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Lyrics & meaning

Asoka Vanamathil

From Mamiyarum Oru Veettu Marumagale · 1961

Lyricist
A. Maruthakasi
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
Pendyala Nageswara Rao
Details
Mamiyarum Oru Veettu Marumagale1961

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Haa..aaa.aaaVocalizing (Ah...)
Asoka vanadhil seethaiSita in the Ashoka grove
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhaiIs a naive maiden weeping due to the unbearable pain of separation
Asoka vanadhil seethaiSita in the Ashoka grove
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhaiIs a naive maiden weeping due to the unbearable pain of separation
Female
Managiyin kangalum thaarai thaaraiyaaiThe young woman's eyes, continuously and profusely
Sindhudhu neerai mazhai poaleShed water like falling rain
Pongum kanneer vellathinaaleDue to the surging flood of tears
Lankaiyum aanadhu kulam polaeEven Lanka turned into a pond
Female
Asoka vanadhil seethaiSita in the Ashoka grove
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhaiIs a naive maiden weeping due to the unbearable pain of separation
Female
Padhiayai pirindha sathiayakkiMaking her a chaste woman separated from her husband
Siraipaduthi vittaanae raavananumRavana had imprisoned her
Siraipaduthi vittaanae raavananumRavana had imprisoned her
Nadunga seiyum naragamenumFrom this shudder-inducing, hellish
Sirai meettka vaaraanoo ramanumPrison, will Rama not come to rescue her?
Female
Asoka vanadhil seethaiSita in the Ashoka grove
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhaiIs a naive maiden weeping due to the unbearable pain of separation
Female
Sugunavathi vaidhegi gadhiSeeing the plight of the virtuous Vaidehi (Sita)
Kandae kallum urugiyadhaeEven stones melted
Kadharidum avalin karppu theeyumaeThe fire of her chastity as she wailed
Haaa..aa..aaVocalizing (Ah...)
Kadharidum avalin karppu theeyumaeThe fire of her chastity as she wailed
Dhisaigal naangilum paraviyadhaeSpread in all four directions
Dhisaigal naangilum paraviyadhaeSpread in all four directions
Female
Asoka vanadhil seethaiSita in the Ashoka grove
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhaiIs a naive maiden weeping due to the unbearable pain of separation
Asoka vanadhil seethaiSita in the Ashoka grove
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhaiIs a naive maiden weeping due to the unbearable pain of separation
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhaiIs a naive maiden weeping due to the unbearable pain of separation

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant song portrays the immense grief and suffering of Goddess Sita while imprisoned by Ravana in the Ashoka grove (Ashoka Vatika). Separated from her beloved husband Lord Rama, Sita weeps continuously, shedding a flood of tears so vast that it poetically transforms the island of Lanka into a pond. The lyrics emphasize her profound virtue and purity, noting that even inanimate stones melt upon witnessing her tragic plight, while the fiery power of her chastity radiates across all directions. Set against the tragic tone of the Ramayana episode, the song serves as a powerful metaphorical reflection within the film's narrative. Through P. Susheela's emotive vocals, Pendyala Nageswara Rao's dramatic musical composition, and A. Maruthakasi's evocative Tamil lyrics, the song vividly captures Sita's agonizing wait for Rama to rescue her from her hellish confinement.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Sindhudhu neerai mazhai poale

Her tears falling like heavy rain are explicitly compared using the comparative marker 'poale'.

Hyperbole (Uruvagandham / Aathidhiki)

Lankaiyum aanadhu kulam polae / Kandae kallum urugiyadhae

Exaggerating the volume of tears to say it turned Lanka into a pond, and describing her sorrow as powerful enough to melt stones.

Metaphor (Uruvagaim)

Kadharidum avalin karppu theeyumae

Comparing her steadfast chastity directly to a blazing fire ('karppu theeyumae').

Alliteration (Monai)

Kandae kallum urugiyadhae

Repetition of initial phonetic sounds across words ('Sugunavathi' and 'Vaidhegi', or 'Kandae' and 'Kallum').

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Trivia

The song draws directly from the Sundara Kanda episode of the epic Ramayana, depicting Sita's ordeal in Ashoka Vatika. In the context of the 1961 Tamil film 'Mamiyarum Oru Veettu Marumagale', this classical song mirrors the character's suffering and isolation, utilizing traditional epic motifs to heighten the emotional drama.

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