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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Mukkanigal

From Thanga Gopuram · 1971

Lyricist
Ra. Pazhanisami
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Movie name
Thanga Gopuram
Movie release year
1971
Lyrics added on
24 Sept 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Pon magalae un porumai
Boomikkae porukkallaiyo
Poovirunthum pottirunthum
Mounamthaan un nilaiyo
Engirunthu unakkazhaippu
Eppadiththan vanthu vidum
Engalidamirunthu unnai
Entha dheivam piriththu vidum
Mukkanigal saernthirukka thattaaga irunthaayae
Moondru nadhi kalanthirukka kadalaaga amainthaayae
Thiyaagaththin uchchiyilae neeyoru kalasammaa
Dheivaththin vaasalilae neeyoru dheepam amma
Dheepam amma….
Dharaniyilae pengalellam
Thaayaavathillaiyammaa
Thaayagum pengalellam
Neeyaavathillaiyamma….
Kudumbam ennum koyilgal
Aayiram aayiaram
Kulamagal yaavarum ovvoru goburam
Naarpuram oongiya goburangal
Naduvil thanga Goburam
Nallavaragal maththiyilae nee thanga gopuram
Nee thanga gopuram…..nee thanga gopuram
O golden daughter, has your patience
become more than even the Earth can bear?
Though you wear flowers and the pottu (auspicious forehead mark),
is silence your only destiny?
From where could a call ever come for you,
and how could it ever reach you?
From all of us here, which deity
could ever tear you away?.....
You were the plate that held the three sweet fruits together,
and the ocean where three rivers met.
At the highest peak of sacrifice, you are the sacred crown,
and at the doorway of God, you are a glowing lamp.....
You are a glowing lamp.....
Not all women in this world
become mothers,
and not all women who become mothers
can ever be like you.....
The temples known as families
are thousands upon thousands,
and every noble woman is a temple tower.
Among the grand towers rising on all four sides,
stands a golden tower in the center.
In the midst of noble souls, you are that golden tower.....
You are that golden tower..... you are that golden tower.....
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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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