- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Neethi Devan Mayakkam
- Movie release year
- 1982
- Lyrics added on
- 23 Jun 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Neethi Devan Mayangugindraan is a deeply philosophical and socially critical song written by Kannadasan for the film Neethi Devan Mayakkam (1982), featuring music by K. V. Mahadevan and rendered by P. Susheela. The song explores the painful conflict between statutory legal justice (sattam) and natural moral righteousness (dharmam). It mourns how human duplicity—fluctuating between illusion and truth—renders conventional justice blind and helpless.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Nizhalaagavum nijamaagavum”
Repetition of the initial sound 'Ni' in 'Nizhalaagavum' and 'nijamaagavum' creates rhythmic flow.
Edugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Sattam veru dharmam veru”
The second consonant sound 'tt' rhymes in 'Sattam' and 'Endravaaru' (syntactic parallelism across the couplet lines 15-16).
Contrast / Paradox
“Nizhalaagavum nijamaagavum”
Juxtaposes human deception using contrasting concepts of 'shadow' (Nizhalaagavum) and 'truth/reality' (nijamaagavum).
Rhetorical Question
“Vidhiyaavathae paavamandro”
Uses dramatic rhetorical inquiry ('Vidhiyaavathae paavamandro') to challenge the audience about the flaws of fate and legalistic justice.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by Kannadasan, this song serves as the central thematic pillar of the 1982 court-drama film Neethi Devan Mayakkam. Kannadasan frequently used his poetry to critique social hypocrisy regarding women's chastity versus male moral accountability, a motif prominent in this track.
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