- Lyricist
- Udumalai Narayanakavi
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Vivasayee
- Movie release year
- 1967
- Lyrics added on
- 21 Apr 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song expresses a woman's intense inner torment as she finds herself trapped in a painful conflict of duties—torn between her loyalty to her husband and her love for her blood relatives. Realizing that neither party is truly at fault, she laments her helpless state and cries out to the divine mother figure for guidance. She struggles with the terrifying thought of having to disobey her husband or abandon her family, believing that failing to balance both relationships would render her life meaningless. Through poignant lyrical questioning, she seeks a path where love and dignity can coexist without violence or heartbreaks. The song beautifully portrays the emotional conflict and moral dilemma typical of classical Indian family sagas, capturing a desperate hope for harmony and happiness to eventually restore order in her family's life.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kaadhal thannai marakka chonnaal / Saadhal aagumae”
The second consonant 'dha' (த) rhymes between 'Kaadhal' and 'Saadhal'.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Kadandhiduvaeno / Kai viduvaeno”
Both lines end with the identical rhythmic ending sound '-vaeno'.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Saadhal aagumae / Modhal aagumae”
The lines rhyme at the end with the word 'aagumae'.
Monai (First-letter Alliteration)
“Karam piditha kanavar sollai / Kadandhiduvaeno”
The initial sound 'Ka' (க) repeats across key words 'Karam', 'kanavar', and 'Kadandhiduvaeno'.
Metaphor (Uruvagaimai)
“Ratha kalappil vandha kula kodiyai”
The blood relation is poetically described as a 'kula kodi' (family vine/branch).
Did you know?
Trivia
'Evaridathum thavarum illai' is a moving melancholic track from the 1967 Tamil film 'Vivasayee', directed by M. A. Thirumugam and starring M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) alongside K. R. Vijaya. The legendary Udumalai Narayanakavi authored the lyrics, expertly capturing nuanced Tamil familial dynamics. Rendered with deep emotional resonance by Nightingale of South India P. Susheela under the music direction of K. V. Mahadevan, the song remains one of the most memorable emotional solos in 1960s Tamil cinema.
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