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Varusham Padhinaaru album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Gangai Karai Mannanadi

From Varusham Padhinaaru · 1989

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
K. J. Yesudas
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Varusham Padhinaaru
Movie release year
1989
Lyrics added on
30 Dec 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kanmaniyae raadhai enum
Kaadhaliyae naan virumbum
Pen maniyae aadai kattum
Painkiliyae …ae….
Kannan vanthaan paatisaikka
Kavalaigalai vittu vidu …uu..
Kaalsalangai saththamida
Medaiyilae vattamidu….uu..
Gangai karai mannanadi
Kannan malar kannanadi
Vangakadal vannanadi
Ullangavar kalvanadi
Nenjil ezhum alaigalilae
Neechal idum ilainjanadi
Vanjikodi madiyinilae
Manjam idum thalaivanadi
Ullaththai eduthen
Un kaiyil koduthen
Vellathai pirintha
Meenai pol thudithen…
Gangai karai mannanadi
Kannan malar kannanadi
Vangakadal vannanadi
Ullangavar kalvanadi
Thaththum siru
Thaamarai paathangal
Nadaithaan payila
Kaththum kadal neeralai pol
Ingu kuzhal thaan neliya
Illai ena yaavarum kooridum
Idaithaan odiya
Inbam ena en vizhi paarpathu
Imaithaan viriya
{Kaalsadhangai aaduthadi
Naal varathaan vaaduthadi} (2)
Munnam pala jenmam vazhiyae
Undaanathu un uravae
Innum ennai thottu thodarnthae
Panthaaduthu un ninaivae
Uyir vaazhum pennaa
Vaa vaa kannaa…
Gangai karai mannanadi
Kannan malar kannanadi
Vangakadal vannanadi
Ullangavar kalvanadi
Nenjil ezhum alaigalilae
Neechal idum ilainjanadi
Vanjikodi madiyinilae
Manjam idum thalaivanadi
Ullaththai eduthen
Un kaiyil koduthen
Vellathai pirintha
Meenai pol thudithen…
Gangai karai mannanadi
Kannan malar kannanadi
Vangakadal vannanadi
Ullangavar kalvanadi
………………………………
Santham tharum aadalum paadalum
Sugamaai malarum
Suttum vizhi paarvayil aayiram
Nilavaai pozhiyum
Angam oru aalilai pol ingu
Nadanam puriyum
Anbae ena madhavan thol thoda
Nedunaal urugum…
{Kaathiruppaan kaiyanaikka
Kaadhaliyaal meiyanaikka }(2)
Kannan manam andhapuramae
Vanthaadidum muthucharamae
Achcham vidum pachchai kiliyae
Avan thaal dhinam naththum thaniyae
Naalum othum kaadhal vetham…
Gangai karai mannanadi
Kannan malar kannanadi
Vangakadal vannanadi
Ullangavar kalvanadi
Nenjil ezhum alaigalilae
Neechal idum ilainjanadi
Vanjikodi madiyinilae
Manjam idum thalaivanadi
{Ullaththai eduthen
Un kaiyil koduthen
Vellathai pirintha
Meenai pol thudithen… } (2)
O darling named Radha,
my beloved whom I adore,
O jewel among women,
green parrot dressed so finely...
Krishna has come to sing a song,
cast all your worries away...
With ankle bells chiming,
spin around on the stage...
He is the king of the Ganges banks,
Krishna, with eyes like fresh flowers!
He has the color of the deep blue sea,
he is the thief who stole my heart!
In the waves rising within my heart,
he is the young man who swims!
In the lap of this slender vine of a girl,
he is the lord who makes his bed!
I took my heart,
and placed it in your hands!
Separated from the flowing waters,
I gasped and struggled like a fish...
He is the king of the Ganges banks,
Krishna, with eyes like fresh flowers!
He has the color of the deep blue sea,
he is the thief who stole my heart!
Her tiny, toddling
lotus feet
learn to walk,
while like the waves of the roaring sea,
her soft hair curls and sways here!
Her waist, so slender they say it is not there,
bends gently,
while my eyes watch in pure delight,
wide open with wonder!
Her ankle bells dance,
yet she pines for that day to arrive!
Across many lifetimes past,
our bond was made!
Still following and touching me,
your memory tosses my heart like a ball!
Will this girl live on?
Come, oh come, my Krishna...
He is the king of the Ganges banks,
Krishna, with eyes like fresh flowers!
He has the color of the deep blue sea,
he is the thief who stole my heart!
In the waves rising within my heart,
he is the young man who swims!
In the lap of this slender vine of a girl,
he is the lord who makes his bed!
I took my heart,
and placed it in your hands!
Separated from the flowing waters,
I gasped and struggled like a fish...
He is the king of the Ganges banks,
Krishna, with eyes like fresh flowers!
He has the color of the deep blue sea,
he is the thief who stole my heart!
...
Rhythmic song and dance
blossom with sweet delight,
and from the bright gaze of her eyes,
moonlight pours down like a thousand beams!
Like a banyan leaf, her body
dances right here!
Longing to touch Madhavan's shoulders calling him her love,
her heart has been melting for days...
He waits to embrace her in his arms,
and hold his beloved close to his body!
Krishna's heart is a royal chamber,
where a string of pearls comes to sway!
O green parrot casting away fear,
longing for his feet each day in solitude,
she recites the sacred scripture of love every day...
He is the king of the Ganges banks,
Krishna, with eyes like fresh flowers!
He has the color of the deep blue sea,
he is the thief who stole my heart!
In the waves rising within my heart,
he is the young man who swims!
In the lap of this slender vine of a girl,
he is the lord who makes his bed!
I took my heart,
and placed it in your hands!
Separated from the flowing waters,
I gasped and struggled like a fish...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Gangai Karai Mannanadi' from *Varusham Padhinaaru* (1989) is a classical-tinged dance melody expressing deep romantic devotion framed through the classical motif of Radha and Krishna. The heroine addresses her friend (sakhi), extolling the virtues, beauty, and divine charm of her lover—comparing him to Lord Krishna, the king of Ganges banks and ocean-complexioned stealer of hearts. She details her emotional ecstasy, physical grace in dance, and the torment of separation. Through vivid imagery of lotus feet, delicate waistlines, swaying curls, and fluttering banyan leaves, the lyricist Vaali weaves a narrative of soul-level connection spanning multiple lifetimes ('munnam pala jenmam vazhiyae'). The heroine surrenders her heart completely, describing her pain without her lover as akin to a fish out of water, while celebrating the divine joy of love and dance.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

“Vellathai pirintha / Meenai pol thudithen…”

Compares the emotional agony of being separated from the beloved directly to a fish squirming after being taken out of water ('meenai pol').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Vanjikodi madiyinilae”

Metaphorically compares the slim, flexible waist of the maiden to a slender climbing vine ('vanjikodi').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Kannan malar kannanadi”

Describes Krishna's eyes metaphorically as soft blossoms ('malar kannan').

Simile (Upamai)

“Angam oru aalilai pol ingu / Nadanam puriyum”

Compares the subtle, fluid movements of the dancer's body to a gently fluttering banyan leaf ('aalilai pol').

Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyming)

“Gangai karai mannanadi / Kannan malar kannanadi”

The second consonant sound 'nn' (ங்/ண்) rhymes across consecutive lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Gangai Karai Mannanadi' is a celebrated classical composition composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and sung by K. S. Chithra for the 1989 Tamil hit film *Varusham Padhinaaru*, directed by Fazil. The film starred Karthik and Nirosha in lead roles. The song is famed for K. S. Chithra's intricate classical vocal renditions and Vaali's evocative lyrics drawing heavily on Tamil Sangam and Bhakti poetic conventions.

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