📜 Original Kannada Lyrics:
ವೇಣುನಾದ ಬಾರೋ
ವೇಂಕಟರಮಣನೇ ಬಾರೋ || ಪ || ಬಾಣನ ಭಂಗಿಸಿದಂಥ ಭಾವಜನಯ್ಯನೆ ಬಾರೋ || ಅ.ಪ || ಪೂತನಿಯ ಮೊಲೆಯುಂಡ ನವನೀತ ಚೋರನೇ ಬಾರೋ ಭೀತ ರಾವಣನ ಸಂಹರಿಸಿದ ಸೀತಾನಾಯಕ ಬಾರೋ || 1 || ಬಿಲ್ಲಮುರಿದು ಮಲ್ಲರ ಗೆದ್ದ ಪುಲ್ಲನಾಭನೇ ಬಾರೋ ಗೊಲ್ಲತೇರನೊಡನೆ ನಲಿವ ಚೆಲುವ ಮೂರುತಿ ಬಾರೋ || 2 || ಮಂದರಗಿರಿ ಎತ್ತಿದಂಥ ಇಂದಿರೆ ರಮಣನೇ ಬಾರೋ ಕುಂದದೇ ಗೋವುಗಳ ಕಾಯ್ದ ಪುಂಡರೀಕಾಕ್ಷನೇ ಬಾರೋ || 3 || ನಾರಿಯರ ಮನೆಗೆ ಪೋಗುವ ವಾರಿಜನಾಭನೇ ಬಾರೋ ಈರೇಳು ಭುವನವ ಕಾಯುವ ಮಾರನಯ್ಯನೇ ಬಾರೋ || 4 || ಶೇಷಶಯನ ಮೂರುತಿಯಾದ ವಾಸುದೇವನೇ ಬಾರೋ ದಾಸರೊಳು ದಾಸನಾದ ಪುರಂದರ ವಿಠಲ ಬಾರೋ || 5 ||English Transliteration:
Veṇunāda bāro
Veṅkaṭaramaṇane bāro || P ||
Bāṇana bhaṅgisidaṁta
Bhāvajanayyanne bāro || A.P ||
Pūtaneya moleyuṇḍa
Navanīta choraṇe bāro
Bhīta Rāvaṇana samharisida
Sītānāyaka bāro || 1 ||
Billamuridu mallara gedda
Pullanābhane bāro
Gollateranodane naliva
Cheluva Mūruti bāro || 2 ||
Mandaragiri ettidaṁta
Indire Ramaṇane bāro
Kundade govugaḷa kāyda
Puṇḍarīkākṣhane bāro || 3 ||
Nāriyar manege poguva
Vārijanābhane bāro
Īreḷu bhuvanava kāyuva
Māranayyanne bāro || 4 ||
Śeṣaśayana Mūruti yāda
Vāsudevane bāro
Dāsaroḷu dāsanāda
Purandara viṭhala bāro || 5 ||
Kriti : Saint Purandaradasa
English Meaning:
Let the sound of the flute come,
O Lord Venkataramana, please come || P ||
The one who broke Bāṇa’s pride,
O compassionate Lord, please come || A.P ||
The one who drank Pūtanā’s poisoned milk,
O butter thief, please come,
The one who destroyed the fearful Rāvaṇa,
O Lord of Sītā, please come || 1 ||
The one who broke the bow and defeated the mighty wrestlers,
O lotus-naveled Lord, please come,
The one who joyfully mingled with the cowherds,
O beautiful Mūruti, please come || 2 ||
The one who lifted the Mandara mountain,
O consort of Lakṣhmī, please come,
The one who cared for the cows without any complaints,
O lotus-eyed Lord, please come || 3 ||
The one who visits the houses of the Gopikas,
O lotus-naveled Lord, please come,
The one who protects the fourteen worlds,
O compassionate Lord, please come || 4 ||
The one who rests on Śeṣha,
O form of Vāsudeva, please come,
The one who became the servant of the devotees,
O Purandara Viṭṭhala, please come || 5 ||
🪔 Reflection:
This soulful composition by Sant Purandara Dasa (1484–1564), revered as the Pitamaha of Carnatic Music, is not merely a bhajan but a gentle invocation. Each stanza recalls a different leela of Krishna—from the slaying of demons like Putana and Ravana, to the tender mischief of stealing butter, to the divine play among the gopis. The bhajan is structured as a longing cry, “Baro” (come), revealing the devotee’s heart that yearns for the Lord’s presence in every aspect of life—play, protection, guidance, and love. Historically, Purandara Dasa’s compositions brought music, devotion, and philosophy into the homes of common people, teaching them spirituality through simple yet profound songs.
“Venunada Baro” carries special significance: the flute (venu) symbolizes the divine call of Krishna, reminding us that life’s chaos can be tuned into melody when surrendered to the Lord. The devotee does not seek miracles or wealth but the Lord’s presence in ordinary joys and struggles. In our own lives too, this bhajan whispers a reminder—inviting God into daily life transforms the mundane into the divine. Just as the gopis found bliss in his playful presence, we too can discover that the eternal call of the flute is not far away—it is already within the heart, waiting to be heard. 🙏
