- Lyricist
- Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
- Singer
- P. Leela
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Thanga Padhumai
- Movie release year
- 1959
- Lyrics added on
- 13 Jun 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This emotional prayer from the movie 'Thanga Padhumai' (1959) is addressed to Kannagi, the legendary Tamil heroine from the epic Silappatikaram who burned the city of Madurai in righteous anger when her innocent husband was unjustly executed. The protagonist appeals to Kannagi as a mother figure and an exemplar of marital devotion, explaining that her husband too has been wrongly imprisoned by evil conspirators. The heroine draws a parallel between Kannagi's ultimate devotion to her husband and her own efforts to save her partner. She asks for forgiveness, strength, and divine mercy from the golden idol of the goddess, begging her to grant vision and protection in her hour of extreme plight.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Apostrophe
“Kottravan mathurai moothoor Kothithezhundheritha thaayae”
Direct poetic address to an absent or divine personage (Kannagi / the goddess of chastity).
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kottravan mathurai moothoor / Kuttramillatha indha kulamagal”
Matching of the second consonant sound ('ttra') across initial lines.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Kann koduthu kaappaaii”
Repeated pleading phrases ('Kulamagalai mannippayae', 'Kann koduthu kaappaaii') to intensify dramatic supplication.
Alliteration (Monaai)
“Vadivathaal sinthanaiyaal vaakinaal”
Matching starting consonant sounds across words in a line ('Vadivathaal', 'vaakinaal').
Did you know?
Trivia
This lyric by Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram draws heavily from the classic Tamil literary epic 'Silappatikaram'. In the film 'Thanga Padhumai' (1959), starring Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini, the song forms a crucial dramatic turning point where the female protagonist seeks divine power before a golden idol to restore her husband.
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