- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singers
- Haricharan, Satyan Mahalingam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Ponnar Shankar
- Movie release year
- 2011
- Lyrics added on
- 5 Jan 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song reflects the core principles of heroism, honor, righteous living, and deep fraternal love depicted in the Tamil historical folk legend of Ponnar Shankar. It outlines a code of conduct where challenges are met with fierce strength, while friendship and kinship are embraced with warmth and gentleness. The bond between the brothers is highlighted as inviolable, with the elder brother's words held in sacred regard. Additionally, the lyrics deliver a strong moral and social message against committing evil deeds, advocating for self-respect, moral integrity, and the eradication of poverty to uplift society.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Edhugai (Second letter rhyming)
“Pottiyinnu vandhaa naam thokkadippom / Kutram endru kandaa naam vaeraruppom”
The second consonant 'tt' rhymes across 'Pottiyinnu', 'Kutram', and 'Sutram', creating rhythmic flow characteristic of Tamil poetry.
Simile (Uvamai)
“Vella panja polae nam nenjam enbom / Vettu kathi polae nam kobam enbom”
Compares a pure heart to white cotton and anger to a sharp cutting blade using the word 'polae' (like).
Metaphor & Symbolism
“Tholin melae thundu thanmaanam enbom”
The towel worn over the shoulder ('thundu') serves as a iconic visual metaphor for Tamil self-respect and dignity.
Parallelism / Moral Antithesis
“Vidhaiyai pudhaithaal mulai vittu ezhumbum / Vinaiyai vidhaithaal unakkenna kidaikkum”
Contrasts sowing a physical seed for growth with sowing bad deeds (karma), contrasting positive nature with moral cause-and-effect.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Ponnar Shankar' is a 2011 Tamil epic historical drama written by former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi, based on his own novel adapting the famous medieval 'Annanmar Vazhi' folk legend. The soundtrack for the film was composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu.
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