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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Amma Endroru

From Vaimaye Vellum · 1997

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
P. Unnikrishnan
Music director
Deva
Details
Vaimaye Vellum1997

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Amma…..amma…..Mother... Mother...
Male
Amma endroruThere is no deity here
Deivaththai pol ingulike the goddess called
Veroru deivam illaimother
Vendum varam tharaTo grant desired boons,
Thaayinai pol inguthere is no temple here
Veroru koyil illailike a mother
Male
Thiru kaanjiyil kaamaatchiKamakshi in sacred Kanchipuram,
Then madhurraiyil meenaatchiMeenakshi in sweet Madurai,
Antha thillaiyil sivagaamiSivagami in that Chidambaram,
Thirakkadavoor abhiramiAbhirami in Thirukadaiyur,
Male
Ena amman nooraagumThough goddesses may number a hundred,
Yaar amma polaagumwho can ever equal a mother?
Amma….amma….Mother... Mother...
Male
Kannanai pol enakkuJust like Lord Krishna, for me
Thaai thaan renduthere are two mothers;
Anbinilae rendum ondruin love, both are one.
Mattravar pol enakkuJust like everyone else, for me
Kangal renduthere are two eyes;
paarvaiyilae irandum ondruin vision, both are one.
Male
Maeni noga paththu maatha kaalaminguSuffering bodily pain for ten months,
Karuvil enai sumantha thaai oruththione mother carried me in her womb.
Pona thaaimai inguThe lost motherhood returned here,
Meendum vanthathena vizhiyilas if carrying me in her eyes,
Enai sumantha thaai oruththiand so she is another mother.
Amma…amma…..Mother... Mother...
Male
Maaperum maaligaigalGrand palaces
Yaedhum vendaamare not needed at all;
Annai nizhal enakku pothumthe mother's shadow is enough for me.
Vaazhvinil selvangalRiches in life
Koodum odumwill accumulate and run away,
Annai anbu nilaiththu vaazhumbut a mother's love will remain forever.
Male
Kaalakaalam pudhu kamalam pola inguThrough ages, like a fresh lotus here,
Malarnthu manam parappum arputhamaeblooming and spreading fragrance, she is a wonder.
Paatham pottrukindra pillai yaavarukkumFor all children who praise her feet,
Virumpum nalam kodukkum karpagamaeshe is the wish-fulfilling tree granting goodness.
Male
Amma endroruThere is no deity here
Deivaththai pol ingulike the goddess called
Veroru deivam illaimother
Vendum varam tharaTo grant desired boons,
Thaayinai pol inguthere is no temple here
Veroru koyil illailike a mother
Male
Thiru kanjiyil kaamatchiKamakshi in sacred Kanchipuram,
Then madhurraiyil meenaatchiMeenakshi in sweet Madurai,
Antha thillaiyil sivagaamiSivagami in that Chidambaram,
Thirakkadavoor abhiramiAbhirami in Thirukadaiyur,
Male
Ena amman nooraagumThough goddesses may number a hundred,
Yaar amma polaagumwho can ever equal a mother?
Amma….amma….Mother... Mother...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This classic song from 'Vaimaye Vellum' (1997) pays a heartfelt tribute to the irreplaceable role of a mother. Lyricist Vaali places maternal affection above divine entities, referencing sacred shrines like Kanchipuram Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi, Chidambaram Sivagami, and Thirukadaiyur Abhirami to illustrate that even among hundreds of divine mother goddesses, none compares to one's birth mother. The narrative also beautifully draws parallels to Lord Krishna's life, explaining how a person can have two mothers—one who carried the child in her womb for ten months, and another who nurtured the child with her loving gaze—both uniting in unconditional love like two eyes sharing a single vision. In the concluding lines, the song emphasizes that worldly luxuries, status, and material wealth are fleeting, whereas a mother's protective shade and timeless affection endure forever. Comparing a mother to a fragrant blooming lotus and a celestial wish-granting tree (Karpagam), the composition rendered soulfully by P. Unnikrishnan under Deva's music remains one of Tamil cinema's quintessential odes to motherhood.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Upamai (Simile)

Kaalakaalam pudhu kamalam pola ingu

Comparing the blooming presence of motherly love to a fresh lotus spreading fragrance continuously across generations.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Virumpum nalam kodukkum karpagamae

Metaphorically portraying the mother as 'Karpagam', the divine wish-fulfilling tree that grants blessings to children.

Alliteration (Monai)

Thiru kaanjiyil kaamaatchi / Then madhurraiyil meenaatchi

Matching initial consonant sounds in 'Thiru' and 'Then' across paired lines.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Anbinilae rendum ondru / paarvaiyilae irandum ondru

End-rhyming structure using matching phrases 'rendum ondru' and 'irandum ondru' across stanzas.

Mythological Allusion

Kannanai pol enakku / Thaai thaan rendu

Referencing Lord Krishna's story of having two mothers (Devaki and Yashoda) to describe the deep bond shared with two maternal figures.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Amma Endroru Deivaththai' is a memorable maternal ballad composed by Deva for the 1997 film 'Vaimaye Vellum'. Sung by P. Unnikrishnan, lyricist Vaali seamlessly integrated traditional Tamil temple lore (referencing Kamakshi, Meenakshi, Sivagami, and Abhirami) and Vaishnavite mythology (Lord Krishna's two mothers) to highlight the supreme sacredness of a mother.

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