- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- Vani Jairam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Durgadevi
- Movie release year
- 1977
- Lyrics added on
- 22 Jun 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic devotional song from 'Durgadevi' (1977) is an earnest prayer addressed to Goddess Durga, extolling her supreme power, boundless mercy, and infinite manifestations. Kannadasan's lyrics depict her as the ultimate cosmic energy acknowledged by the four Vedas, who balances karma and protects those who surrender to her. The song highlights her presence in simple devotional offerings like flour lamps (Maavilakku) and mantras, assuring devotees that while she resides inside the temple, her watchful eye guards them outside.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora / Repetition (Adukkuthodar)
“Aayiram peyarudaiyaal aayiram kannudaiyaal / Aayiram kayudaiyaal aayiram vadivudaiyaal”
The word 'Aayiram' (Thousand) is repeated across adjacent phrases to emphasize the infinite and omnipresent nature of the Goddess.
End Rhyme (Iyaibu)
“Naalvagai vedhangalum oru sakthiyai kaattuthammaa / Iru vinaigal oottuthammaa / Thirisooliyai pottruthammaa”
The suffix '-ammaa' is used at the end of consecutive lines to create a rhythmic, chant-like musical flow.
Parallelism and Rhythm
“Maasiyil therottam panguniyil theppottam / Chiththiraiyil poochoriyal eththaniyo ursavangal”
Matching sentence structures describing temple festivals across different months of the Tamil calendar.
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Trivia
Composed by Ilaiyaraaja and rendered by Vani Jairam, 'Kettaal Ketta Varam Tharum' is considered one of the iconic devotional tracks in Tamil cinema history. Even decades after its release in the 1977 movie 'Durgadevi', the song remains hugely popular and is regularly played at Amman temples across Tamil Nadu during festival seasons like Aadi and Purattasi.
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