- Lyricist
- Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyaar
- Singer
- S. Janaki
- Music director
- G. Ramanathan
- Movie name
- Deivathin Deivam
- Movie release year
- 1962
- Lyrics added on
- 11 May 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic Bharathiyar poem depicts a young maiden (Gopika/Radha) sending her close confidante ('Thangam') as a messenger to Lord Krishna to discover his true feelings towards her. She instructs her companion to find out what is in Krishna's mind so that she can decide her next course of action. She playfully instructs her friend to warn Krishna that if he remains evasive, she will beat drums across the town and publicize all the intimate promises he made to her in private by the riverbank. Agonizing over her helpless love, she declares that if her messenger brings back a clear, decisive answer today, it will prove beyond doubt that God truly exists.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Refrain / Anaphora (Madakku)
“Kannan mana nilaiyai thangamae thangam”
The term 'thangamae thangam' (precious like gold) is repeated at the end of nearly every line, a characteristic feature of traditional Tamil 'Kanni' folk song structure.
Etukai (Second letter rhyme)
“Aattrangarai adhanil munnam oru naal..”
Rhyming of the second letter ('tt') between lines: 'Aattrangarai' and 'Thoottri'.
Hyperbole / Dramatic Irony
“Thoottri nagar murasu saattruven endru”
The devotee playfully threatens to beat the town drums ('nagar murasu') to expose Krishna's secret romantic whispers.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar, this lyric belongs to his renowned 'Kannan Pattu' series. In the 1962 film 'Deivathin Deivam', veteran composer G. Ramanathan adapted this traditional literary piece into a memorable semi-classical film song rendered by S. Janaki.
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