- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Nenjukku Neethi(1979)
- Movie release year
- 1979
- Lyrics added on
- 26 Dec 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Nenjukku Neethi is a powerful reformist and socio-political song that calls for self-introspection, integrity, and social justice. It serves as a stern reminder that before finding faults or making allegations of corruption against others, one must examine their own conduct and eliminate personal hypocrisy. The lyrics evoke the egalitarian ideals of historical and political icons like Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi, Gautama Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, and C. N. Annadurai (Anna). Through strong rhetorical lines, Kannadasan urges people to transform noble teachings into concrete actions, uphold duty and rights, eradicate social divides like caste and religion, and live with moral dignity.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor / Simile (Uvamai)
“Panjukku naer pala thunpangalaam / Un paarvaikku naer perunthee”
Compares sorrows to soft cotton ('Panjukku naer') and an upright moral vision to a fierce fire ('paarvaikku naer perunthee') that consumes problems easily.
Second-letter Rhyme (Etukai)
“Kadamaiyai seivom / Urimaiyai peruvom / Madamaiyai maaiththiduvom”
Harmonious repetition of the second consonant sound 'da/ra' across consecutive rhyming lines.
Initial Sound Assonance / Alliteration (Moonaai)
“Uthamargal arivuraiyai udhattalavil niruththaamal / Ullaththil pathiththiduvaai annae”
Matching the initial vowel sound 'U' across lines for rhythmic impact.
Refrain / Anaphora
“Oruvarai pattri kurai koorum munnaalae / Un mudhugai konjam thirumbi paaru pinnaalae”
Repeated line emphasizing the central thematic advice of self-reflection before judging others.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Nenjukku Neethi' ('Justice to the Conscience') is famously the title chosen by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for his extensive six-volume autobiography. The title itself draws inspiration from Subramania Bharathi's patriotic verses. In this 1979 song, Kannadasan weaves political rhetoric with moral philosophy, rendered powerfully by T. M. Soundararajan.
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