- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Avandhan Manidhan
- Movie release year
- 1975
- Lyrics added on
- 30 Oct 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic philosophical song from Avanthan Manithan meditates on human impermanence, destiny, and detachment. Kannadasan contrasts human foolishness—assuming life and attachments are permanent—with God's perspective, who looks upon humans with pity knowing the soul's fleeting stay in the mortal body. The lyrics explore how human desire, family bonds, and worldly obligations act as self-imposed shackles. In the end, death and acceptance of destiny bring ultimate release, settling all earthly accounts.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Contrast / Antithesis (Muran)
“Manidhan ninaippadhundu... / Iraivan ninaippadhundu...”
Contrasts human earthly assumptions ('Manidhan ninaippadhundu') with divine reality ('Iraivan ninaippadhundu').
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Koottai thirandhu vittaal / Andha kuruvi parandhu vidum”
The human body is metaphorically compared to a cage ('Koottai') and the soul to a bird ('Kuruvi') that flies away at death.
Ethukai (Second-letter rhyme)
“Kaattu manamirundhaal / Koottai thirandhu vittaal”
The second letter 't/tt' rhymes across 'Kaattu' and 'Koottai', creating rhythmic cohesion.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Manidhan ninaippadhundu / Vaazhvu nilaikkumendru”
The refrain repeats throughout the song to emphasize the core philosophical thematic contrast.
Did you know?
Trivia
Avanthan Manithan (1975) was Sivaji Ganesan's 175th landmark film, directed by A. C. Tirulokchandar. The music for this iconic song was composed by M. S. Viswanathan and sung powerfully by T. M. Soundararajan.
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