- Lyricist
- Subbu Arumugam
- Singer
- Saradha
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Murugane Thunai
- Movie release year
- 1990
- Lyrics added on
- 13 Nov 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This devotional song from the film Murugane Thunai praises Lord Murugan using the foundational vowels of the Tamil language (Uyir Ezhuthukkal: இ, ஈ, உ, ஊ, எ, ஏ, ஐ, ஒ, ஓ) as a clever lyrical structure. Each Tamil letter introduces a specific attribute or legend associated with Lord Murugan, reinforcing the cultural belief that Murugan is the divine patron god of the Tamil language ('Thamizh Kadavul'). The lyrics recount famous mythological episodes of Murugan: teaching the sacred Omkara mantra to his father Lord Shiva, winning the divine fruit by circling the world (his parents), bestowing speech upon the speech-impaired saint Kumaraguruparar, residing in the holy shrine of Ettukudi, riding his peacock mount, being the younger brother of Lord Ganesha (Aingaran), and marrying his two consorts, Valli and Deivanai.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Alphabetical Acrostic / Uyir Ezhuthu Paattu
“Eena... Eeyanna... Oona... Oovanna... Yena... Eyanna... Aiyanna... Oonna... Oovanna...”
The lyrics systematically follow the sequential order of Tamil vowels (இ, ஈ, உ, ஊ, எ, ஏ, ஐ, ஒ, ஓ) to introduce each stanza.
Anaaphora (Repetition for Emphasis)
“Eena eena eena”
The rhythmic repetition of the sound names at the beginning of each section builds melodic momentum and educational familiarity.
Yethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Oruthikku iruvarai manandhavana / Oongaara porul uraithavana”
Matching secondary consonants across adjacent lines creates traditional Tamil poetic meter.
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Trivia
Lyricist Subbu Arumugam was a veteran exponent of 'Villu Paattu' (bow-song musical storytelling). His background in traditional folk musical arts is reflected in this song's structure, which uses the Tamil alphabet to teach both linguistics and devotional mythology simultaneously.
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