- Lyricist
- Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam
- Singer
- M. L. Vasanthakumari
- Music director
- G. Ramanathan
- Movie name
- Chakravarthi Thirumagal
- Movie release year
- 1957
- Lyrics added on
- 3 Mar 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song opens with an epic allusion to the Ramayana, describing how Soorpanakha disguised herself as Sita out of overwhelming desire for Lord Rama, causing grief and confusion to Sita. Drawing a parallel to this legendary deceit, the protagonist laments the arrival of a manipulative rival woman ('neeli') who has cast a web of trickery to steal away her marital bliss and peace. She painfully recalls the joy of marrying the man of her dreams and sharing a life filled with love songs and happiness, which has now been reduced to loneliness and despair. She confronts the deceitful intruder, questioning whether she is a human or a demon for driving a wedge into a sacred marriage, and pouring out the grief of a true heart suffering unmerited betrayal.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uvamai Ani (Simile)
“Seethai pol soorppanagai urumaarinaal”
Compares Soorpanakha's shape-shifting transformation directly to the appearance of Sita using the comparison word 'pol' (like).
Metaphor / Uruvagakani
“Vantha neeli yaaro”
Uses 'Neeli'—a legendary deceitful sorceress/demoness in Tamil folklore—as a metaphor for the rival woman who ruins marital happiness.
Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Sriraman meethile / Seethai pol...”
The second consonant sound ('raa' / 'tha' in classical meter, or 'ndhan' / 'njan' in 'Endhan' / 'Vanjanaiyaale') creates rhythmic flow across lines.
Monai (First Letter Alliteration)
“Vanjanaiyaale valai veesiye”
The repetition of the 'Va' sound ('Vanjanaiyaale', 'valai', 'veesiye') provides poetic harmony within the line.
Did you know?
Trivia
Chakravarthi Thirumagal (1957) is a classic Tamil fantasy-swashbuckler film starring M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Anjali Devi. The soundtrack was composed by legendary maestro G. Ramanathan, and this song features the pristine classical vocals of Carnatic legend M.L. Vasanthakumari (MLV). The lyrics, penned by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam, ingeniously use the Ramayana motif of Soorpanakha's deception to mirror the protagonist's narrative conflict.
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