- Lyricist
- Pulamaipithan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Nellikani
- Movie release year
- 1981
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Jul 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Naan Oru Koyil Nee Oru Dheivam' from Nellikani (1981) is a celebrated Tamil song depicting immortal friendship and spiritual brotherhood. The lyrics metaphorically equate one friend to a temple and the other to the deity residing within, expressing that true love transcends family bonds, societal status, and earthly lifespan. To illustrate the eternal nature of their affection, the lyricist invokes famous mythological examples of pure friendship—Lord Rama accepting Guhan the hunter as his brother, and Karna sacrificing his life out of loyalty to his friend. The song affirms that such selfless devotion will echo through history as an undeniable truth rather than mere fiction.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Naan oru koyil nee oru dheivam”
Compares the self to a physical temple ('koyil') and the friend to the residing god ('dheivam'), elevating friendship to a divine status.
Ethirhai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Unnil ennai naan kandaen / Unnaal ingu vaazhgindraen”
The second letter 'n' (ன/ண்) rhymes across consecutive lines, creating melodic coherence in Tamil poetic tradition.
Allusion (Ilakkiya Kurippu)
“Gangai vedan thannai raman thozhan endr kondaanae / Karnan konda thozhamaikkaaga aavi thannai thanthaanae”
References classical epics—Ramayana (Rama befriending Guha) and Mahabharata (Karna's supreme sacrifice)—to give epic weight to friendship.
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)
“Veshamendru nee thanthaalum Amthaaga maaraatho”
Exaggerates the purity of trust by stating that even poison given by a friend would turn into divine nectar ('amutham').
Did you know?
Trivia
Penned by legendary lyricist Pulamaipithan and set to tune by Shankar-Ganesh, this song is widely considered one of Tamil cinema's most soulful anthems celebrating male friendship. SPB and Malaysia Vasudevan's vocal dynamic mirrored the deep camaraderie depicted on screen.
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