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Periya Idathu Penn album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Avanukkenna

From Periya Idathu Penn · 1963

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Movie name
Periya Idathu Penn
Movie release year
1963
Lyrics added on
27 Apr 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
{ Avanukenna thoonkivittan
Agapattavan naan allava
Aiyirandu maadhathilae
Kaigalilae potu vittan } (2)
Kaigalilae potu vittan
{ Ivanukendru
Edhai koduthaan
Elumbudanae sadhai
Koduthaan } (2)
Idhayathaiyum
Koduthuvitu irankum
Varai thudika vittan
Irankum varai
Thudika vittan
Avanukenna thoonkivittan
Agapattavan naan allava
Aiyirandu maadhathilae
Kaigalilae potu vittan
Yaanai idam
Nandri vaithaan
Kaakai idam
Uravu vaithaan
Maangalukum
Maanam vaithaan
{ Manidhanuku
Enna vaithaan } (2)
Avanukenna thoonkivittan
Agapattavan naan allava
Aiyirandu maadhathilae
{ Kaigalilae potu vittan } (2)
{ Vaanil ulla
Devargalai vaazhavaika
Visham kudithaan… } (2)
Naatil ulla
Vishathai ellam
{ Naan kudika vituvittan } (2)
Avanukenna thoonkivittan
Agapattavan naan allava
Aiyirandu maadhathilae
{ Kaigalilae potu vittan } (2)
What does He care? He has gone to sleep,
Am I not the one caught in this trap?
In just ten months,
He dropped me into the world's hands!
He dropped me into the world's hands!
For this poor man,
what did He give?
Along with bones,
He gave some flesh.
And giving me a heart,
He left it to ache
until He takes pity!
Until He takes pity,
He left it to throb in pain!
What does He care? He has gone to sleep,
Am I not the one caught in this trap?
In just ten months,
He dropped me into the world's hands!
In the elephant,
He placed gratitude,
In the crow,
He placed love for kin,
Even for the deer,
He gave self-respect,
But for mankind,
what did He leave?
What does He care? He has gone to sleep,
Am I not the one caught in this trap?
In just ten months,
He dropped me into the world's hands!
To let the gods
in heaven survive,
He drank the poison...
But all the poison
here in this world,
He left for me to drink!
What does He care? He has gone to sleep,
Am I not the one caught in this trap?
In just ten months,
He dropped me into the world's hands!
Male
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Avanukenna Thoonkivittan is a profound philosophical song from the 1963 Tamil film Periya Idathu Penn, penned by the legendary Kannadasan. The protagonist laments the burdens of human life, questioning the Almighty's design. After creating man with bones, flesh, and a heart doomed to throb incessantly until death, God seems to rest peacefully while leaving humans to suffer. The song contrasts human agony with animal instincts, observing that animals possess natural virtues—elephants are faithful, crows exhibit unity, and deer possess self-dignity—yet humans are left with suffering and conflict. Drawing upon Hindu mythology, the lyricist references Lord Shiva consuming the cosmic poison (Halahala) to save the gods in heaven, but lamenting that in the earthly realm, humans are forced to drink the poison of daily grief and hardship on their own. Through simple yet haunting verses, the song serves as an existential commentary on human struggle, fate, and divine apathy.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Alangaram)

“Manidhanuku / Enna vaithaan”

The poet asks 'Manidhanuku / Enna vaithaan' (What did He keep for human beings?) to forcefully highlight human suffering rather than seek an actual answer.

Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Yaanai idam / Kaakai idam”

The second letters of 'Agapattavan' (g) and 'Aiyirandu' (i/y - phonetically paired) or 'Yaanai' / 'Kaakai' / 'Maangalukum' create structured rhythm in Tamil prosody.

Mythological Allusion

“Devargalai vaazhavaika / Visham kudithaan…”

Refers to the Hindu mythological episode of Thiruneelakandar (Lord Shiva) drinking poison to save the Devas during the churning of the ocean.

Antithesis / Contrast (Muran)

“Naatil ulla / Vishathai ellam / Naan kudika vituvittan”

Contrasts God's act of drinking poison to save heavenly beings with forcing humans to consume earthly poison themselves.

Keep listening

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