- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Panithirai
- Movie release year
- 1961
- Lyrics added on
- 13 Aug 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This soulful song from 'Panithirai' (1961), written by Kannadasan, expresses a devotee's intense grief, yearning, and philosophical plea to the Divine (addressed as Krishna/Iraivan). The protagonist wanders searching for God, questioning birds in the sky and hunters in the forest. Plunged into sorrow and divine despair (Nayaka-Nayaki Bhava), the devotee addresses the seemingly lifeless idol, pleading for a single movement, a word, or an embrace, reasoning that the anguish only exists because of the conviction that God truly lives.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Adukku Thodar (Reduplication)
“Thaedi thaedi paarthen”
The phrase 'Thaedi thaedi' uses repeated words to emphasize the intensity and continuous effort of searching.
Idiomatic Imagery / Metaphor
“Vazhi meedhu vizhi vaithu”
'Vizhi meedhu vizhi vaithu' (placing eyes upon eyes) is a Tamil idiom conveying intense, unblinking expectation and waiting.
Anaphora (Repetitive Rhetorical Framing)
“Aiyaa un kangalilae oli pirakkaadho…”
Repeatedly starting consecutive lines with 'Aiyaa un...' creates a cumulative emotional buildup and rhythmic urgency in pleading with the deity.
Monai (Initial Assonance/Alliteration)
“Irukkindraai enbadhanaal / Ivvalavum ketten”
Matching initial vowel sounds across words like 'Irukkindraai' and 'Ivvalavum' enhances the lyrical flow.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by Poet Laureate Kannadasan for the 1961 Tamil film 'Panithirai', the song captures the essence of Viraha Bhakti (devotional yearning in separation). Kannadasan's lyrics frequently bridged traditional Tamil devotional literature with popular cinema, using simple yet deeply spiritual concepts.
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