- Lyricist
- Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
- Singer
- Ghantasala
- Music director
- P. Aadhinarayana Rao
- Movie name
- Mangayar Ullam Mangatha Selvam
- Movie release year
- 1962
- Lyrics added on
- 5 Jul 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This emotionally charged song expresses the sorrow and anger of an artist who faces rejection and injustice despite devoting his life to art. Addressing both Art itself and Mother Tamil as symbols of supreme wisdom and beauty, the singer laments that true artists—who ought to be revered as guardians of culture—are denied respect and space in royal courts and society. Overwhelmed by pain and helplessness, the artist calls upon a catastrophic cosmic deluge ('pralayam') to wipe out a world that fails to value true knowledge and artistic genius, highlighting the timeless struggle between artistic passion and societal neglect.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Arivu sudaraaga valar thamizhthaaye”
Mother Tamil is personified as 'Arivu sudar' (flame of wisdom), highlighting language and art as spiritual illumination.
Initial Alliteration (Monai)
“Kalaiyae jegam pugazh jeevakalaiyae”
Repetition of the 'Ka' sound across initial words ('Kalaiyae', 'Kalainjanin', 'Kalainjanum').
End Rhyme (Iyaibu)
“Kalainjanin vaazhvil yenindha nilaiyae”
The matching '-iyae' sound at line endings ('jeevakalaiyae', 'nilaiyae', 'idamillaiyae').
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)
“Pralayamae kondu vaaraai”
Calling for 'pralayam' (universal destruction/deluge) to express extreme existential despair.
Did you know?
Trivia
This track features the powerful vocal rendition of legendary singer Ghantasala and was composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. The movie 'Mangayar Ullam Mangatha Selvam' (1962) was produced simultaneously in Telugu as 'Swarnamanjari', starring Gemini Ganesan and Anjali Devi. The song remains a quintessential Tamil film classic depicting the grief and dignity of an aggrieved court artist.
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