- Lyricist
- Kambadasan
- Singer
- R. Balasaraswathy
- Music director
- P. Aadhinarayana Rao
- Movie name
- Mayakkari
- Movie release year
- 1951
- Lyrics added on
- 11 Mar 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This poignant song depicts the heartbreak and existential distress of a woman who surrendered everything—her family, home, and devotion—for the sake of her lover, believing love to be the highest truth. However, she faces ultimate betrayal as her beloved turns cruel and casts her away mercilessly. Overwhelmed by grief and rejection, she reflects on the irony of her fate and questions the value of her continued existence in a world that now feels completely empty.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora (Repetition for Emphasis)
“Kanavai polum nishttaiyae idhu”
The line 'Kanavai polum nishttaiyae idhu' is repeated sequentially to emphasize the disbelief and shock of the protagonist.
Moonaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Kaadhalae paramaartham endrenninen / Kaalamae pagaiyaanadhae”
Matching initial consonant sounds across adjacent phrases creating rhythmic harmony.
Rhetorical Question
“Innum edharkoo vaazhvadhae”
The protagonist poses unanswered despairing questions about the purpose of her life.
Metaphor
“Kaalamae pagaiyaanadhae”
Time/Fate is personified as an active adversary ('pagai') and killer ('kaalan').
Did you know?
Trivia
Mayakkari (1951) was produced simultaneously in Telugu as 'Mayalamari'. Legendary singer R. Balasaraswathy Devi delivered a heart-rending vocal performance for P. Aadhinarayana Rao's composition, portraying the tragic emotional arc written by lyricist Kambadasan.
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