ಬಿಡಿಸುವಿ ಹರಿಯೇ ||೧||

ಕೆಂಪಿಲಿ ಪೊಳೆವ ಪೀತಾಂಬರ ಉಡಿಸುವಿ
ಸೊಂಪಿನಂಚಿನ ಶಾಲು ಹೊದಿಸುವಿಯೋ
ಕಪಿಲಹರೇ ನಿನ್ನ ಕೃಪೆಯು ತಪ್ಪಿದ ಮ್ಯಾಲೆ
ಕಪರ್ದಕ ಕೌಪೀನವು ದೊರೆಯದೊ ಹರಿಯೇ ||೨||

ಚಂದ್ರಶಾಲೆಲಿ ಚಂದ್ರಕಿರಣದಂತೊಪ್ಪುವ
ಚಂದದ ಮಂಚದೊಳ್ ಮಲಗಿಸುವಿ
ಮಂದರೋದ್ಧರ ನಿನ್ನ ಮಮತೆ ತಪ್ಪಲು ಧರ್ಮ-
ಮಂದಿರದೊಳು ತೋಳ್ತಲಗಿಂಬು ಹರಿಯೇ ||೩||

ನರಯಾನದೊಳು ಕ್ಷಣ ನರವರನೆನಿಸುವಿ
ವರಛತ್ರ ಚಾಮರ ಹಾಕಿಸುವಿ
ಕರುಣಾನಿಧೇ ನಿನ್ನ ಕರುಣ ತಪ್ಪಿದ ಮ್ಯಾಲೆ
ಚರಣರಕ್ಷೆಯು ದೊರೆಯದು ಶ್ರೀಹರಿಯೇ ||೪||

ಗಂಗಾಜನಕ ಪಾಂಡುರಂಗ ನಿನ್ನಯ ಭಕ್ತರ
ಸಂಗವಿರಲಿ ದುಷ್ಟ ಸಂಗ ಬ್ಯಾಡ
ಅಂಗನೆಯರ ಕೂಡಿ ಅನಂಗಬಾಣಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿ
ಭಂಗವ ಪಡಲಾರೆ ಶ್ರೀರಂಗವಿಠಲ ಹರಿಯೇ ||೫||

iṭ:hāṃge iruveno hariye enna doreye ||pa||

sṛṣṭivaṃdita pādapaduma śrīhariye ||a.pa||

saṇṇa śālyodana beṇṇe kāsida tuppa

cinnada harivāṇadali bhojana

ghannamahima ninna karuṇa tappida myāle ka-

danna kāṇade bāybiḍisuvi hariye ||1||

keṃpili poḷeva pītāṃbara uḍisuvi

soṃpinaṃcina śālu hodisuviyo

kapilahare ninna kṛpeyu tappida myāle

kapardaka kaupīnavu doreyado hariye ||2||

caṃdraśāleli caṃdrakiraṇadaṃtoppuva

caṃdada maṃcadoḷ malagisuvi

maṃdaroddhara ninna mamate tappalu dharma-

maṃdiradoḷu toḷtalagiṃbu hariye ||3||

narayānadoḷu kṣaṇa naravaranenisuvi

varachatra cāmara hākisuvi

karuṇānidhe ninna karuṇa tappida myāle

caraṇarakṣeyu doreyadu śrīhariye ||4||

gaṃgājanaka pāṃḍuraṃga ninnaya bhaktara

saṃgavirali duṣṭa saṃga byāḍa

aṃganeyara kūḍi anaṃgabāṇake siluki

bhaṃgava paḍalāre śrīraṃgaviṭhala hariye ||5||