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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Morandu Pidikatha

From Kottai Mariamman · 2001

Lyricist
Kalidasan
Singer
Deva
Music director
Deva
Details
Kottai Mariamman2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Murandu pidikkaathaDo not be stubborn,
Mundagakanni ammaMother Mundagakanni!
Moraichchu paakkaathaDo not stare fiercely,
Paalaiyaththu amma yammaaMother of Samayapuram/Paalaiyam, oh Mother!
Male
Kanna kanna uruttaathaaDo not roll your eyes so wildly,
Karumaari ammaMother Karumaari!
Kaththiya nee kaattathaDo not show off your sword,
Kaalidevi ammaMother Kaalidevi!
Male
Ava aakki vachcha soththaThe cooked rice she prepared for you,
Nee mookku mutta pidichchaYou ate until you were stuffed to the brim.
Ava ooththi vachcha koozhaiThe porridge she poured and served you,
Un naakku rusikka kudichchaYou drank to savor its taste on your tongue.
Male
Adi sangariyae bhairaviyaeOh Goddess Sankari! Oh Bhairavi!
Pattunu varaththaan ekkuriyaeWhy are you refusing to grant boons right away?
Paaraendi paaraenLook at her, oh look,
Ava thavippathaLook at her suffering and distress!
Manam maara konjam maaraWill your mind relent a little?
Nee kodhippathaOr will you keep boiling with anger?
Male
Murandu pidikkaathaDo not be stubborn,
Mundagakanni ammaMother Mundagakanni!
Moraichchu paakkaathaDo not stare fiercely,
Paalaiyaththu amma yammaaMother of Paalaiyam, oh Mother!
Male
Kanna kanna uruttaathaaDo not roll your eyes so wildly,
Karumaari ammaMother Karumaari!
Kaththiya nee kaattathaDo not show off your sword,
Kaalidevi ammaMother Kaalidevi!
Male
Veppillaiya iduppula suththiWrapping neem leaves around her waist,
Enga iduppa suththiCircling our waists with holy foliage,
Vendi vendi kovilai suththiPraying intently while circumambulating the shrine,
Un kovila suththiCircling around your sacred temple,
Kannaththula azhaguvael kuththiPiercing her cheek with a sacred ritual spear (vel),
Yammaa azhagu kuththiOh Mother, piercing herself beautifully in devotion,
Male
Paal kudangal eduththaCarrying pots of milk upon her head,
Antha paalagi mugththaiLook at the face of that young girl!
Paaraen paaraen yammaadiLook, look, oh Mother!
Male
Muttai paalum unakku thanthaaShe offered you bowlfuls of milk,
Sutta meenum padaiyal vachchaAnd laid roasted fish as a traditional offering.
Kattu kazhuththu thaaliya neeYet, are you demanding the sacred marital thread (Thali)
Kaavu kettu nikkuriyaeFrom around her neck as a sacrifice?
Male
Yamma paththininga virathathukkuOh Mother, if there is true power
Sakthi onnu irukkuthunaaIn the fasting and devotion of chaste women,
Peththavalae manam iranguOh Mother who gave birth to us, show mercy!
Paasaththukkul nee adanguSurrender yourself to maternal love!
Male
Amma kadal neeyae kodhichchuputtaaMother, if you yourself, the ocean of mercy, boil over in rage,
Soodaththa neeraethu kaali neeOh fiery Kali who consumes camphor flames,
Meenatchiyaa maarammaaTransform into compassionate Meenakshi!
Amma karpoora deepamenthiOh Mother, holding the camphor flame,
Kaivilakku potta anthaThink of the life of that chaste woman
Karparasi vaazhvai enni paarammaaWho lit the handheld lamp for you, oh Mother!
Male
Adi penninamthaanOh, womanhood itself
Adhu endrum unninamthaanIs forever your own kind and gender!
Venduvathum unnidamthaanAll our prayers are directed to you alone!
Adi saththiyam pannu saththiyam pannuMake a promise, make a solemn vow!
Paktharai kakla ennidam vanthuCome to me and promise to protect your devotees,
Saththiyam pannu yammaaMake a solemn vow, oh Mother!
Male
Murandu pidikkaathaDo not be stubborn,
Mundagakanni ammaMother Mundagakanni!
Moraichchu paakkaathaDo not stare fiercely,
Paalaiyaththu amma yammaaMother of Paalaiyam, oh Mother!
Male
Kanna kanna uruttaathaaDo not roll your eyes so wildly,
Karumaari ammaMother Karumaari!
Kaththiya nee kaattathaDo not show off your sword,
Kaalidevi ammaMother Kaalidevi!
Male
Kombu manjal araichchu eduththuGrinding fresh raw turmeric roots,
Amma araichchu eduththuGrinding them thoroughly, oh Mother,
Poosi poosi kulikkavum vachchuApplying it to bathe you thoroughly,
Unnai kulikkavum vachchuMaking you bathe in sacred paste,
Male
Uchchi malli maalaiyum kattiWeaving a garland of top-tier jasmine flowers,
Un kazhuththil potuAdorning it around your holy neck,
Kumbittava vaazhvai kakkaTo protect the life of the woman who worshipped you,
Vaadi vaadi vaadi vaadi vaadiyammaaCome, come, come, come, come down, Mother!
Male
Pooppathaiyum kaaippathaiyumThe one who protects the flowering and the fruiting,
Kaappavalae amma neeYou are the protectress, Mother!
Kaappavalae kolai senjaaIf the protector herself commits murder,
Kadavulum poiyaagi ammaEven God becomes a lie, Mother!
Male
Kungumaththai koduththa kaiyaalWith the hands that gave the holy vermilion (Kumkum),
Mangalaththai parikkalaamaShould you snatch away marital prosperity?
Kolaivizhi amma neeOh mother with eyes of wrath,
Korapali kekkalamaaShould you demand a gruesome human sacrifice?
Male
Amma purushan varam kettu ingaeOh Mother who stood on one leg in penance,
Oru kaalil thavam irunthaPraying for her husband's well-being,
Maangaattu kamatchi vaadiyammaaCome down as Kamakshi of Mangadu!
Amma kudisai mudhal maadi varaiMother, from tiny huts to multi-storey buildings,
Kudumpaththu pengalukkuFor women belonging to families,
Thaaliyillaa vaazhkkaiA life without the sacred mangalsutra (Thali)
Ingae keliyammaaIs a mocking tragedy here, Mother!
Male
Adi vanthuvidu kobam vittu vanthuviduOh, come down, shed your anger and come down!
Poovum pottum thanthuviduGrant back the sacred flowers and vermilion spot!
Adi vanthidu vanthidu nampidum baktharaiOh come down, come down to protect the faithful devotees,
Kaaththitta ingae vanthidammaa vanthidammaaTo safeguard them, come down here, oh Mother!
Male
Murandu pidikkaathaDo not be stubborn,
Mundagakanni ammaMother Mundagakanni!
Moraichchu paakkaathaDo not stare fiercely,
Paalaiyaththu amma yammaaMother of Paalaiyam, oh Mother!
Male
Kanna kanna uruttaathaaDo not roll your eyes so wildly,
Karumaari ammaMother Karumaari!
Kaththiya nee kaattathaDo not show off your sword,
Kaalidevi ammaMother Kaalidevi!
Male
Ava aakki vachcha soththaThe cooked rice she prepared for you,
Nee mookku mutta pidichchaYou ate until you were stuffed to the brim.
Ava ooththi vachcha koozhaiThe porridge she poured and served you,
Un naakku rusikka kudichchaYou drank to savor its taste on your tongue.
Male
Adi sangariyae bhairaviyaeOh Goddess Sankari! Oh Bhairavi!
Pattunu varaththaan ekkuriyaeWhy are you refusing to grant boons right away?
Paaraendi paaraenLook at her, oh look,
Ava thavippathaLook at her suffering and distress!
Manam maara konjam maaraWill your mind relent a little?
Nee kodhippathaOr will you keep boiling with anger?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This devotional song from the film 'Kottai Mariamman' (2001) is a passionate, direct plea by a devotee (sung powerfully by Deva) to Goddess Mariamman/Kali. The singer appeals to various fierce manifestations of the Mother Goddess (Mundagakanni, Paalaiyathu Amman, Karumaari, Kali) to cool her intense anger and show maternal compassion. He reminds the Goddess of all the devotion, rituals, offerings (ragi porridge, milk pots, cheek-piercing with vels, turmeric paste, jasmine garlands), and severe fasts performed by a young, devoted married woman. The lyrics question the Goddess's wrath: how can the mother who protects life demand the life or the mangalsutra (thaali) of a devoted wife's husband? The singer urges the Goddess to transform from her terrifying, blood-demanding Kali form into the gentle, benevolent forms of Meenakshi and Mangaattu Kamatchi, imploring her to bless her devotees with longevity, peace, and marital happiness.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Moni / Etukai (Tamil Rhyme & Assonance)

Murandu pidikkaatha / Moraichchu paakkaatha

Strong head-rhymes and initial consonant rhyming across lines, such as 'Murandu' / 'Moraichchu' and 'Kanna' / 'Kaththiya'.

Rhetorical Question

Kungumaththai koduththa kaiyaal / Mangalaththai parikkalaama

The lyrics use challenging rhetorical questions to evoke divine sympathy, asking if a mother who bestows life can snatch away the husband's life.

Juxtaposition / Contrast

Soodaththa neeraethu kaali nee / Meenatchiyaa maarammaa

Contrasting the Goddess's ferocious form (Kali/Bhairavi) with her compassionate, maternal form (Meenakshi/Kamakshi).

Did you know?

Trivia

'Kottai Mariamman' (2001) is a devotional drama film directed by Rama Narayanan, starring Roja and Karan. Deva composed the soundtrack and himself rendered this iconic high-energy folk-devotional track, which became immensely popular across Tamil Nadu during Amman temple festivals.

Keep listening

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