- Lyricist
- P. K. Muthusami
- Singer
- Pushpalatha
- Music director
- T. G. Lingappa
- Movie name
- Kadavul Mama
- Movie release year
- 1974
- Lyrics added on
- 2 Jan 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Kadavul Mama' expresses a child's innocent faith and prayer toward a divine savior figure who brings light, comfort, and hope into a broken family. The child likens this savior to noble figures like Jesus, Buddha, and Gandhi, seeing in him a rain of compassion capable of restoring a ruined life back to full bloom.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Irulil oliyaai karunai / Mazhaiyaai kaatchi thndhaaru”
Describing compassion as rain ('karunai mazhaiyaai') and divine presence as light in darkness ('irulil oliyaai').
Contrast (Muran)
“Mannaai pona ponnaana vaazhvai”
Contrasting 'ponnaana vaazhvai' (golden life) with 'mannaai pona' (turned into dust/soil) to depict tragic decline.
Initial Alliteration (Monaai)
“Mannaai pona ponnaana vaazhvai / Malara seivaayae”
Repetition of initial consonant sound 'Ma' in 'Mannaai' and 'Malara'.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Kadavul Mama' (1974) featured Gemini Ganesan in the lead role, with music scored by veteran composer T. G. Lingappa. The song highlights the child's perspective through singer Pushpalatha's rendition.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Kadavul Mama
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.