- Lyricist
- Gangai Amaran
- Singer
- K. J. Yesudas
- Music director
- Gangai Amaran
- Movie name
- Ini Oru Sudhanthiram
- Movie release year
- 1987
- Lyrics added on
- 23 Nov 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic patriotic song, originally written by the legendary national poet Mahakavi Subramania Bharati, expresses an agonizing yearning for liberation from oppression and servitude. The lyrics express the collective agony of an enslaved nation, urgently asking when the thirst for true freedom will finally be quenched and when the heavy shackles binding the Motherland will be shattered.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Endru thaniyum indha sudhanthira thagam..”
Freedom is metaphorically compared to 'thagam' (thirst), emphasizing a deep, desperate, and instinctual craving for liberty.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Endru yemadhannai kai vilangugal pogum.. Endru yemathinnalgal theernthu poiyaagum..”
The repetition of the initial word 'Endru' across consecutive lines creates an urgent rhythm and structural harmony.
Rhetorical Question
“Thaayundhan kuzhandhayai thalli vida pomo?”
The poet asks an emotional rhetorical question—asking if a mother could ever abandon her child—to appeal to the divine Motherland's grace and duty to liberate her people.
Did you know?
Trivia
Although credited in the film context to Gangai Amaran or adapted for the 1987 film 'Ini Oru Sudhanthiram' (directed by Manivannan and starring Sivaji Ganesan), this song is originally one of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati's most famous patriotic compositions written during the Indian independence movement. It serves as an iconic rallying cry against oppression and political servitude in Tamil culture.
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