- Lyricist
- Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyaar
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Bharathi
- Movie release year
- 2000
- Lyrics added on
- 3 May 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
In this iconic philosophical poem, Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyaar fervently prays to the Supreme Goddess Siva Sakthi. He questions his divine purpose, pleading with the Mother Goddess to grant him the strength, clarity, and intellectual vigor necessary to serve the world meaningfully rather than existing as a burden to the earth.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Extended Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Nalladhor veenai seidhae / Adhai nalam keda / Puzhudhiyil yerivadhundo”
Bharathi compares human life and intellect to a finely crafted veena (musical instrument), asking if a creator would create something beautiful only to discard it in dirt.
Rhetorical Question (Vinaaiyani)
“Ivai arulvadhil unakkedhum / Thadai uladho”
Bharathi poses rhetorical questions to the Divine Mother to assert his conviction that God created humans for a higher purpose.
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Nitham navam yena chudar tharum”
Repetition of initial consonant sounds across adjacent words for rhythmic effect (e.g., 'N' sound in Nitham/Navam).
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Trivia
This composition is one of Subramanya Bharathi's most famous spiritual and existential poems. In the 2000 biographical film 'Bharathi', the song was set to music by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and sung brilliantly by K. J. Yesudas (along with Rajkumar Bharathi, the great-grandson of Bharathiyaar, contributing to the soundtrack).
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