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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Eesan Mel Unakku Female

From Varam Tharum Vadivelan · 1993

Lyricist
Shanmuga Sithan
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
S. A. Rajkumar
Details
Varam Tharum Vadivelan1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Hoi hoiyaa hoiyaaHoi hoiyaa hoiyaa
Hoyyaare hoyyaare hoyyaaHoyyaare hoyyaare hoyyaa
Hoi hoiyaa hoiyaaHoi hoiyaa hoiyaa
Hoyyaare hoyyaare hoyyaaHoyyaare hoyyaare hoyyaa
Female
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Female
Thaayindri thanthaiyindriWithout a mother, without a father,
Thannanthaniyaaga nirkkumStanding all by himself,
Kangai thunaivanukku kannippen etharkkuWhy does the companion of river Ganga need a young maiden?
Chorus
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Female
Kaattil iruppavanaamThey say he dwells in the forest,
Sudu saambal anibavanaamThey say he wears hot burning ashes,
Paambai aninthavanaamThey say he wears snakes as ornaments,
Kodum nanjai undavanaamThey say he consumed deadly poison,
Kannappa vedanidam kaaladi pattuStepped on by Kannappa the hunter,
Manmatha rajanidam villadi pattuStruck by the arrow of Manmatha, the king of love,
Chorus
Kannappa vedanidam kaaladi pattuStepped on by Kannappa the hunter,
Manmatha rajanidam villadi pattuStruck by the arrow of Manmatha, the king of love,
Female
Pittukku man sumanthuCarrying mud in exchange for pittu sweet,
Pirambadi pattaBeaten with a cane,
Pithan mogam etharkku thozhiyeWhy do you hold passion for this madman, my friend?
Chorus
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Female
Moondraam kannaikonduWith his third eye,
Andru muppuram erithavanaamHe burnt down the three cities that day,
Kaattil koyil konduHaving his shrine in the forest,
Thiru oattil unavu unduEating food out of a begging bowl,
Female
Puli tholai araikkaninthuDraped in tiger skin around his waist,
Oru peyan ena thirinthuWandering around like a demon,
Chorus
Puli tholai araikkaninthuDraped in tiger skin around his waist,
Oru peyan ena thirinthuWandering around like a demon,
Female
Thirisoolam kondaHolding a trident,
Sadai maamuniyinThe great sage with matted hair,
Kaathal unakketharkku thozhiyeWhy do you need love for him, my friend?
Female
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Chorus
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Thaayindri thanthaiyindriWithout a mother, without a father,
Thannanthaniyaaga nirkkumStanding all by himself,
Kangai thunaivanukkuFor the companion of river Ganga,
Kannippen etharkkuWhy a young maiden?
Female
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?
Chorus
Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkkuWhy do you have a desire for Lord Shiva?
Pithan avanthaane thozhiIs he not a madman, my friend?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is written in the traditional Tamil literary style known as Nindha Stuthi, where a deity is playfully mocked or criticized on the surface, but the underlying intent is to glorify their cosmic supreme nature and divine legends. The singer teases her friend for falling in love with Lord Shiva, questioning why anyone would desire a god who wanders homeless in forests, wears hot ashes and snakes, eats out of a begging bowl, and was once beaten with a cane for pittu in Madurai. Through listing Shiva's sacred sacred leelas—such as swallowing poison to save the universe, incinerating Kamadeva and Tripura, and accepting Kannappa Nayanar's devotion—the lyrics celebrate Shiva's utter detachments and boundless grace under the guise of humorous skepticism.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Nindha Stuthi (Allegorical Mockery as Praise)

Eesan mel unakku aasaithaan etharkku / Pithan avanthaane thozhi

A traditional Tamil literary genre where the poet pretends to ridicule the god's unconventional lifestyle (wearing ashes, living in forests) while secretly praising his supreme transcendence.

Etuhoi / Etukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Kaattil iruppavanaam / Sudu saambal anibavanaam

Matching the second consonant sound across consecutive lines to create a rhythmic floral pattern.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Kannappa vedanidam kaaladi pattu / Manmatha rajanidam villadi pattu

Using identical line endings to create musicality across stanzas.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song draws directly from several famous stories in Saivite mythology and the Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam, including Lord Shiva consuming the Alakala poison, taking form without parents (Swayambhu), accepting the devotion of Kannappa Nayanar who placed his foot on the Lingam, and taking cane lashes from the Pandya King on behalf of an old woman selling Pittu (rice cake).

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