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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Jaya Jaya Jaya Rama

From Engal Selvi · 1960

Lyricist
Kavi Rajagopal
Singer
V. N. Sundaram
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Details
Engal Selvi1960

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Jaya jaya jaya jayaVictory, victory, victory, victory!
Rama maadhava raggula paalaa raagavaa gunaseelaaO Rama, Madhava, protector of Raghu's clan, virtuous Raghava!
Kaavaa vaa vaa seethaa manaalaaProtect me, come, come, O groom of Sita!
Kaaththirunthaen rompa naalaaI have been waiting for a very long time!
Aanaiyiduveer arasae agilam ariya udanIssue the command, O King, immediately for the whole world to know!
Male :Aanaiyiduveer arasae agilam ariya udanMale : Issue the command, O King, immediately for the whole world to know!
Male
Andru enakkaliththa antha varanthanilaeAmong those boons you granted me back then,
Ondru enathu magan bharathanOne is that my son Bharatha
Mudi soodi endrum arasaalaShould wear the crown and rule forever,
Umathu magan raman indraeAnd your son Rama today,
Vanam poga venum ena udanaeMust go to the forest immediately!
Male
Aanaiyiduveer arasae agilam ariya udanIssue the command, O King, immediately for the whole world to know!
Male
Thanthaikku pin mooththaAfter the father, for the eldest
Thanaiyan aaluvathuSon to rule the kingdom
Tharani vazhakkamadi neeIs the tradition of this world, O woman!
Kondullla peraasai koodaathadiThis immense greed you hold is wrong!
Thaaikulaththukkae kalangamadiIt is a stain on all womanhood!
Male
Vaakku thavarum mannaaO King who reneges on his promise,
Ummai vaiyagam thoottrum sonnaaIf you fail, the world will revile you!
Kaalai vidiyum munnaalBefore the morning dawns,
En pinaththai paarum kannaalLook at my dead body with your own eyes!
Male
Inikkum maambazhaththukkullaeJust like the beetle that remains hidden
Olinthirukkum vandu adhai polaeInside a sweet, delicious mango,
Mayakkum perazhagin munnaeBehind your captivating, great beauty,
Vanjam valarththu vanthaayadi pennaeYou harbored deceit all along, O woman!
Un manasu pola mudi maganukaatchi mudiAs your heart desires, perform the coronation for your son,
Soottu kodi naattuCrown him and hoist the flag!
Male
Azhagennum saaviyinaal kaikeyi mannarWith the key called beauty, Kaikeyi
Arivu kadhavai saaththi poottivittaalLocked the door of the king's wisdom!
Kaakam kuyil kunjai virattuthal polJust like a crow driving away a cuckoo's chick,
Aval kaattukkae raamanaiyum oottivittaalShe drove Rama away into the deep forest!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song presents a dramatic musical depiction of the crucial Ramayana episode where Queen Kaikeyi demands King Dasaratha to fulfill her two boons. Kaikeyi insists that her son Bharatha be crowned king and that Rama be exiled to the forest for fourteen years. King Dasaratha tries to reason with her, stating that prime lineage succession is the law of the land and warning her that her extreme greed brings dishonor to womanhood, but Kaikeyi threatens self-harm if her demands are not met.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Simile)

Inikkum maambazhaththukkullae

Compares Kaikeyi's hidden deceit within her beauty to a destructive beetle hiding inside a sweet mango ('Inikkum maambazhaththukkullae olinthirukkum vandu adhai polae').

Metaphor (Uruvagaim)

Azhagennum saaviyinaal kaikeyi mannar

Metaphorically describes Kaikeyi using beauty as a key to lock shut Dasaratha's door of wisdom ('Azhagennum saaviyinaal... arivu kadhavai saaththi poottivittaal').

Edhukai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Inikkum maambazhaththukkullae

Rhyming of the second letter 'n' across lines 22-25 ('Inikkum', 'Olinthirukkum', 'Mayakkum', 'Vanjam').

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Trivia

This track is a musical drama dance format song (Isai Nadagam) composed by K. V. Mahadevan for 'Engal Selvi' (1960), depicting the iconic confrontation between King Dasaratha and Queen Kaikeyi from the Ramayana.

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