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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oorukku Nee Uzhaithaal

From Raja Desingu · 1960

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
Seerkazhi Govindarajan
Music director
G. Ramanathan
Details
Raja Desingu1960

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Oorukku nee uzhaithaalIf you serve the society,
Unnarugae avan iruppaanHe (God) will be right by your side.
Unmaiyilum anbinilumIn truth and in love,
Ondraai kalandhiruppaanHe will remain blended as one.
Pasithavarkku soriduvorFor those who feed the hungry,
Pakkatthil avan iruppaanHe will stand close beside them.
Karunaiyulla nenjinilaeIn a compassionate heart,
Dhinamum kudiyiruppaan…He will reside every single day...
Aa… aa… aa… aa…Aa… aa… aa… aa…
Male
Aadhi kadavul ondrae thaanThe primordial God is but one,
Adhai kaana mudiyaadhuThat (God) cannot be seen.
Aan pen jaadhi irandu thaanMale and female are the only two divisions,
Idhil baedham idaiyaadhuThere is no discrimination beyond this.
Uyarvu thaazhvu enbadhellaamAll concepts of high and low status,
Ullatthaal varum maatram thaanAre merely changes originating in the mind.
Male
Aadhi kadavul ondrae thaanThe primordial God is but one.
Male
Ullatthil ullavanaiThe one who dwells within the heart,
Oli vilakkaai nirppavanai…The one who stands as a guiding light...
Aa… aa… aa… aa…Aa… aa… aa… aa…
Oorengum thaedinaalumEven if you search all across the world,
Oru naalum kaanbadhillaiYou will never find Him on any day.
Kandavarum sonnadhillaiThose who saw Him have never spoken of it,
Sonnavarum kandadhillaiAnd those who spoke of Him have never seen Him.
Kaattrai pol boomiyilaeJust like the wind upon the earth,
Kalandhiruppaan aandavanaeThe Almighty remains blended everywhere.
Male
Aadhi kadavul ondrae thaanThe primordial God is but one,
Adhai kaana mudiyaadhuThat (God) cannot be seen.
Aan pen jaadhi irandu thaanMale and female are the only two divisions,
Idhil baedham idaiyaadhuThere is no discrimination beyond this.
Uyarvu thaazhvu enbadhellaamAll concepts of high and low status,
Ullatthaal varum maatram thaanAre merely changes originating in the mind.
Male
Aadhi kadavul ondrae thaanThe primordial God is but one.
Male
Madham ennum sollukkuFor the word named 'religion' (Madham),
Veri yendror porulum unduThere is also a meaning called 'madness/fanaticism'.
Manidharaai pirandhavargalThose who were born as human beings,
Madhathaal pirindhu vittaarHave become divided because of religion.
Madhathaal pirindhavargalThose who were divided by religion,
Anbinaal ondru pattuMust unite through love,
Ondrae kulamaagaAnd as a single human race,
Ottrumaiyaai vaazhndhiruppomLet us live together in unity.
Male
Aadhi kadavul ondrae thaanThe primordial God is but one,
Adhai kaana mudiyaadhuThat (God) cannot be seen.
Aan pen jaadhi irandu thaanMale and female are the only two divisions,
Idhil baedham idaiyaadhuThere is no discrimination beyond this.
Uyarvu thaazhvu enbadhellaamAll concepts of high and low status,
Ullatthaal varum maatram thaanAre merely changes originating in the mind.
Male
Aadhi kadavul ondrae thaanThe primordial God is but one.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This deeply philosophical song from Raja Desingu (1960), penned by lyricist Kannadasan, expresses the core principles of humanism, equality, and divine omnipresence. It asserts that God does not reside in distant places or physical structures, but rather lives inside the hearts of compassionate people who serve society and feed the hungry. The lyrics reject social inequalities based on caste, class, or status, highlighting that humanity consists only of two natural genders and that all other divisions are artificial constructs of the human mind. Furthermore, Kannadasan addresses religious intolerance by highlighting a clever linguistic double meaning: the Tamil word 'Madham' means both 'religion' and 'madness/fanaticism'. He urges people divided by religious fanaticism to unite through universal love and live as one single community ('Ondrae Kulam'). The song serves as a powerful call for moral living, social harmony, and selfless devotion.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai Ani)

Kaattrai pol boomiyilae / Kalandhiruppaan aandavanae

Compares God's unseen, divine presence spread across the earth to the invisible yet everywhere-present wind using the comparison marker 'pol' (like).

Paradox / Chiasmus (Antimetabole)

Kandavarum sonnadhillai / Sonnavarum kandadhillai

A classic philosophical paradoxical phrase using inverted word structure ('Those who saw didn't speak; those who spoke didn't see') to illustrate the transcendent nature of the Divine.

Pun / Double Entendre (Sledai Ani)

Madham ennum sollukku / Veri yendror porulum undu

Exploits the dual meaning of the Tamil word 'Madham', which denotes 'religion' as well as 'madness' or 'fanaticism', showing how religion turns into blind madness when misused.

Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Aadhi kadavul ondrae thaan / Adhai kaana mudiyaadhu

The second consonant sound 'dh' (ஆதி / அதை) rhymes between consecutive lines.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Aan pen jaadhi irandu thaan ... Ullatthaal varum maatram thaan

Repeated use of the end word 'thaan' across stanzas creates rhythmic harmony and reinforcement of truth.

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Trivia

Written by the legendary lyricist Kannadasan, this song reflects the reformist socio-political ethos popular in Tamil cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. The line 'Kandavarum sonnadhillai, sonnavarum kandadhillai' is an adaptation of an ancient Siddhar spiritual proverb about mystical enlightenment, popularized in Tamil pop culture through Kannadasan's verses. The refrain echoes the ancient Tamil ideal 'Ondre Kulam, Oruvaney Devan' (One race, One God).

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