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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kaasikku Ponene

From Kadan Vangi Kalyanam · 1958

Lyricist
Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
Singers
S. C. Krishnan, A. G. Rathnamala
Music director
S. Rajeswara Rao
Details
Kadan Vangi Kalyanam1958

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kaasikku ponene raamahareI went to Kashi, Ramahare!
Gangai theerthamum kondaandhaen raamahareI brought holy water from the Ganges, Ramahare!
Gangai theerthamum naan kondaandhaen raamahareIndeed, I brought Ganges holy water, Ramahare!
Female
Kaasikku pogalae maamahareHe didn't go to Kashi at all, Maamahare!
Chennai corporation thanni maamahareThis is just Chennai Corporation water, Maamahare!
Chennai corporation thanni maamahareIt is just Chennai Corporation water, Maamahare!
Male
Vadalooru ponen raamahareI went to Vadalur, Ramahare!
Jodhi thiruneeru kondaandhaen raamahareI brought divine sacred ash from the light, Ramahare!
Swami thiruneeru kondaandhaen raamahareI brought Swami's sacred ash, Ramahare!
Female
Vadalooru pogallae maamahareHe didn't go to Vadalur at all, Maamahare!
Asal sudukattu saambal idhu maamahareThis is genuine cremation ground ash, Maamahare!
Nisama sudukattu saambal idhu maamahareTruly, this is cremation ground ash, Maamahare!
Male
Annamae unbathillai raamahareI do not eat any food, Ramahare!
Endhan aagaaram kaatruthaan raamahareMy sustenance is air alone, Ramahare!
Endrum aagaaram kaatruthaan raamahareMy food is always just air, Ramahare!
Female
Aadhaaram kattrodu maamahareHis claim of living on air is fake, Maamahare!
Paalgovaavum vilungurae maamahareYet you swallow milk khoa, Maamahare!
Badam halwaavum mulungurae maamahareAnd you gulp down almond halwa, Maamahare!
Male
Kailaasam ponenae raamahareI went to Mount Kailash, Ramahare!
Siavnai kannalae paarthenae raamahareI saw Lord Shiva with my own eyes, Ramahare!
Rendu kannalae paarthenae raamahareI saw Him with both my eyes, Ramahare!
Female
Kannaale paarthirundha maamahareIf you had seen Him with your eyes, Maamahare!
Sivanai kannalae paarthirundha maamahareIf you had really seen Shiva with your eyes, Maamahare!
Neeyum pinnalae suthuviya maamahareWould you be wandering behind me, Maamahare?
Endhan pinnalae suthuviya maamahareWould you be following behind me, Maamahare?
Male
Aasaikku alavuyillai raamahareDesire knows no bounds, Ramahare!
Endrum aathmayogi naane raamahareI am forever a spiritual yogi, Ramahare!
Periya aathmayogi naane raamahareI am a great spiritual yogi, Ramahare!
Female
Athu maathram nijanthaane maamahareOnly that statement is true, Maamahare!
Naanum adhukaaga thaan vandhen maamahareI came here for that very reason, Maamahare!
Summa alakkaama purappadu maamahareStop making excuses and let's get moving, Maamahare!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This comedic duet from Kadan Vangi Kalyanam (1958) features a playful dialogue between a fraud ascetic claiming high spiritual powers and a sharp woman who persistently punctures his pretensions. The male singer boasts about visiting holy sites like Kashi, Vadalur, and Kailash, living purely on air, and witnessing Lord Shiva directly. However, the female singer humorously debunks each claim, revealing his Ganges water to be Chennai tap water, his holy ash to be cremation dust, and pointing out his secret fondness for milk khoa and almond halwa. Through clever call-and-response refrain patterns, the song satirizes fake ascetics while entertaining the audience with folk-inspired rhythm and banter. Ultimately, she calls out his endless desires and demands that he stop putting on airs and get going.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Refrain / Call-and-Response

Kaasikku ponene raamahare / Kaasikku pogalae maamahare

The alternating refrains 'raamahare' (used by the male ascetic) and 'maamahare' (used by the female debunker) create a folk singing dialogue structure.

Irony and Satire

Chennai corporation thanni maamahare

The poem uses sharp irony by contrasting elevated spiritual boasts with mundane or fraudulent truths, such as Ganges water vs. Chennai tap water.

End Rhyme / Rhyming Couplet

Paalgovaavum vilungurae maamahare / Badam halwaavum mulungurae maamahare

Matching end sounds in adjacent lines ('vilungurae' and 'mulungurae') enhance the comic rhythm of the duet.

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Trivia

Kadan Vangi Kalyanam (1958) was produced by Vijaya Vauhini Studios and directed by L. V. Prasad as the Tamil counterpart to the acclaimed Telugu comedy Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu. Composed by S. Rajeswara Rao with lyrics by Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass, this song highlights the rich tradition of Tamil film comedy duets that satirize social hypocrisies and bogus spiritualists.

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