Etran Marakken Ezhumaikkum
From Sundara Murthy Nayanar · 1967
- Lyricist
- Sundara Murthy Nayanar
- Singer
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan
- Music director
- S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
- Details
- Sundara Murthy Nayanar1967
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Ettraan marakkaen | How can I ever forget? |
| Ezhumaikkum emperumaanaiyae | My Supreme Lord who protects me across all seven births! |
| Uttraai endru unnaiyae | Realizing that You alone are my true refuge and kin, |
| Ulgugindren unarndhu ullathaal | I meditate upon You deeply with a conscious heart. |
| Puttru aadu aravaa pookkoliyur avi naasiyae | O Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, who wears the dancing snake from the anthill! |
| Pattraaga vaazhven pasupathiyae paramaetiyae | I shall live holding onto You as my sole anchor, O Lord of all beings, O Supreme Lord! |
| Pasupathiyae paramaetiyae… | O Lord of all beings! O Supreme Lord!... |
| Pasupathiyae paramaetiyae | O Lord of all beings! O Supreme Lord! |
| Male | |
| Uraippaar urai uganthu ulga vallaar | Those capable in this world who joyfully recite these sacred words, |
| Uraippaar urai uganthu ulga vallaar thangal utchiyaai | Those capable in this world who joyfully cherish these words upon their heads, |
| Uraippaar urai uganthu ulga vallaar thangal utchiyaai | Those capable in this world who joyfully cherish these words upon their heads, |
| Araikkaadu aravaa aadhiyum andhamum aayinaai | O One wearing a serpent at Your waist, who became the Beginning and the End! |
| Araikkaadu aravaa aadhiyum andhamum aayinaai | O One wearing a serpent at Your waist, who became the Beginning and the End! |
| Puraikkaadu solai pookkoliyur avinaasiyae | O Lord Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, surrounded by dense woodlands and lush groves! |
| Puraikkaadu solai pookkoliyur avinaasiyae | O Lord Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, surrounded by dense woodlands and lush groves! |
| Karaikaal mudhalaiyai pillai thara sollu | Command the crocodile of the riverbank to give back the child! |
| Karaikaal mudhalaiyai pillai thara sollu kaalanaiyae… | Command Yama, the God of Death, so that the crocodile gives back the child!... |
எற்றான் மறக்கேன்
எழுமைக்கும் எம்பெருமானையே
உற்றாய் என்று உன்னையே
உள்குகின்றேன் உணர்ந்து உள்ளத்தால்
புற்று ஆடு அரவா புக்கொளியூர் அவிநாசியே
பற்றாக வாழ்வேன் பசுபதியே பரமேட்டியே.
பசுபதியே பரமேட்டியே......
பசுபதியே பரமேட்டியே..
How can I ever forget?
My Supreme Lord who protects me across all seven births!
Realizing that You alone are my true refuge and kin,
I meditate upon You deeply with a conscious heart.
O Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, who wears the dancing snake from the anthill!
I shall live holding onto You as my sole anchor, O Lord of all beings, O Supreme Lord!
O Lord of all beings! O Supreme Lord!...
O Lord of all beings! O Supreme Lord!
உரைப்பார் உரை உகந்து உள்க வல்லார்
உரைப்பார் உரை உகந்து உள்க வல்லார் தங்கள் உச்சியாய்
உரைப்பார் உரை உகந்து உள்க வல்லார் தங்கள் உச்சியாய்
அரைக்கு ஆடு அரவா ஆதியும் அந்தமும் ஆயினாய்
அரைக்கு ஆடு அரவா ஆதியும் அந்தமும் ஆயினாய்
புரைக்காடு சோலைப் புக்கொளியூர் அவிநாசியே
புரைக்காடு சோலைப் புக்கொளியூர் அவிநாசியே
கரைக்கால் முதலையைப் பிள்ளை தரச் சொல்லு
கரைக்கால் முதலையைப் பிள்ளை தரச் சொல்லு காலனையே.....
Those capable in this world who joyfully recite these sacred words,
Those capable in this world who joyfully cherish these words upon their heads,
Those capable in this world who joyfully cherish these words upon their heads,
O One wearing a serpent at Your waist, who became the Beginning and the End!
O One wearing a serpent at Your waist, who became the Beginning and the End!
O Lord Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, surrounded by dense woodlands and lush groves!
O Lord Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, surrounded by dense woodlands and lush groves!
Command the crocodile of the riverbank to give back the child!
Command Yama, the God of Death, so that the crocodile gives back the child!...
Ettraan marakkaen
How can I ever forget?
Ezhumaikkum emperumaanaiyae
My Supreme Lord who protects me across all seven births!
Uttraai endru unnaiyae
Realizing that You alone are my true refuge and kin,
Ulgugindren unarndhu ullathaal
I meditate upon You deeply with a conscious heart.
Puttru aadu aravaa pookkoliyur avi naasiyae
O Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, who wears the dancing snake from the anthill!
Pattraaga vaazhven pasupathiyae paramaetiyae
I shall live holding onto You as my sole anchor, O Lord of all beings, O Supreme Lord!
Pasupathiyae paramaetiyae…
O Lord of all beings! O Supreme Lord!...
Pasupathiyae paramaetiyae
O Lord of all beings! O Supreme Lord!
Uraippaar urai uganthu ulga vallaar
Those capable in this world who joyfully recite these sacred words,
Uraippaar urai uganthu ulga vallaar thangal utchiyaai
Those capable in this world who joyfully cherish these words upon their heads,
Uraippaar urai uganthu ulga vallaar thangal utchiyaai
Those capable in this world who joyfully cherish these words upon their heads,
Araikkaadu aravaa aadhiyum andhamum aayinaai
O One wearing a serpent at Your waist, who became the Beginning and the End!
Araikkaadu aravaa aadhiyum andhamum aayinaai
O One wearing a serpent at Your waist, who became the Beginning and the End!
Puraikkaadu solai pookkoliyur avinaasiyae
O Lord Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, surrounded by dense woodlands and lush groves!
Puraikkaadu solai pookkoliyur avinaasiyae
O Lord Avinashi of Pookkoliyur, surrounded by dense woodlands and lush groves!
Karaikaal mudhalaiyai pillai thara sollu
Command the crocodile of the riverbank to give back the child!
Karaikaal mudhalaiyai pillai thara sollu kaalanaiyae…
Command Yama, the God of Death, so that the crocodile gives back the child!...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This divine song is an excerpt from the sacred Tamil Shaivite hymn (Thevaram) composed by Saint Sundaramurthy Nayanar at the Avinashi (Pookkoliyur) temple, featured in the 1967 devotional movie 'Sundara Murthy Nayanar'. The saint expresses his unshakable surrender to Lord Shiva, declaring that he can never forget the Almighty who guides his soul through cycle after cycle of birth. He meditates upon Shiva as Pasupathi, the supreme master who wears serpents and encompasses both the Alpha and the Omega. The emotional climax of the song stems from one of the grandest miracles in Tamil devotional history. Saint Sundarar arrives at Avinashi and learns of a grieving mother whose young boy had been swallowed years earlier by a river crocodile. Moved by her grief, the saint sings this impassioned plea, commanding Death (Kaalan) and the crocodile to restore the boy alive. Driven by the divine power of his unyielding faith and devotion, the miracle unfolds as the crocodile brings back the child safe and fully grown.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Puttru aadu aravaa pookkoliyur avi naasiyae / Pattraaga vaazhven pasupathiyae paramaetiyae”
The second consonant sound 'tt' (ற்/ட்) rhymes in 'Puttru' and 'Pattraaga', establishing a strong rhythmic structure typical of Tamil prosody.
Monai (Initial Consonant/Vowel Alliteration)
“Uttraai endru unnaiyae / Ulgugindren unarndhu ullathaal”
The initial vowel 'U' (உ) is repeated across words ('Uttraai', 'unnaiyae', 'Ulgugindren', 'unarndhu', 'ullathaal'), creating melodic assonance.
Muran (Antithesis / Oxymoron)
“Araikkaadu aravaa aadhiyum andhamum aayinaai”
'Aadhi' (Beginning) and 'Andham' (End) are contrasting terms placed together to emphasize Shiva's nature as eternal and timeless.
Repetition / Chorus Refrain
“Pasupathiyae paramaetiyae”
The rhythmic invocation of Shiva's titles 'Pasupathi' and 'Paramaeti' is repeated to build emotional intensity and spiritual fervour during the miracle.
Did you know?
Trivia
This hymn is part of the 7th Thirumurai (Tamil Shaivite canon) known as the Avinashi Pathigam. The miraculous event depicted—where Saint Sundarar brings back a boy swallowed by a crocodile—is celebrated to this day as the 'Mudalai Unnda Pillai Azhaithal' festival at the Avinashilingeswarar Temple in Tamil Nadu. Dr. Seerkazhi Govindarajan's iconic, powerful vocal rendition in the 1967 film made this classical hymn immortal in popular Tamil culture.
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