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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Jeeva Nadhi

From Baahubali : The Beginning · 2015

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singer
Geetha Madhuri
Music director
M. M. Keeravani
Details
Baahubali : The Beginning2015

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Ohooo..ooooo…oooOhooo..ooooo…ooo
Ohooo..ooooo…oooOhooo..ooooo…ooo
Female
Munaal en ranathai..Carrying my past wounds..
Ethirkaalathin kannaavai..And the dream of the future..
Madiyilae yenthi konduHolding them upon her lap,
Jeeva nadhi….Flows the river of life....
Verethum nilai illai indruNothing else remains stable today,
Ool vazhiyilae …ae…Along the path of destiny...
Manadhu udainthu pogirathaeThe heart breaks into pieces,
Jeeva…nadhiRiver... of life
Malai thaduthoo..vanam kizhithoo…Whether mountains block or forests split...
Kaalgal nillaa nadhi..A river whose feet never stop moving..
Jeevaa…nadhi..River of... life..

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

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.

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