Gangadarane Karunakarane
From Boologa Rambai – 1958 · 1958
- Lyricist
- K. S. Krishnamoorthy
- Singer
- Radha Jayalakshmi
- Music director
- C. N. Pandurangan
- Details
- Boologa Rambai – 19581958
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae | Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva! |
| Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane | Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara! |
| Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae | Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva! |
| Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane | Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara! |
| Female | |
| Kangalai imaiyae azhipadhu muraiyoo | Is it right for the eyelids to destroy the eyes? |
| Kadamai marapadhum sariyoo | Is it correct to forget one's duty? |
| Kangalai imaiyae azhipadhu muraiyoo | Is it right for the eyelids to destroy the eyes? |
| Kadamai marapadhum sariyoo | Is it correct to forget one's duty? |
| Kandrinai pasuvae kondridal neriyoo | Is it justice if a mother cow slays her own calf? |
| Kandrinai pasuvae kondridal neriyoo | Is it justice if a mother cow slays her own calf? |
| Kalangumen nilaiyai nee ariyaaiyoo | Do you not know my distressed and turbulent condition? |
| Kalangumen nilaiyai nee ariyaaiyoo | Do you not know my distressed and turbulent condition? |
| Female | |
| Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae | Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva! |
| Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane | Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara! |
| Female | |
| Kaarmugam kaanadha payirinai polae | Like a crop that has not seen dark rain clouds, |
| Kadhiravan kaanadha thamarai polae | Like a lotus flower that has not seen the sun, |
| Paarinil naanae parathavithene | I am left suffering and helpless in this world. |
| Paavai kaatharul parama dhayaala | Oh Most Compassionate One, protect this maiden and grant your grace! |
| Female | |
| Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae | Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva! |
| Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane | Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara! |
| Female | |
| Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae | Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva! |
| Kaadhalan innuyir maaindha pinnalae | After the precious life of my beloved has perished, |
| Kanniyar vaazhnthidalama | Can a maiden continue to live on? |
| Female | |
| Paedhai en kadharal sevi pugavillaiyo | Did my naive cries of distress not reach your ears? |
| Pesaamal iruppadhum sariyo | Is it fair for you to remain silent? |
| Sodhanai ellam podhadho | Are all these trials and tribulations not enough? |
| Mana vaedhanai endrum theeradho | Will this mental agony never come to an end? |
| Female | |
| Naadharoobanae naaga barana | Oh embodiment of divine Sound, adorned with serpents, |
| Nalam arul subagaranae sivanae | Oh Shiva, bestower of auspiciousness and wellbeing! |
| Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae | Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva! |
| Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane | Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara! |
கங்காதரனே கருணாகரனே சிவனே
கால கண்டனே கைலாசநாதனே ஹரனே
கங்காதரனே கருணாகரனே சிவனே
கால கண்டனே கைலாசநாதனே ஹரனே
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
கண்களை இம்மையே அழிப்பது முறையோ
கடமை மறப்பதும் சரியோ
கண்களை இம்மையே அழிப்பது முறையோ
கடமை மறப்பதும் சரியோ
கன்றினை பசுவே கொன்றிடல் நெறியோ
கன்றினை பசுவே கொன்றிடல் நெறியோ
கலங்குமென் நிலையை நீ அறியையோ
கலங்குமென் நிலையை நீ அறியையோ
Is it right for the eyelids to destroy the eyes?
Is it correct to forget one's duty?
Is it right for the eyelids to destroy the eyes?
Is it correct to forget one's duty?
Is it justice if a mother cow slays her own calf?
Is it justice if a mother cow slays her own calf?
Do you not know my distressed and turbulent condition?
Do you not know my distressed and turbulent condition?
கங்காதரனே கருணாகரனே சிவனே
கால கண்டனே கைலாசநாதனே ஹரனே
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
கார்முகம் காணாத பயிரினை போலே
கதிரவன் காணாத தாமரை போலே
பாரினில் நானே பரதவித்தேனே
பாவை காத்தருள் பரம தயாள
Like a crop that has not seen dark rain clouds,
Like a lotus flower that has not seen the sun,
I am left suffering and helpless in this world.
Oh Most Compassionate One, protect this maiden and grant your grace!
கங்காதரனே கருணாகரனே சிவனே
கால கண்டனே கைலாசநாதனே ஹரனே
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
கங்காதரனே கருணாகரனே சிவனே
காதலன் இன்னுயிர் மாய்ந்த பின்னாலே
கன்னியர் வாழ்ந்திடலாமா....
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
After the precious life of my beloved has perished,
Can a maiden continue to live on?
பேதையென் கதறல் செவி புகவில்லையோ
பேசாமல் இருப்பதும் சரியோ
சோதனை எல்லாம் போதாதோ
மன வேதனை என்றும் தீராதோ
Did my naive cries of distress not reach your ears?
Is it fair for you to remain silent?
Are all these trials and tribulations not enough?
Will this mental agony never come to an end?
நாதரூபனே நாகா பரணா
நலமருள் சுபகரனே சிவனே
கங்காதரனே கருணாகரனே சிவனே
கால கண்டனே கைலாசநாதனே ஹரனே
Oh embodiment of divine Sound, adorned with serpents,
Oh Shiva, bestower of auspiciousness and wellbeing!
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
Kangalai imaiyae azhipadhu muraiyoo
Is it right for the eyelids to destroy the eyes?
Kadamai marapadhum sariyoo
Is it correct to forget one's duty?
Kangalai imaiyae azhipadhu muraiyoo
Is it right for the eyelids to destroy the eyes?
Kadamai marapadhum sariyoo
Is it correct to forget one's duty?
Kandrinai pasuvae kondridal neriyoo
Is it justice if a mother cow slays her own calf?
Kandrinai pasuvae kondridal neriyoo
Is it justice if a mother cow slays her own calf?
Kalangumen nilaiyai nee ariyaaiyoo
Do you not know my distressed and turbulent condition?
Kalangumen nilaiyai nee ariyaaiyoo
Do you not know my distressed and turbulent condition?
Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
Kaarmugam kaanadha payirinai polae
Like a crop that has not seen dark rain clouds,
Kadhiravan kaanadha thamarai polae
Like a lotus flower that has not seen the sun,
Paarinil naanae parathavithene
I am left suffering and helpless in this world.
Paavai kaatharul parama dhayaala
Oh Most Compassionate One, protect this maiden and grant your grace!
Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Kaadhalan innuyir maaindha pinnalae
After the precious life of my beloved has perished,
Kanniyar vaazhnthidalama
Can a maiden continue to live on?
Paedhai en kadharal sevi pugavillaiyo
Did my naive cries of distress not reach your ears?
Pesaamal iruppadhum sariyo
Is it fair for you to remain silent?
Sodhanai ellam podhadho
Are all these trials and tribulations not enough?
Mana vaedhanai endrum theeradho
Will this mental agony never come to an end?
Naadharoobanae naaga barana
Oh embodiment of divine Sound, adorned with serpents,
Nalam arul subagaranae sivanae
Oh Shiva, bestower of auspiciousness and wellbeing!
Gangadharanae karunakaranae sivanae
Oh Lord Gangadhara, merciful one, Oh Lord Shiva!
Kaala kandanae kailasa naadhanae harane
Oh blue-throated one, Lord of Kailasa, Oh Hara!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song is a deeply emotional prayer directed to Lord Shiva by a woman who is drowning in grief. She invokes Shiva through various sacred names—Gangadhara (bearer of the Ganges), Kalakantha (blue-throated one), and Kailasandaha (Lord of Mount Kailash)—and passionately questions the cruelty of her fate. She uses powerful unnatural imagery, asking if it makes sense for eyelids to destroy the eyes or a cow to kill its calf, to highlight how unnatural her current agony feels. Her unbearable sorrow stems from the loss of her beloved's life. Describing her state as equivalent to a dry crop without rain or a lotus without sunlight, she questions why the divine remains silent to her cries. The song captures the raw anguish of loss, human vulnerability, and a desperate plea for divine intervention and solace.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Uvamai Ani)
“Kaarmugam kaanadha payirinai polae / Kadhiravan kaanadha thamarai polae”
The lyrics explicitly use 'polae' (meaning 'like') to compare the heroine's desolate state to a crop deprived of rain clouds and a lotus deprived of sunlight.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Kaarmugam kaanadha payirinai polae / Kadhiravan kaanadha thamarai polae”
The initial letter 'Kaa'/'Kad' ('K' sound) is repeated across the consecutive lines, establishing a pleasant auditory rhythm.
Rhetorical Question
“Kangalai imaiyae azhipadhu muraiyoo / Kadamai marapadhum sariyoo”
The singer asks rhetorical questions ending with 'oo' to highlight the injustice and helplessness of her situation rather than seeking a literal answer.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Naadharoobanae naaga barana / Nalam arul subagaranae sivanae”
Alliteration of the 'Na' sound across the lines ('Naadha', 'naaga', 'Nalam') creates a melodic devotional flow.
Did you know?
Trivia
From the 1958 fantasy film 'Boologa Rambai' starring Gemini Ganesan and Anjali Devi, this classical devotional track was composed by C. N. Pandurangan. Sung by Radha Jayalakshmi (a renowned Carnatic vocalist who performed as part of the famous Radha-Jayalakshmi duo), the song showcases her rich vocal range and expressive delivery of deep pathos.
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