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Kochadaiiyaan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Maatram Ondruthaan Maarathathu

From Kochadaiiyaan · 2014

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Rajinikanth, Haricharan, V. Uma Shankar
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
Kochadaiiyaan
Movie release year
2014
Lyrics added on
6 Sept 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ethirigalai ozhikka
Ethanaiyo vazhigal undu
Mudhal vazhi mannippu (Dialogue)
Unmai uruvaai nee
Ulagin guruvaai nee
Emmun varuvaai nee
En mozhi arulvaai nee
Un maarbodu
Kaayangal ooraayiram
Un vaazhvodu
Gnyanangal nooraayiram
Thaai mannodu
Unnaalae maatram varum
Ini unnodu unnodu
Dhesam varum
Maattram ondruthaan
Maaraathathu
Maaru
Maattram ondruthaan
Maaraathathu
Maaruvathellam uyirodu
Maarathathellam mannodu
(Dialogue)
Porumai kol
Thaneerai kooda
Salladaiyl allalaam
Athu panikatti aagum varai
Poruthirunthaal (Dialogue)
Panathaal santhosathai
Vaadagaiku vaangalam
Vilaikku vaanga mudiyaathu
(Dialogue)
Pagaivanin
Pagayai vida
Nanbanin pagaiyae
Aabathaanathu (Dialogue)
Sooryanukku mun
Ezhunthu kol
Sooriyanaiyae jeipaai
(Dialogue)
Nee enbathu udala
Uyira… peyara….
Moondrum illai seyal…
(Dialogue)
Udala uyira
Peyara nee
Moondrum illai
Seyalae nee
Vithiyai amaipathu
Iraivan kaiyil
Antha vithiyai mudipathu
Undhan kaiyil
Un villodu villodu
Veeram kodu
Un sollodu sollodu
Maatram kodu
Maattram ondruthaan
Maarathathu
Nee pogalaam
Enbavan yejamaan
Vaa pogalaam
Enbavan thalaivan
Nee yejamaana thalaivana
(Dialogue)
Nee ottam pidithaal
Thunbam unnai thorathum
Ethirthu nil
Thurathiya thunbam ottam pidikkum
(Dialogue)
Petrorgal amaivathu vidhi
Nanbargalai amaipathu madhi
(Dialogue)
Sinathai adakku
Kobathodu ezhugiravan
Nashtathodu utkarugiran
Nanba ellam konjam kaalam
(Dialogue)
Unn maarbodu
Kaayangal ooraayiram
Unn vaazhvodu
Gnyanangal nooraayiram
Thaai mannodu
Unnaalae maattram varum
Ini unnodu unnodu
Dhesam varum……..
Maattram ondruthaan
Maarathathu
……………………………….
Female :Oooo…ooo…ooo..
To eliminate enemies,
there are many ways.
The first way is forgiveness. (Dialogue)
As the embodiment of truth,
as the world's teacher,
appear before us.
Bless us with your words.
Upon your chest,
a thousand battle scars.
Across your life,
a hundred thousand truths.
For our motherland,
change will come through you.
From now on, by your side,
the nation will walk.
Change alone
is unchanging.
Change!
Change alone
is unchanging.
Everything that changes stays alive.
Everything that resists change turns to dust.
(Dialogue)
Have patience.
You can even gather water
in a sieve,
if only you wait
until it turns to ice. (Dialogue)
With money, happiness
can be rented,
but it cannot be bought.
(Dialogue)
An enemy's
enmity is one thing,
but a friend's betrayal
is far more dangerous. (Dialogue)
Rise before
the sun,
and you will conquer the sun itself.
(Dialogue)
Are you the body,
the life... or the name?
None of the three—you are your action...
(Dialogue)
Are you the body, the life,
or the name?
None of the three,
you are your action!
Setting destiny
is in God's hands.
Fulfilling that destiny
is in your own hands!
With your bow,
give us courage.
With your words,
bring us change.
Change alone
is unchanging.
"You may go,"
says a master.
"Come, let us go,"
says a leader.
Are you a master or a leader?
(Dialogue)
If you run away,
misery will chase you.
Stand and face it,
and the chasing misery will run away.
(Dialogue)
Getting parents is destiny.
Choosing friends is wisdom.
(Dialogue)
Control your anger.
Whoever rises in anger
sits down with regret.
My friend, everything is only temporary.
(Dialogue)
Upon your chest,
a thousand battle scars.
Across your life,
a hundred thousand truths.
For our motherland,
change will come through you.
From now on, by your side,
the nation will walk...
Change alone
is unchanging.
...
Female: Oh... oh... oh...
Male
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This track, 'Maattram Ondruthaan Maaraathathu' from the film Kochadaiiyaan, serves as a grand philosophical anthem centered around leadership, duty, perseverance, and impermanence. Through a combination of poetic lyrics and philosophical maxims recited as dialogues, the song delivers foundational life lessons: forgiveness is the greatest victory over enemies, actions define a person rather than physical existence or name, and true leadership inspires by walking along with followers rather than merely giving orders.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Paradox / Antithesis

“Maattram ondruthaan maaraathathu”

Contradictory terms are juxtaposed to express a fundamental truth: change itself is the only constant entity in life.

Metaphor

“Thaneerai kooda salladaiyl allalaam athu panikatti aagum varai poruthirunthaal”

Compares human patience and perseverance to holding water in a sieve until it turns into ice, emphasizing that time and endurance transform impossibility into success.

Monostich / Rhyme (Emoni/Etukai)

“Un maarbodu ... Un vaazhvodu ... Thaai mannodu”

Tamil poetic rhyming structure where initial syllables or words match across adjacent lines for musicality ('Un maarbodu', 'Un vaazhvodu', 'Thaai mannodu').

Did you know?

Trivia

The famous line 'Maattram Ondruthaan Maaraathathu' is the Tamil translation of Heraclitus's ancient Greek philosophical quote 'The only constant in life is change'. The song features Rajinikanth delivering iconic philosophical spoken word dialogues interwoven into A. R. Rahman's grand orchestral composition.

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