Mukkanigal
From Thanga Gopuram · 1971
- Lyricist
- Ra. Pazhanisami
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
- Details
- Thanga Gopuram1971
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Pon magalae un porumai | Oh golden daughter, your immense patience, |
| Boomikkae porukkallaiyo | Is it unbearable even to Mother Earth herself? |
| Poovirunthum pottirunthum | Despite having flowers and the sacred mark on your forehead, |
| Mounamthaan un nilaiyo | Is silent suffering your destiny? |
| Male | |
| Engirunthu unakkazhaippu | From where will your divine calling come? |
| Eppadiththan vanthu vidum | How indeed will it reach you? |
| Engalidamirunthu unnai | From us, which almighty deity |
| Entha dheivam piriththu vidum | Can ever tear you away? |
| Male | |
| Mukkanigal saernthirukka thattaaga irunthaayae | You were like a platter where the three divine fruits come together, |
| Moondru nadhi kalanthirukka kadalaaga amainthaayae | You became like the vast ocean where three sacred rivers merge. |
| Thiyaagaththin uchchiyilae neeyoru kalasammaa | At the pinnacle of sacrifice, you are a sacred temple finial, dear mother! |
| Dheivaththin vaasalilae neeyoru dheepam amma | At the doorway of God, you are a shining lamp, dear mother! |
| Dheepam amma…. | A shining lamp, dear mother... |
| Male | |
| Dharaniyilae pengalellam | All the women in this world |
| Thaayaavathillaiyammaa | Do not get to become true mothers, dear mother. |
| Thaayagum pengalellam | And all the women who do become mothers |
| Neeyaavathillaiyamma…. | Can never match up to you, dear mother... |
| Male | |
| Kudumbam ennum koyilgal | The families that exist like sacred temples, |
| Aayiram aayiaram | Numbered in their thousands and thousands, |
| Kulamagal yaavarum ovvoru goburam | Where every virtuous woman is a temple tower. |
| Naarpuram oongiya goburangal | Amidst the towers rising tall on four sides, |
| Naduvil thanga Goburam | In the very center stands the golden tower. |
| Nallavaragal maththiyilae nee thanga gopuram | Among all good-hearted souls, you are that golden temple tower, |
| Nee thanga gopuram…..nee thanga gopuram | You are the golden tower... you are the golden tower... |
பொன் மகளே உன் பொறுமை
பூமிக்கே பொறுக்கல்லையோ
பூவிருந்தும் பொட்டிருந்தும்
மௌனம்தான் உன் நிலையோ
Oh golden daughter, your immense patience,
Is it unbearable even to Mother Earth herself?
Despite having flowers and the sacred mark on your forehead,
Is silent suffering your destiny?
எங்கிருந்து உனக்கழைப்பு
எப்படித்தான் வந்து விடும்
எங்களிடமிருந்து உன்னை
எந்த தெய்வம் பிரித்து விடும்.....
From where will your divine calling come?
How indeed will it reach you?
From us, which almighty deity
Can ever tear you away?
முக்கனிகள் சேர்ந்திருக்க தட்டாக இருந்தாயே
மூன்று நதி கலந்திருக்க கடலாக அமைந்தாயே
தியாகத்தின் உச்சியிலே நீயொரு கலசமம்மா
தெய்வத்தின் வாசலிலே நீயொரு தீபமம்மா.....
நீயொரு தீபமம்மா.....
You were like a platter where the three divine fruits come together,
You became like the vast ocean where three sacred rivers merge.
At the pinnacle of sacrifice, you are a sacred temple finial, dear mother!
At the doorway of God, you are a shining lamp, dear mother!
A shining lamp, dear mother...
தரணியிலே பெண்களெல்லாம்
தாயாவதில்லையம்மா
தாயாகும் பெண்களெல்லாம்
நீயாவதில்லையம்மா.....
All the women in this world
Do not get to become true mothers, dear mother.
And all the women who do become mothers
Can never match up to you, dear mother...
குடும்பம் என்னும் கோயில்கள்
ஆயிரம் ஆயிரம்
குலமகள் யாவரும் ஒவ்வொரு கோபுரம்
நாற்புறம் ஓங்கிய கோபுரங்கள்
நடுவில் தங்ககோபுரம்
நல்லவர்கள் மத்தியிலே நீ தங்க கோபுரம்.....
நீ தங்க கோபுரம்.....நீ தங்க கோபுரம்.....
The families that exist like sacred temples,
Numbered in their thousands and thousands,
Where every virtuous woman is a temple tower.
Amidst the towers rising tall on four sides,
In the very center stands the golden tower.
Among all good-hearted souls, you are that golden temple tower,
You are the golden tower... you are the golden tower...
Pon magalae un porumai
Oh golden daughter, your immense patience,
Boomikkae porukkallaiyo
Is it unbearable even to Mother Earth herself?
Poovirunthum pottirunthum
Despite having flowers and the sacred mark on your forehead,
Mounamthaan un nilaiyo
Is silent suffering your destiny?
Engirunthu unakkazhaippu
From where will your divine calling come?
Eppadiththan vanthu vidum
How indeed will it reach you?
Engalidamirunthu unnai
From us, which almighty deity
Entha dheivam piriththu vidum
Can ever tear you away?
Mukkanigal saernthirukka thattaaga irunthaayae
You were like a platter where the three divine fruits come together,
Moondru nadhi kalanthirukka kadalaaga amainthaayae
You became like the vast ocean where three sacred rivers merge.
Thiyaagaththin uchchiyilae neeyoru kalasammaa
At the pinnacle of sacrifice, you are a sacred temple finial, dear mother!
Dheivaththin vaasalilae neeyoru dheepam amma
At the doorway of God, you are a shining lamp, dear mother!
Dheepam amma….
A shining lamp, dear mother...
Dharaniyilae pengalellam
All the women in this world
Thaayaavathillaiyammaa
Do not get to become true mothers, dear mother.
Thaayagum pengalellam
And all the women who do become mothers
Neeyaavathillaiyamma….
Can never match up to you, dear mother...
Kudumbam ennum koyilgal
The families that exist like sacred temples,
Aayiram aayiaram
Numbered in their thousands and thousands,
Kulamagal yaavarum ovvoru goburam
Where every virtuous woman is a temple tower.
Naarpuram oongiya goburangal
Amidst the towers rising tall on four sides,
Naduvil thanga Goburam
In the very center stands the golden tower.
Nallavaragal maththiyilae nee thanga gopuram
Among all good-hearted souls, you are that golden temple tower,
Nee thanga gopuram…..nee thanga gopuram
You are the golden tower... you are the golden tower...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant song praises the patience, selflessness, and spiritual grace of a virtuous woman. It reflects on her quiet endurance of hardships, comparing her supreme patience to Mother Earth and her sacrifices to a sacred flame at the divine threshold. The song elevates the position of a mother, stating that while many women become mothers, none can match her extraordinary purity and willingness to give. Using rich temple imagery, the lyrics describe families as temples and virtuous women as sacred towers (gopurams). Amidst all such noble souls, she stands out at the pinnacle as the central 'Thanga Gopuram' (Golden Temple Tower), serving as a beacon of light, virtue, and selfless love.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvakamm)
“Kudumbam ennum koyilgal”
Compares families directly to temples ('Kudumbam ennum koyilgal') and women to temple towers ('ovvoru goburam').
Metaphor (Uruvakamm)
“Nallavaragal maththiyilae nee thanga gopuram”
Compares the noble woman to a golden temple tower ('thanga gopuram') situated among good people.
Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyming)
“Mukkanigal saernthirukka thattaaga irunthaayae”
The second letters of adjacent lines rhyme, such as 'Mukkanigal' and 'Moondru' (using 'k' sound harmony or nasal harmony).
Anaphora / Repetition (Sol Pinvarunilai Ani)
“Nee thanga gopuram…..nee thanga gopuram”
The phrase 'dheepam amma' and 'thanga gopuram' are repeated to emphasize the subject's divine purity and structural importance in the family.
Did you know?
Trivia
The film 'Thanga Gopuram' (1971) stars K. A. Thangavelu, Jayalalithaa, and Major Sundarrajan. The lyrics by Ra. Pazhanisami rely heavily on traditional Tamil cultural symbols such as the Mukkani (three sacred fruits: mango, banana, jackfruit) and temple architecture (Goburam, Kalasam) to elevate the central mother character.
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