Paattodu Ragam Inge
From Akka Thangai · 1969
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Details
- Akka Thangai1969
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Needhi madhayanai needhi vazhi sendrathamma | Justice, like a rogue elephant, walked down the path of law. |
| Mangai nenja perungovil ninaivilandhu vaadudhamma | In the great temple of a woman's heart, memories fade and wither. |
| Thangai satatthil paasam thanai marandhu | Forgetting affection under the strictness of the younger sister's law, |
| Yengudhamma yengudhamma | It yearns and aches in anguish. |
| Male | |
| Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma | Here, the melody of song collides in conflict. |
| Thaalam paarthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma | Watching the rhythm beat, it slowly wilts away. |
| Parthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma | Just watching it, it slowly wilts away. |
| Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma modhudhamma | Here, the melody of song collides, collides in conflict. |
| Male | |
| Oru thaayin makkalukku ondrae ratham | Children born to the same mother share identical blood. |
| Andha uravai marakka vaikkum needhiyin mutham | Yet the cold kiss of justice makes them forget that bond. |
| Oru thaayin makkalukku ondrae ratham | Children born to the same mother share identical blood. |
| Andha uravai marakka vaikkum needhiyin mutham | Yet the cold kiss of justice makes them forget that bond. |
| Thaalikkum dharmathukkum pagaimaiyaa | Is there an enmity between the sacred thali and righteousness? |
| Thaalikkum dharmathukkum pagaimaiyaa | Is there an enmity between the sacred thali and righteousness? |
| Kula dharmamae sattathukku adimaiyaa | Is family virtue meant to be a slave to court law? |
| Male | |
| Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma | Here, the melody of song collides in conflict. |
| modhudhamma | Collides in conflict. |
| Male | |
| Samsaara kovilukku avanae dheivam | He is the deity presiding over the temple of family life. |
| Thangai thannodu pirandhadhanaal avalae deepam | Because she was born alongside him, the younger sister is the sacred lamp. |
| Samsaara kovilukku avanae dheivam | He is the deity presiding over the temple of family life. |
| Thangai thannodu pirandhadhanaal avalae deepam | Because she was born alongside him, the younger sister is the sacred lamp. |
| Deepamae deivathudan modhumaa | Will the temple lamp clash with the deity itself? |
| Deepamae deivathudan modhumaa | Will the temple lamp clash with the deity itself? |
| Adhu modhinaal kovil ullam vaazhuma | If it clashes, can the heart of the temple survive? |
| Male | |
| Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma | Here, the melody of song collides in conflict. |
| Thaalam paarthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma | Watching the rhythm beat, it slowly wilts away. |
| Parthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma | Just watching it, it slowly wilts away. |
| Parthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma | Just watching it, it slowly wilts away. |
| Parthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma | Just watching it, it slowly wilts away. |
நீதி மதயானை நீதி வழி சென்றதம்மா
மங்கை நெஞ்சப் பெருங்கோயில்
நினைவிழந்து வாடுதம்மா
தங்கை சட்டத்தில் பாசம் தனை மறந்து
ஏங்குதம்மா....ஏங்குதம்மா.....
Justice, like a rogue elephant, walked down the path of law.
In the great temple of a woman's heart, memories fade and wither.
Forgetting affection under the strictness of the younger sister's law,
It yearns and aches in anguish.
பாட்டோடு ராகம் இங்கே மோதுதம்மா
தாளம் பார்த்துக் கொண்டே இருந்து வாடுதம்மா
பார்த்துக் கொண்டே இருந்து வாடுதம்மா
பாட்டோடு ராகம் இங்கே மோதுதம்மா மோதுதம்மா
Here, the melody of song collides in conflict.
Watching the rhythm beat, it slowly wilts away.
Just watching it, it slowly wilts away.
Here, the melody of song collides, collides in conflict.
ஒரு தாயின் மக்களுக்கு ஒன்றே ரத்தம்
அந்த உறவை மறக்க வைக்கும் நீதியின் முத்தம்
ஒரு தாயின் மக்களுக்கு ஒன்றே ரத்தம்
அந்த உறவை மறக்க வைக்கும் நீதியின் முத்தம்
தாலிக்கும் தர்மத்துக்கும் பகைமையா
தாலிக்கும் தர்மத்துக்கும் பகைமையா
குல தர்மமே சட்டத்துக்கு அடிமையா....
Children born to the same mother share identical blood.
Yet the cold kiss of justice makes them forget that bond.
Children born to the same mother share identical blood.
Yet the cold kiss of justice makes them forget that bond.
Is there an enmity between the sacred thali and righteousness?
Is there an enmity between the sacred thali and righteousness?
Is family virtue meant to be a slave to court law?
பாட்டோடு ராகம் இங்கே மோதுதம்மா மோதுதம்மா
Here, the melody of song collides in conflict.
Collides in conflict.
சம்சாரக் கோவிலுக்கு அவனே தெய்வம்
தங்கை தன்னோடு பிறந்ததினால் அவளே தீபம்
சம்சாரக் கோவிலுக்கு அவனே தெய்வம்
தங்கை தன்னோடு பிறந்ததினால் அவளே தீபம்
தீபமே தெய்வத்துடன் மோதுமா
தீபமே தெய்வத்துடன் மோதுமா
அது மோதினால் கோவில் உள்ளம் வாழுமா
He is the deity presiding over the temple of family life.
Because she was born alongside him, the younger sister is the sacred lamp.
He is the deity presiding over the temple of family life.
Because she was born alongside him, the younger sister is the sacred lamp.
Will the temple lamp clash with the deity itself?
Will the temple lamp clash with the deity itself?
If it clashes, can the heart of the temple survive?
பாட்டோடு ராகம் இங்கே மோதுதம்மா
தாளம் பார்த்துக் கொண்டே இருந்து வாடுதம்மா
பார்த்துக் கொண்டே இருந்து வாடுதம்மா
பார்த்துக் கொண்டே இருந்து வாடுதம்மா..
பார்த்துக் கொண்டே இருந்து வாடுதம்மா..
Here, the melody of song collides in conflict.
Watching the rhythm beat, it slowly wilts away.
Just watching it, it slowly wilts away.
Just watching it, it slowly wilts away.
Just watching it, it slowly wilts away.
Needhi madhayanai needhi vazhi sendrathamma
Justice, like a rogue elephant, walked down the path of law.
Mangai nenja perungovil ninaivilandhu vaadudhamma
In the great temple of a woman's heart, memories fade and wither.
Thangai satatthil paasam thanai marandhu
Forgetting affection under the strictness of the younger sister's law,
Yengudhamma yengudhamma
It yearns and aches in anguish.
Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma
Here, the melody of song collides in conflict.
Thaalam paarthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma
Watching the rhythm beat, it slowly wilts away.
Parthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma
Just watching it, it slowly wilts away.
Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma modhudhamma
Here, the melody of song collides, collides in conflict.
Oru thaayin makkalukku ondrae ratham
Children born to the same mother share identical blood.
Andha uravai marakka vaikkum needhiyin mutham
Yet the cold kiss of justice makes them forget that bond.
Oru thaayin makkalukku ondrae ratham
Children born to the same mother share identical blood.
Andha uravai marakka vaikkum needhiyin mutham
Yet the cold kiss of justice makes them forget that bond.
Thaalikkum dharmathukkum pagaimaiyaa
Is there an enmity between the sacred thali and righteousness?
Thaalikkum dharmathukkum pagaimaiyaa
Is there an enmity between the sacred thali and righteousness?
Kula dharmamae sattathukku adimaiyaa
Is family virtue meant to be a slave to court law?
Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma
Here, the melody of song collides in conflict.
modhudhamma
Collides in conflict.
Samsaara kovilukku avanae dheivam
He is the deity presiding over the temple of family life.
Thangai thannodu pirandhadhanaal avalae deepam
Because she was born alongside him, the younger sister is the sacred lamp.
Samsaara kovilukku avanae dheivam
He is the deity presiding over the temple of family life.
Thangai thannodu pirandhadhanaal avalae deepam
Because she was born alongside him, the younger sister is the sacred lamp.
Deepamae deivathudan modhumaa
Will the temple lamp clash with the deity itself?
Deepamae deivathudan modhumaa
Will the temple lamp clash with the deity itself?
Adhu modhinaal kovil ullam vaazhuma
If it clashes, can the heart of the temple survive?
Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma
Here, the melody of song collides in conflict.
Thaalam paarthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma
Watching the rhythm beat, it slowly wilts away.
Parthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma
Just watching it, it slowly wilts away.
Parthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma
Just watching it, it slowly wilts away.
Parthu kondae irundhu vaadudhamma
Just watching it, it slowly wilts away.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant song explores the painful conflict between legal duty, marital ties, and sibling love. The lyrics depict justice as an unyielding force (a 'mad elephant') that operates coldly without regarding blood relations or familial duty. Kannadasan uses powerful metaphors comparing family to a temple, where the husband/brother is the deity and the sister is the sacred lamp, questioning the tragic consequences when law forces these sacred bonds into opposition.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uvamai (Simile / Metaphor)
“Needhi madhayanai needhi vazhi sendrathamma”
Compares justice to a mad elephant ('Needhi madhayanai') that trample delicate human emotions and relationships.
Uruvagamb (Metaphor)
“Samsaara kovilukku avanae dheivam... avalae deepam”
Compares domestic life to a temple ('Samsaara kovil'), the husband to God ('dheivam'), and the sister to a sacred light ('deepam').
Ezhukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Pattoda raagam ingae modhudhamma”
The second consonant sound 't/dd' matches in 'Pattoda' and 'Thaalam' rhyming scheme patterns across musical stanzas.
Rhetorical Question (Vinaa)
“Kula dharmamae sattathukku adimaiyaa”
Kannadasan asks profound ethical questions about whether human laws should override sacred family duties.
Did you know?
Trivia
Akka Thangai (1969) is a classic Tamil drama directed by M. A. Thirumugam. The legendary lyricist Kannadasan wrote emotional allegorical songs for this film that highlighted the legal and moral dilemmas between siblings and spouses. The musical score was composed by the duo Shankar-Ganesh.
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