- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singers
- P. Susheela, Chorus
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Dheiva Thaai
- Movie release year
- 1964
- Lyrics added on
- 6 Sept 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Kaadhalikkaadhae kavalai padaathae is a playful yet cautionary track from the 1964 Tamil film Dheiva Thaai , composed by the legendary Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy duo with lyrics by Vaali. Sung by P. Susheela alongside a female chorus, the song offers advice to young women to guard their hearts against romantic affection, warning that love invariably leads to heartbreak and distress. To substantiate the advice, the lyrics contrast two legendary figures: Queen Alli, who maintained strict autonomy and refused to let men influence her heart, and Shakuntala, whose romantic trust in King Dushyanta resulted in rejection and pain. Describing men as deceptive performers whose flattery should not be trusted, the song humorously urges women to stay vigilant and independent.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Mangaiyar ellaam malligai thottam / Mattravar ellaam vandugal koottam”
Women are metaphorically compared to a pure jasmine garden, while men are likened to a swarm of bees seeking nectar.
Mythological Allusion (Ilakkiya Kurippu)
“Andha naalil alli raani kaadhalithaalaa / Shakunthalai mannanai kandaal”
Refers to Queen Alli (the fiercely independent female ruler in folklore) and Shakuntala (the legendary character from the Mahabharata whose love story involved deep sorrow).
Monaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Kaadhalikkaadhae kavalai padaathae”
Repetition of the initial 'Ka' sound across words in the same line.
Iyaibu (Rhyming Endings)
“Kaadhalikkaadhae kavalai padaathae / Aasai vaikkaadhae avadhi padaathae”
Consistent negative imperative suffix (-aadhae) creating a rhythmic warning tone.
Did you know?
Trivia
Dheiva Thaai (1964) was an iconic M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) thriller produced by Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Devar. Lyricist Vaali crafted this lighthearted feminist anthem to showcase P. Susheela's vocal versatility, using classical mythological tropes to create an engaging pop-style chorus song.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Dheiva Thaai
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.