- Lyricist
- Papanasam Sivan
- Singer
- M. L. Vasanthakumari
- Music director
- S. V. Venkatraman
- Movie name
- Kodeeswaran
- Movie release year
- 1955
- Lyrics added on
- 12 Oct 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song is a classic expression of 'Nayaki Bhava' (the soul longing for union with the Divine Lord, Krishna). The protagonist surrenders her mind, body, and love completely to Lord Krishna, proclaiming that her entire existence belongs to him alone. She fondly recalls playful childhood moments—how he charmed her with his words, smile, and playful teasing, such as pulling her braid and covering her eyes in hide-and-seek games. However, nostalgia turns into bittersweet longing as she questions whether his promises of everlasting love were deceptive. She expresses fear of abandonment, asking where she could possibly turn if he discards her. Desperately seeking his divine grace and compassion, she pleads with the thief of her heart to show mercy before her suffering becomes unbearable.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Refrain (Pallavi repetition)
“En udalum ulla kaadhalum”
The core couplet 'En udalum ulla kaadhalum / Unakkae sondham urudhi' repeats across stanzas to reinforce total devotion and theme.
Edugai (Second-letter rhyme)
“En udalum ulla kaadhalum”
The second consonant sound matches across adjacent lines, creating classical Tamil rhythmic flow (e.g., 'udalum' / 'kadhalum').
Rhetorical Question
“Vaakku thandhaai…kabadamo…”
The speaker asks whether his divine promise was mere trickery ('kabadamo?'), accentuating emotional distress and betrayal.
Metaphor
“Ennullamae kollai kol kannanae”
Describing Kanna as 'kollai kol' (the one who loots/robs), metaphorically depicting how divine love completely steals away her heart and thoughts.
Did you know?
Trivia
This song features lyrics by legendary Carnatic composer Papanasam Sivan, often called the 'Tamil Tyagaraja', and music by S. V. Venkatraman. Rendered by the illustrious Carnatic vocalist M. L. Vasanthakumari (MLV), it showcases the seamless blending of classical Carnatic Sringara Bhakti into early Tamil cinema.
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