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Sakthi Parasakthi album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Navinil Irukka Vaithan

From Sakthi Parasakthi · 1990

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Movie name
Sakthi Parasakthi
Movie release year
1990
Lyrics added on
12 Nov 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Naavinil irukka veithaan nammai padaikkira saami
Ponnai nenjinil thaekki vechaan paambil padukkira saami
Udambula paadh vechaan udukkai adikkira saami
Ponnin uyarvai ariyaama rombha paduthuthu boomi
Veettukku veedu veedhikku veedhi penpaadu
Solla vedhanaiyaachu sodhanaiaachu ippodhu
Veettukku veedu veedhikku veedhi penpaadu
Solla vedhanaiyaachu sodhanaiaachu ippodhu
Ambigai endru koyilil veithu kumbiduvaar
Aval aadai sumandhu veedhiyil vandhaal koopiduvaar
Sakthi parasakthi aval sakthi parasakthi
Sakthi parasakthi aval sakthi parasakthi
Veettukku veedu veedhikku veedhi penpaadu
Solla vedhanaiyaachu sodhanaiaachu ippodhu
Ambigai endru koyilil veithu kumbiduvaar
Aval aadai sumandhu veedhiyil vandhaal koopiduvaar
Sakthi parasakthi aval sakthi parasakthi
Sakthi parasakthi aval sakthi parasakthi oo oo oo
Paanchaliyathaan panayam veithaan
Pagadaiyai uruttiya dharuman thaan
Ava pudavaiya oruthan pudichi izhuthaan
Paarthukittirunthaan purushan thaan
Aduthavan manaivi agaligaiyae
Andru keduthavan andha indhiran thaan
Nalla seelam kedaadha chandramadhiyai
Yelam vittaan harichandran thaan
Pombalai enna kadai sarakka
Indha aambalaikkellam arivu irukka
Sakthi parasakthi aval sakthi parasakthi
Sakthi parasakthi aval sakthi parasakthi
Pen aanukku thaliya katta
Periyaar sonnaar yettula thaan
Soththurimai pen pettrida kalaingar
Sattam seidhaar naattila thaan
Pennukku aanu sarisamam endru
Bharathi sonnaar paattula thaan
Ada ithanai irundhum innumum pengal
Koththadimai pol veetula thaan
Pattadhu ellam podhumadi ippo
Pongi ezhundhu modhungadi
Veettukku veedu veedhikku veedhi penpaadu
Solla vedhanaiyaachu sodhanaiaachu ippodhu
Ambigai endru koyilil veithu kumbiduvaar
Aval aadai sumandhu veedhiyil vandhaal koopiduvaar
{Sakthi parasakthi aval sakthi parasakthi
Sakthi parasakthi aval sakthi parasakthi} (2)
The God who created us placed her on his tongue,
The God who rests on a serpent holds her in his heart,
And the God who beats the drum gave her half his body.
Yet without knowing a woman's true worth, this world torments her so!
In every home, on every street, the plight of women,
Has become painful to speak of, a bitter trial today.
In every home, on every street, the plight of women,
Has become painful to speak of, a bitter trial today.
In temples, they worship her calling her the Goddess,
But when she walks down the street in clothes, they catcall her.
Shakti, Supreme Goddess Shakti, she is Shakti, the Supreme Goddess!
Shakti, Supreme Goddess Shakti, she is Shakti, the Supreme Goddess!
In every home, on every street, the plight of women,
Has become painful to speak of, a bitter trial today.
In temples, they worship her calling her the Goddess,
But when she walks down the street in clothes, they catcall her.
Shakti, Supreme Goddess Shakti, she is Shakti, the Supreme Goddess!
Shakti, Supreme Goddess Shakti, she is Shakti, the Supreme Goddess, oh...
It was Panchali that he put at stake,
Dharmar himself, who rolled the dice!
Another man grabbed and pulled at her sari,
While her own husband simply stood and watched!
It was another man's wife, Ahalya,
That Indra deceived and disgraced back then!
The virtuous Chandramathi, whose character never failed,
Was put up for auction by Harishchandra himself!
Is a woman just goods for sale in a shop?
Do any of these men have any sense at all?
Shakti, Supreme Goddess Shakti, she is Shakti, the Supreme Goddess!
Shakti, Supreme Goddess Shakti, she is Shakti, the Supreme Goddess!
That a woman should tie the sacred knot on a man,
Periyar wrote in his books!
So women could have property rights, Kalaignar
Passed laws in this state!
Proclaiming that woman is equal to man,
Bharati sang out in his songs!
Yet after all this, even now, women
Live like bonded laborers in their homes!
Enough of all the suffering you endured!
Rise up now and fight back!
In every home, on every street, the plight of women,
Has become painful to speak of, a bitter trial today.
In temples, they worship her calling her the Goddess,
But when she walks down the street in clothes, they catcall her.
Shakti, Supreme Goddess Shakti, she is Shakti, the Supreme Goddess!
Shakti, Supreme Goddess Shakti, she is Shakti, the Supreme Goddess!
Female
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Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This powerful reformist song critically examines the hypocritical treatment of women in Indian society. Lyricist Vaali begins by contrasting mythological reverence with real-world mistreatment: while the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) held women in supreme esteem (on tongue, chest, and half of Shiva's body), mortal society subjects women to harassment and suffering. The song explicitly criticizes historical and mythological figures like Yudhishthira, Indra, and Harishchandra for treating women as stakes, objects of deceit, or property to be auctioned.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Naavinil irukka veithaan nammai padaikkira saami”

Matching second consonants across lines: 'Naavinil' / 'Ponnai' / 'Udambula' / 'Ponnin'.

Monaai (Alliteration / First-letter Rhyme)

“Veettukku veedu veedhikku veedhi penpaadu”

Repetition of initial consonant sounds: 'Veettukku veedu veedhikku veedhi'.

Rhetorical Question & Social Satire

“Pombalai enna kadai sarakka / Indha aambalaikkellam arivu irukka”

Direct confrontation of male chauvinism questioning if women are shop goods.

Allusion (Historical & Literary)

“Pennukku aanu sarisamam endru / Bharathi sonnaar paattula thaan”

Referencing social reformers and poets (Periyar, Kalaignar Karunanidhi, Subramaniya Bharathi) alongside mythological characters to highlight the struggle for women's rights.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by Vaali for the 1990 movie Sakthi Parasakthi, this song stands out for directly naming modern political and social icons—Periyar, Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi (for passing the Hindu Succession Tamil Nadu Amendment Act of 1989 granting equal property rights to women), and Mahakavi Bharathiyar—in a mainstream film song, blending mythology with rationalist social critique.

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