- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. B. Sreenivas
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Nenjil Or Aalayam
- Movie release year
- 1962
- Lyrics added on
- 2 Apr 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Ninaippathellaam Nadanthuvittaal is a timeless philosophical masterwork written by Kannadasan for the 1962 film Nenjil Or Aalayam. The song explores the core themes of human desire, divine order, heartbreak, and acceptance of fate. Kannadasan notes that if human wishes were granted instantly, humanity would have no need for God; conversely, obsessing over past events deprives one of peace of mind. Life and human relationships are inherently chaotic and unpredictable, symbolized as a heart with a thousand doors where emotions and people continuously arrive and leave. In the latter half, the song delves into the uncertainty of human life—no one truly knows where life begins, how it will end, or which path it will take. The lyrical progression offers a solution to emotional suffering: realizing that change is the only constant in life frees a person from illusion and anguish, ultimately granting mental clarity and spiritual calm.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Muran (Antithesis)
“Mudintha kadhai thodarvathillai ... Thodarntha kadhai mudivadhillai”
Contrasts a completed story in God's book with an endless, unfinished story in a human household.
Metaphor
“Aayiram vaasal idhayam”
Compares the human mind/heart to a house with a thousand doors, allowing endless conflicting thoughts and people to enter and leave.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Ninaippathellaam nadanthuvittaal / Nadanthathaiyae ninaiththirunthaal”
Repetition of the initial letter/sound 'N' across consecutive lines to establish rhythmic harmony.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Nenjil Or Aalayam
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.