- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. R. Mahalingam
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Thiruvilaiyadal
- Movie release year
- 1965
- Lyrics added on
- 4 Oct 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This devotional hymn from the movie Thiruvilaiyadal praises Lord Shiva as the ultimate omnipresent reality that encompasses all of creation. It describes how Shiva silently reveals His presence through all life forms—grass, plants, worms, trees, and the earth itself—echoing classical Saivite philosophy on the evolution of souls.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Paradox / Oxymoron
“Sollaamal solli vaiththaai…”
Sollaamal solli vaiththaai (Saying without speaking) creates a poetic paradox describing how divine truth is revealed through silent omnipresence.
Contrast
“Kallaana uruvamum… Kanivaana ullamum…”
Contrasts the hard external stone idol (Kallaana uruvamum) with the deity's tender, compassionate internal nature (Kanivaana ullamum).
Allusion / Intertextuality
“Pullaagi… poondaagi… Puzhuvaagi… maramaagi…”
Directly alludes to Manikkavasagar's Thiruvasingam ('Pullaagi poondaagi puzhuvaagi maramaagi') describing the cycle of soul evolution through various life forms.
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Pullaagi… poondaagi… Puzhuvaagi… maramaagi… Puviyaagi…”
Repetition of the initial 'P' sound across lines (Pullaagi, Puzhuvaagi, Puviyaagi) creating rhythmic harmony.
Did you know?
Trivia
The lyrics composed by Kannadasan pay tribute to Saint Manikkavasagar's 9th-century masterpiece 'Thiruvasagam' (specifically Sivapuranam). Although credited as unknown in some song metadata, the song was composed by K. V. Mahadevan and rendered powerfully by singer-actor T. R. Mahalingam for the 1965 classic film Thiruvilaiyadal.
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