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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Jeyichutte Kanna

From Kaliyuga Kannan · 1974

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
V. Kumar
Details
Kaliyuga Kannan1974

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Jeyichchuttae kannaa nee jeyichchuttaeYou have won, Krishna, you have won!
Theranthutae kannai theranthuttaeYou opened my eyes, you opened them!
Jeyichchuttae kannaa nee jeyichchuttaeYou have won, Krishna, you have won!
Male
Unnidaththil thottaraththil vettri enakkuBy losing to you, victory is mine.
Kannaa naan yaar kittataa thoththaenO Krishna, to whom did I lose?
Saathaarana manushan kittayaaWas it to a mere ordinary human?
Unnidaththil thottaraththil vettri enakkuBy losing to you, victory is mine.
Ennai theliya vaiththaai thannaiYou made me gain clarity; about yourself
Puriya vaiththaai en nandri unakkuYou made me understand, my gratitude to you.
Male
Kannaa jeyichchuttadaa neeO Krishna, you have won!
Jeyichchuttae kannae nee jeyichchuttaeYou have won, my dear Krishna, you have won!
Male
Sooriyanai paarththu intha naai kulaiththathuSeeing the sun, this dog barked.
Un soodu pattu kedu kettu vaai adaiththathuFeeling your heat, ruined by its own folly, its mouth was silenced.
Aganthai pidiththa siru kuzhanthai pidiththaSee how the stubbornness of the arrogant,
Pidivaatham theernthathendru paaradaaLittle child-like stubbornness has come to an end!
Unnai vendru nindravan yaaradaa…Who has ever stood victorious over you?
Male
Kannaa un naadakaththil naanoru paaththiramO Krishna, I am merely a character in your drama.
Unakku mun naan emmaaththiramWhat standing do I have before you?
Male
Jeyichchuttae kannaa nee jeyichchuttaeYou have won, Krishna, you have won!
Male
Ettadukku kattidaththil onbathu ottaiIn this eight-story building with nine holes,
Idhil nalla raththam ulla mattum eththnai saettaiAs long as good blood flows, how many mischiefs are done!
Kannaa sakthi irunthappa puthiyillaiO Krishna, when I had strength, I lacked wisdom.
Puthi irukkirappo sakthi illaiWhen I gained wisdom, I lacked strength.
Male
Kondu vanthenna kondu selvathennaWhat did I bring with me? What will I take away?
Ondrumillayae mudivilaeNothing remains at the end.
Idhai unarntha pillai un madiyilaeThe child who realized this is now in your lap.
Kannaa neethaandaa jeyichaeO Krishna, you alone are the winner!
Male
Jeyichchuttae kannaa nee jeyichchuttaeYou have won, Krishna, you have won!
Male
Aanavaththai vittozhiththaen odi varugaI have shed my ego, please come running!
Kannaa naanirukkum vasalai nee thedi varugaO Krishna, search for and come to the doorway where I reside!
Male
Thannaiyarinthavarkku thaanaagi nirpavaneYou who become oneself to those who know themselves,
Ennaiyarinthu kondaen mannanaeI have now understood myself, O King!
Enakkul geethai eduthuraiththa kannanaeO Krishna, who preached the Gita within me!
Kanna…….kanna…….kanna…….O Krishna... Krishna... Krishna...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Jeyichchuttae Kannaa from Kaliyuga Kannan (1974) is a soulful devotional and philosophical song centered on complete spiritual surrender (Sharanagati) to Lord Krishna. The protagonist experiences a profound awakening, realizing that submitting to the Divine is not a loss, but the ultimate victory over human ego and ignorance. He reflects on his past arrogance—likening his former hubris to a dog barking at the sun—and acknowledges his insignificance in the grand cosmic play directed by Krishna. Through vivid imagery, lyricist Vaali portrays the human body as a fragile structure and highlights the ironies of life, such as possessing strength when lacking wisdom and acquiring wisdom only after losing physical strength. Stripped of vanity and material attachments, the devotee surrenders to God as a child resting on its mother's lap, welcoming Krishna to reign within his heart after discovering his true inner self.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Paradox

Unnidaththil thottaraththil vettri enakku

Expresses the spiritual truth that surrendering/losing to the Almighty is actually a personal victory.

Metaphor

Kannaa un naadakaththil naanoru paaththiram

Compares human life to a stage play and the speaker to merely a character acting in Krishna's drama.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Ettadukku kattidaththil onbathu ottai

Compares the human body to an eight-story building featuring nine openings (the navadvaras or nine body openings).

Antithesis / Parallelism

Kannaa sakthi irunthappa puthiyillai / Puthi irukkirappo sakthi illai

Uses contrasting ideas of strength (sakthi) and wisdom (puthi) across consecutive lines to highlight the tragic timing of human maturation.

Did you know?

Trivia

Kaliyuga Kannan (1974) features music composed by V. Kumar with lyrics by Vaali and vocals by T. M. Soundararajan. In this iconic track, Vaali seamlessly integrates Advaita philosophy and Bhagavad Gita teachings into accessible colloquial Tamil. The line referencing 'Ettadukku kattidaththil onbathu ottai' is widely remembered in Tamil cinema as a quintessential philosophical metaphor for the nine apertures of the human physical form.

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