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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Asoka Vanamathil

From Mamiyarum Oru Veettu Marumagale · 1961

Lyricist
A. Maruthakasi
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
Pendyala Nageswara Rao
Movie name
Mamiyarum Oru Veettu Marumagale
Movie release year
1961
Lyrics added on
18 Sept 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Haa..aaa.aaa
Asoka vanadhil seethai
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhai
Asoka vanadhil seethai
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhai
Managiyin kangalum thaarai thaaraiyaai
Sindhudhu neerai mazhai poale
Pongum kanneer vellathinaale
Lankaiyum aanadhu kulam polae
Asoka vanadhil seethai
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhai
Padhiayai pirindha sathiayakki
Siraipaduthi vittaanae raavananum
Siraipaduthi vittaanae raavananum
Nadunga seiyum naragamenum
Sirai meettka vaaraanoo ramanum
Asoka vanadhil seethai
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhai
Sugunavathi vaidhegi gadhi
Kandae kallum urugiyadhae
Kadharidum avalin karppu theeyumae
Haaa..aa..aa
Kadharidum avalin karppu theeyumae
Dhisaigal naangilum paraviyadhae
Dhisaigal naangilum paraviyadhae
Asoka vanadhil seethai
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhai
Asoka vanadhil seethai
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhai
Pirivaatralinaal alum paedhai
Ah... aa... aaa...
Sita is in the Ashoka grove,
An innocent woman weeping from the pain of separation.
Sita is in the Ashoka grove,
An innocent woman weeping from the pain of separation.
From her eyes, streaming in non-stop flows,
Tears pour down just like rain.
With the flood of her rising tears,
Even Lanka has turned into a lake.
Sita is in the Ashoka grove,
An innocent woman weeping from the pain of separation.
Tearing a devoted wife away from her husband,
Ravana has trapped and imprisoned her.
Ravana has trapped and imprisoned her.
From this shuddering prison of hell,
Will Rama not come to rescue her?
Sita is in the Ashoka grove,
An innocent woman weeping from the pain of separation.
Seeing the tragic fate of the virtuous Vaidehi (Sita),
Even cold stones have melted away.
As she wails, the pure fire of her virtue
Ah... aa... aaa...
As she wails, the pure fire of her virtue
Has spread across all four directions...
Has spread across all four directions...
Sita is in the Ashoka grove,
An innocent woman weeping from the pain of separation.
Sita is in the Ashoka grove,
An innocent woman weeping from the pain of separation.
An innocent woman weeping from the pain of separation.
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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').

Did you know?

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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