- Lyricist
- A. Maruthakasi
- Singers
- T. V. Rathinam, A. G. Rathnamala
- Music director
- G. Ramanathan
- Movie name
- Aaravalli
- Movie release year
- 1957
- Lyrics added on
- 16 Feb 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Kummaalam Raja Kummaalam' from the 1957 film Aaravalli is a high-spirited, mocking anthem sung by female guards in the kingdom ruled by powerful women. Directed at captive men, the song taunts male arrogance, boasting how their male pride and grand swagger ('kummaalam') have been squashed under female authority. With sharp wit and assertive rhythm, the women proclaim that their kingdom's law is supreme and that the men are as insignificant as specks of straw ('thurumbu').
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Refrain / Repetition
“Kummaalam raja kummaalam”
The chorus lines mocking male revelry are repeated periodically to reinforce the dominant, celebratory tone of female authority over the captive men.
Metaphor
“Neenga engalukku thurumbu”
Comparing the powerful men to a tiny straw ('thurumbu') highlights their loss of power and total insignificance before the female rulers.
Monaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Nikkaathae nelikkaathae”
The repetition of the initial consonant sound 'N' creates rhythmic flow and emphasis.
Edhukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kattupaattai meeraathae / Mattaiyadi vaangaathae”
Matching second consonants ('k') in adjacent words produces a pleasant cadence characteristic of classical and folk Tamil verse.
Did you know?
Trivia
Aaravalli (1957) is a Tamil historical fantasy film based on the popular folk tale of 'Aaravalli Sooravalli', which depicts a matriarchal kingdom where seven powerful sisters held sway and humiliated male warriors, including the Pandavas. The music composed by G. Ramanathan heavily features folk theatrical motifs to complement the story's mythical scale.
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