- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vani Jairam
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Sathya Sundharam
- Movie release year
- 1981
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Jan 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This playful yet thought-provoking debate song from the movie 'Sathya Sundharam' contrasts the suffering and power of women in Hindu mythology and history. The female verse highlights how women throughout history—such as Chandramati (wife of Harishchandra), Sita, Draupadi, and Shakuntala—were wronged, abandoned, or humiliated by men despite their purity and devotion.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Aamaigal polae vaazhvaa vaazhvaa vaazhavaa….aa….”
Comparing women living passively under oppression to turtles hiding in their shells ('Aamaigal polae vaazhvaa').
Alliteration (Moonaai / Etukai)
“Seerudan sirappudan unmaiyai kattraan / Theruvinilae avan manaiviyai vittraan”
Use of matching second-consonant sounds (Etukai) across lines like 'Seerudan' and 'Theruvinilae', or 'Bedhai' and 'Paei'.
Mythological Allusions (Puraana Kurippu)
“Udambinil oruththi paathiyai kettaal / Unchchnthalaiyinil oruththi utkaarnthaal”
References to epic stories including Harishchandra, Ramayana (Rama and Sita, Surpanakha), Mahabharata (Draupadi), Shiva (Parvati and Ganga), and Kalidasa's Shakuntala.
Antithesis / Contrast (Muran)
“Aazhagiya pengal vaazhvathae / Aadavar thammai aatti vaikkavaa”
Contrasting male dominance ('Aadvar sorpadi aadavaa') with female dominance ('Aadavar thammai aatti vaikkavaa').
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by Kannadasan, this song serves as a intellectual banter track utilizing rich literary allusions from Hindu mythology to present both feminist grievances and male counterarguments with sharp wit and musical flair composed by M. S. Viswanathan.
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