- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- R. Govarthanam
- Movie name
- Poovum Pottum
- Movie release year
- 1968
- Lyrics added on
- 10 Aug 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Penned by the legendary lyricist Kannadasan, this deeply philosophical song frames existential riddles through simple logic and arithmetic metaphors. The song systematically defines fundamental human concepts—equating knowledge to a temple, love to God, relationships to multiplication, and separation to subtraction—only to end each verse with rhetorical questions inquiring about the elusive nature of destiny, divine power, karma, and life.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Mathematical Metaphor (Anuprasa / Metaphor)
“Uravenbadhu perukkal / Pirivenbadhu kazhithal / Vazhiyenbadhu vaghuthal”
Kannadasan elegantly uses elementary mathematical operations (multiplication, subtraction, division) to symbolize life phases such as union, parting, and path-finding.
Edhukai (Second letter rhyming)
“Mudhal enbathu thodakkam / Mudivenbadhu adakkam”
The second consonant sound matches across lines, creating a rhythmic and lyrical cadence typical of classical Tamil poetry.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Mudhal enbathu thodakkam... Vidhi enbadhu enna”
The repetitive structure of defining terms with 'enbadhu' (means) followed by the philosophical question 'enbadhu enna' emphasizes the contrast between known definitions and unknown spiritual realities.
Did you know?
Trivia
Poovum Pottum (1968) featured music composed by R. Govarthanam. Lyricist Kannadasan was renowned for taking high philosophical truths and making them accessible to the common listener through simple daily language and arithmetic metaphors.
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