- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- K. S. Chithra
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Sindhu Bhairavi
- Movie release year
- 1985
- Lyrics added on
- 7 May 2018
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Paadariyen padippariyen
Pallikkoodam dhaanariyen
Yedariyen ezhuththariyen
Ezhuththuvaga naanariyen
Paadariyen padippariyen
Pallikkoodam dhaanariyen
Yedariyen ezhuththariyen
Ezhuththuvaga naanariyen
Paadariyen padippariyen
Pallikkoodam dhaanariyen
Yedariyen ezhuththariyen
Ezhuththuvaga naanariyen
Yettula ezhudhavilla
Ezhudhivechi pazhakkamilla
Elakkanam padikkavilla
Thalaganamum enakku illa
Paadariyen padippariyen
Pallikkoodam dhaanariyen
Yedariyen ezhuththariyen
Ezhuththuvaga naanariyen
Arththaththa vittupputtaa
Adhukkoru baavamilla
Pazhagina bhaashayila
Padippadhu paavamilla
Ennamo raagam ennannamo thaalam
Thalaiya aattum puriyaadha koottam
Ellaamae sangeedhandhaan…
Aaaaaa…aaa…aaa…aaa…
Ellaamae sangeedhandhaan
Saththaththil porandha sangadhidhaan
Sadjamam enbadhum dhaivadham enbadhum
Panja parambaraikku appurandhaan
Paadariyen padippariyen
Pallikkoodam dhaanariyen
Yedariyen ezhuththariyen
Ezhuththuvaga naanariyen
Kavala yedhumilla
Rasikkum mettukkudi
Cherikkum seravenum
Adhukkoru paatta padi
Enniyae paaru
Eththana peru
Thangamae neeyum
Thamizh paattum paadu
Sonnadhu thappaa thappaa..
Aaaaaaa…aaa….aa…..
Sonnadhu thappaa thappaa
Raagaththil pudusu ennudhappaa
Ammiyarachchava kummiyadichchava
Naattupporaththula sonnadhappaa
Ammiyarachchava kummiyadichchava
Naattupporaththula sonnadhappaa
Paadariyen padippariyen
Pallikkoodam dhaanariyen
Yedariyen ezhuththariyen
Ezhuththuvaga naanariyen
Yettula ezhudhavilla
Ezhudhivechi pazhakkamilla
Elakkanam padikkavilla
Thalaganamum enakku illa
Paadariyen padippariyen
Pallikkoodam dhaanariyen
Yedariyen ezhuththariyen
Ezhuththuvaga naanariyen
Ma pa da ma
Paadariyen padippariyen
Sa ri ga ma pa da ma
Paadariyen padippariyen
Pa da ni sa ni da ma ga ga ri
Paadariyen padippariyen
Sa sa ri ga sa ri ga ma ga sa pa da ma
Ma ma pa da ma pa da ni da ma pa da ni
Pa da ni sa ri ga sa ni da ma pa da ni
Sa ni da pa da ni da ma pa ma da
Ga ma pa da ma ga ma ga sa
Sa sa sa sa sa sa sa ri ga pa ga pa sa ri da
Ma ma ma ma ma ma pa da ni sa ri sa ri ga ma ga
Sa sa ri ri ga ga ma ma pa pa da da ni ni sa
Ri ga sa sa ni sa ni ni da
Ma pa da ni da ni da pa ma
Ga ma ga sa ri ga ma pa da ma pa da ni sa
Ri ga pa ga sa ni da pa ga
Mari mari ninnae muralidhar
Nee manasuna daya raadha ….uu….
Mari mari ninnae muralidhar
Nee mana…suna daya raadha ….
Mari mari ninnae
Mari mari ninnae
I know no songs, I have no learning,
I know nothing of going to school.
I know no books, I know no letters,
I know nothing of written words.
I know no songs, I have no learning,
I know nothing of going to school.
I know no books, I know no letters,
I know nothing of written words.
I know no songs, I have no learning,
I know nothing of going to school.
I know no books, I know no letters,
I know nothing of written words.
I never wrote in notebooks,
I never had the habit of writing things down.
I never studied rules of grammar,
nor do I carry pride in my head.
I know no songs, I have no learning,
I know nothing of going to school.
I know no books, I know no letters,
I know nothing of written words.
If you leave out the meaning,
nobody calls it a sin.
Singing in a familiar tongue
is truly no sin at all!
Some strange melody, some complex rhythm,
and a clueless crowd just nodding its heads!
Everything is just music...
Aaaa... aa... aa... aa...
Everything is just music,
variations born out of pure sound!
Formal notes like Shadjam and Dhaivatham
came only after generations of the working poor!
I know no songs, I have no learning,
I know nothing of going to school.
I know no books, I know no letters,
I know nothing of written words.
Without a single care in the world,
the high society sits and enjoys.
Music must reach the poorest settlements too,
so sing a song for them!
Just think about it,
see how many people there are!
My precious friend, you too,
please sing a song in Tamil!
Is what I said wrong? Is it wrong?
Aaaaa... aa... aa...
Is what I said wrong? Is it wrong?
What is ever new in a melody?
Women grinding spices and clapping in folk dance
sang all these in the countryside long ago!
Women grinding spices and clapping in folk dance
sang all these in the countryside long ago!
I know no songs, I have no learning,
I know nothing of going to school.
I know no books, I know no letters,
I know nothing of written words.
I never wrote in notebooks,
I never had the habit of writing things down.
I never studied rules of grammar,
nor do I carry pride in my head.
I know no songs, I have no learning,
I know nothing of going to school.
I know no books, I know no letters,
I know nothing of written words.
Ma Pa Dha Ma
I know no songs, I have no learning,
Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ma
I know no songs, I have no learning,
Pa Dha Ni Sa Ni Dha Ma Ga Ga Ri
I know no songs, I have no learning,
Sa Sa Ri Ga Sa Ri Ga Ma Ga Sa Pa Dha Ma
Ma Ma Pa Dha Ma Pa Dha Ni Dha Ma Pa Dha Ni
Pa Dha Ni Sa Ri Ga Sa Ni Dha Ma Pa Dha Ni
Sa Ni Dha Pa Dha Ni Dha Ma Pa Ma Dha
Ga Ma Pa Dha Ma Ga Ma Ga Sa
Sa Sa Sa Sa Sa Sa Sa Ri Ga Pa Ga Pa Sa Ri Dha
Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa Ri Sa Ri Ga Ma Ga
Sa Sa Ri Ri Ga Ga Ma Ma Pa Pa Dha Dha Ni Ni Sa
Ri Ga Sa Sa Ni Sa Ni Ni Dha
Ma Pa Dha Ni Dha Ni Dha Pa Ma
Ga Ma Ga Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa
Ri Ga Pa Ga Sa Ni Dha Pa Ga
Again and again to You, O Flute-bearer...
Does Your heart feel no compassion? Ooh...
Again and again to You, O Flute-bearer...
Does Your heart... feel no compassion?
Again and again to You...
Again and again to You...
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Paadariyen Padippariyen is a landmark song from the 1985 Tamil film Sindhu Bhairavi, composed by Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Vairamuthu and sung by K. S. Chithra. The song serves as a central ideological debate in the film, where an uneducated folk singer challenges the elitism and exclusivity of classical Carnatic music. She argues that music should be accessible to common people, sung in their mother tongue with emotion and meaning, rather than being confined to rigid grammatical rules, complex technical swaras, and elite patronage.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora / Repetition (Emonai)
“Paadariyen padippariyen / Pallikkoodam dhaanariyen”
The repeated ending with 'ariyen' (do not know) creates a rhythmic, humble refrain highlighting unpretentious folk wisdom.
Contrast / Antimetabole
“Elakkanam padikkavilla / Thalaganamum enakku illa”
Contrasts formal education ('Elakkanam') with personal humility ('Thalaganam' or arrogance).
Rhyme / Alliteration (Monai & Ethukai)
“Ammiyarachchava kummiyadichchava”
Use of matching internal sounds ('Ammiyarachchava' / 'Kummiyadichchava') typical of Tamil folk oral traditions.
Did you know?
Trivia
K. S. Chithra won her first National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for this song. The composition seamlessly transitions folk rhythms into classical Carnatic swara passages set in Raga Saramati, concluding with snippets of Saint Tyagaraja's famous kriti 'Mari Mari Ninne'.
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