- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Leela
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Jaya Gopi
- Movie release year
- 1955
- Lyrics added on
- 30 Sept 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song from 'Jaya Gopi' (1955) is an empowering ode celebrating the strength, grace, and intrinsic potential of Indian women. Through poetic praise, lyricist Kannadasan urges the young woman of India to shed the label of being helpless ('abalai') and awaken to her true form as a force of divine power ('veera sakthi'). The lyrics place the Indian woman on a high pedestal, attributing to her the virtues of sacrifice, righteousness, artistic appreciation, and wisdom. It proclaims that her brilliance and capabilities will shine far and wide across nations, portraying her as an embodiment of Mother India's values.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Dhesa dhesamunthan thiramai kaanumae”
Repetition of initial consonant sounds across words in the line for musicality.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Vilangum thaayae kalpavavalliyae”
Comparing the woman directly to 'Kalpavalli' (the divine wish-fulfilling creeper) and a speaking goddess.
Rhetorical Question
“Abalaium neeyo bharatha vanithaa”
Asking 'Are you helpless?' to challenge societal assumptions and spark self-awareness.
Emonaai / Anaphora
“Dhesa dhesamunthan thiramai kaanumae”
Repetition of key phrases like 'Dhesa dhesamunthan' at the start of refrain lines for emphasis.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Jaya Gopi' (1955) featured music by the legendary Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy duo and lyrics by Kannadasan. Sung with grandeur by P. Leela, this song stands as one of early Tamil cinema's inspiring female-empowerment anthems, blending patriotic themes with classical imagery.
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