- Lyricist
- Madhan Karky
- Singer
- Geetha Madhuri
- Music director
- M. M. Keeravani
- Movie name
- Baahubali : The Beginning
- Movie release year
- 2015
- Lyrics added on
- 17 Mar 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Jeeva Nadhi (The River of Life) is a poignant, emotion-heavy song from Baahubali: The Beginning. It accompanies the dramatic opening scene where Queen Sivagami, carrying the infant Mahendra Baahubali, battles against a raging river to save his life at the cost of her own. The song highlights the themes of tragic sacrifice, destiny, and resilience. The river serves as a metaphor for time and fate, continuously flowing forward despite carrying the burden of past heartbreak and future hopes, unbroken by mountains or dense forests in its path.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Jeeva nadhi….”
Life and destiny are compared to an unstoppable river ('Jeeva nadhi') that carries memories, pains, and hopes.
Personification
“Madiyilae yenthi kondu”
The river is personified as a mother figure holding pain and dreams in her lap ('Madiyilae yenthi kondu') and having unstopping feet ('Kaalgal nillaa nadhi').
Imagery
“Malai thaduthoo..vanam kizhithoo…”
Creates intense visual imagery of extreme nature barriers—mountains blocking and forests tearing open—which fail to stop the flow.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by M. M. Keeravani (credited as Maragathamani in Tamil) with lyrics by Madhan Karky, this track plays during one of the most iconic opening visuals in Indian cinema history—where Sivagami holds the baby above the swirling waters with her dying breath.
Keep listening
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