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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Nee Ariyadhathalla

From Kamatchiyin Karunai · 1978

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Details
Kamatchiyin Karunai1978

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Nee ariyaadhadhalla kaamatchiO Kamatchi, it is not something unknown to you.
Indru needhi illadhadho un arasaatchiIs your divine rule lacking justice today?
Needhi illadhadho un arasaatchiIs your divine rule lacking justice?
Thaaiyariyaadha pillai yedhammaIs there any child unknown to its own mother, O Mother?
Thaaiyariyaadha pillai yedhammaIs there any child unknown to its own mother, O Mother?
Unnai thavira enakku thunaiyaarammaWho else is my refuge besides you, Mother?
Female
Nee ariyaadhadhalla kaamatchiO Kamatchi, it is not something unknown to you.
Indru needhi illadhadho un arasaatchiIs your divine rule lacking justice today?
Nee ariyadha alla kaamatchiO Kamatchi, it is not something unknown to you.
Female
Manjal mugathukku undhan varam vendumMy turmeric-adorned face seeks your boon.
En mangalam vaazha undhan arul vendumMy auspicious marital life needs your grace to flourish.
Manjal mugathukku undhan varam vendumMy turmeric-adorned face seeks your boon.
En mangalam vaazha undhan arul vendumMy auspicious marital life needs your grace to flourish.
Kungumam kakka undhan thunai vendumI need your divine aid to protect my vermilion.
Kungumam kakka undhan thunai vendumI need your divine aid to protect my vermilion.
Indha kulamagal kelvikkoru padhil vendumThere must be an answer to this virtuous woman's plea.
Female
Nee ariyaadhadhalla kaamatchiO Kamatchi, it is not something unknown to you.
Indru needhi illadhadho un arasaatchiIs your divine rule lacking justice today?
Nee ariyadha alla kaamatchiO Kamatchi, it is not something unknown to you.
Female
Sathiyam enbadhu ulagil irundhaalIf truth and righteousness still exist in this world,
Sangu mulangaadhooWill the holy conch shell not sound?
Oru thavaru seiyadhavar naayagan enbadhuThat my beloved husband has committed no wrong,
Ulagam vilangaadhooWill the world not understand this truth?
Female
Thathuvam neeyena unmai endraanaalIf it is true that you are the ultimate philosophy,
Sannadhi thirakkadhooWill your sanctum doors not open?
En thali kayiru tahndhu magizhndhidaTo happily restore my sacred wedding thread,
Kaalam pirakkaadhooWill a time not dawn for me?
Female
Thiripurasundhari kaamatchi enO Tripurasundari Kamatchi,
Thiruvinai kakkattum un kaatchiMay your divine presence protect my destiny.
Needhikku tharuvaai manasaatchi iniGrant a conscience to justice from now on;
Neeyum illavidil yaar saatchiIf even you fail me, who else remains as witness?
Female
Agilaandeeswari arulvaayaeO Akhilandeshwari, shower your divine grace!
Raajeswari enai kaappayaeO Rajeswari, protect me!
Bhuvaneswari malar pozhivaayaeO Bhuvaneswari, shower flowers of blessings!
Maanida vadivinil varuvaayaeManifest before me in human form!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a deeply moving devotional prayer addressed to Goddess Kamatchi by a distressed woman fighting for justice and the life of her innocent husband. Expressing her total surrender, she questions if divine justice has vanished from the Goddess's reign, arguing that a mother never turns her back on her suffering child. She pleads for the protection of her marital symbols—turmeric, kumkum, and the sacred mangalsutra (thali). In the second half, the song builds up intensity through rhetorical questions, challenging the divine power to open the temple doors and prove her husband's innocence if truth and righteousness still hold power in the universe. In a climax of devotion, she invokes the Goddess under her grand names—Tripurasundari, Akhilandeshwari, Rajeswari, and Bhuvaneswari—demanding a divine manifestation to restore her honor and save her life.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metonymy (Aagupeyar)

Manjal mugathukku undhan varam vendum

Terms like 'Manjal mugam' (turmeric face) and 'Kungumam' (vermilion) represent 'Mangalyam' or the status and sanctity of married womanhood.

Rhetorical Questioning (Vinna Vani)

Sangu mulangaadhoo

Repeated use of challenging rhetorical questions ending with '-oo' (mulangaadhoo, vilangaadhoo, thirakkadhoo) to express anguish and invoke divine justice.

Emonai / Second Letter Rhyme (Ethukai)

Sathiyam enbadhu ulagil irundhaal

Rhyming of the second syllable across consecutive lines ('Sathiyam' and 'Thathuvam').

Anaphora / Polyptoton

Agilaandeeswari arulvaayae

Enumeration of the Goddess's holy names in succession (Akhilandeshwari, Rajeswari, Bhuvaneswari) to intensify the devotional appeal.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song from 'Kamatchiyin Karunai' (1978) highlights Kannadasan's expertise in Tamil devotional poetry, blending classical temple worship idioms with theatrical pathos. Set to music by Sankar-Ganesh and voiced by P. Susheela, it stands as a memorable devotional song evoking the power of a woman's devotion ('Karpukkarasi') pleading to Goddess Kamatchi of Kanchipuram.

Keep listening

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