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Manaivi Oru Mandhiri album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Manaivi Oru Mandhiri

From Manaivi Oru Mandhiri · 1988

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Manaivi Oru Mandhiri
Movie release year
1988
Lyrics added on
21 Apr 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Manaivi oru manthiri
Avathaanae raja thanthiri
Manaivi oru manthiri
Avathaanae raja thanthiri
Pombalai ittathu sattam
Poduvaa aayiram thittam
Manjalil thaaliyai kattum
Mannavan chinnavan ellarukkum
Manaivi oru manthiri
Avathaanae raja thanthiri
Manaivi oru manthiri
Avathaanae raja thanthiri
Poo mudicha senthaamarai
Pottu vechcha moonaampira
Ponnu illaraththin kannu
Thottathellaam ponnaagalaam
Nattathellam poovaagalaam
Raasi manjal mugaraasi
Paattukkoru paarathiyum
Paadi vechchan penmaiyaththaan
Paattil avan sonnathellaam
Poigal alla unmaiyaththaab
Poosal theeravae nalla puththi kooravaa
Vaasal thediyae vanthu vaazhththu paaduvaa
Manaivi oru manthiri
Avathaanae raja thanthiri
Manaivi oru manthiri
Avathaanae raja thanthiri
Eeramundu nenjoduthaa
Veeramundu kannoduthaan
Dhesam thaaikulaththa pesum
Kadhalilae maadhavithaan
Karpinilae kannagithaan
Naanam ponnu vidum paanam
Kondavalum aasaiyilae
Koorukindra manthiranthaan
Kettavudan aann maganum
Aadugindra enthiramthaan
Maaman thedidum ponjaathi aanava
Saami meniyil sari paadhiyaanava
Manaivi oru manthiri
Avathaanae raja thanthiri
Manaivi oru manthiri
Avathaanae raja thanthiri….
A wife is a wise minister,
Indeed, she is the master strategist!
A wife is a wise minister,
Indeed, she is the master strategist!
Whatever a woman decides is the law,
She can make a thousand clever plans!
For anyone who ties the sacred yellow thread,
Be it a king or an ordinary man,
A wife is a wise minister,
Indeed, she is the master strategist!
A wife is a wise minister,
Indeed, she is the master strategist!
Like a red lotus adorned with flowers,
Like a crescent moon wearing a bindi,
A woman is the precious light of the home!
Everything she touches turns to gold,
Everything she plants blossoms into flowers,
Such is the auspicious blessing of her glowing face!
Even the great poet Bharathi
Sang high praise for womanhood!
All the words he wrote in his poetry
Are not lies, but the absolute truth!
She gives wise counsel to resolve conflicts,
She comes to the doorstep singing blessings of joy!
A wife is a wise minister,
Indeed, she is the master strategist!
A wife is a wise minister,
Indeed, she is the master strategist!
Tenderness fills her heart,
Yet courage shines in her eyes!
The entire nation honours the power of women!
In love, she is captivating like Madhavi,
In devotion and virtue, steadfast like Kannagi!
Her shy glance is an arrow she releases,
And when a wife whispers
Her sweet spells of love,
The moment he hears her voice,
A man happily dances like a puppet to her tune!
She is the beloved wife her partner longed for,
She is the equal other half of the Lord himself!
A wife is a wise minister,
Indeed, she is the master strategist!
A wife is a wise minister,
Indeed, she is the master strategist...!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song celebrates the crucial role, intelligence, compassion, and authority of a wife in family and societal life. It elevates the wife from a passive domestic partner to a chief advisor, strategist, and guiding force behind a man's life, comparing her touch to turning things into gold and her words to wise council that resolves conflicts. Furthermore, the song weaves cultural and literary ideals of Tamil womanhood, drawing upon classical epic archetypes like Kannagi and Madhavi, as well as Mahakavi Bharathi's vision of empowered women, concluding with the sacred idea of Ardhanarishvara where a wife completes her husband as an equal half.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

“Manaivi oru manthiri / Avathaanae raja thanthiri”

The song repeatedly uses metaphors, directly comparing the wife to a 'minister' (manthiri) and a 'king's strategist' (raja thanthiri) to highlight her decision-making intellect.

Literary Allusion

“Kadhalilae maadhavithaan / Karpinilae kannagithaan”

Vaali references Tamil literary figures Kannagi (embodying chastity) and Madhavi (embodying passionate love) from Silappatikaram to highlight the multifaceted character of womanhood.

Historical/Literary Allusion

“Paattukkoru paarathiyum paadi vechchan penmaiyaththaan”

Refers to Mahakavi Subramania Bharati, who wrote extensively about women's liberation and empowerment in modern Tamil poetry.

Initial Rhyme / Alliteration (Moonaai)

“Kadhalilae maadhavithaan / Karpinilae kannagithaan”

Repetition of initial consonants like 'Ka' in adjacent lines to create rhythmic balance.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song incorporates references to Tamil epic literature (Silappatikaram's Kannagi and Madhavi) and modern Tamil literature (Subramania Bharati), ending with a philosophical reference to 'Ardhanarishvara' (Lord Shiva sharing half his body with Goddess Parvati).

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From the same album

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