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Lyrics & meaning

Pandarathi Puranam

From Karnan (2021 Film) · 2021

Lyricist
Yugabharathi
Singers
Thenisai Thendral Deva, Reetha Anthony
Music director
Santhosh Narayanan
Movie name
Karnan (2021 Film)
Movie release year
2021
Lyrics added on
1 Feb 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
En aalu pandarathi
Eduppaana sembaruthi
Kannala ennai kothi
Kalangadicha sakkalathi
En aalu pandarathi
Eduppaana sembaruthi
Kannala ennai kothi
Kalangadicha sakkalathi
En kakkathula
En kakkathula vecha thunda
Thozhu mela pottuvutta
Thoranaiya naanum nadakka
Vaalibatha yethivutta
En kakkathula
En kakkathula vecha thunda
Thozhu mela pottuvutta
Thoranaiya naanum nadakka
Vaalibatha yethivutta
Andha sittazhagi
Andha sittazhagi
Andha sittazhagi sottazhagi
Kadhaiya kelu ravuttu vandukku
Ravuttu vandukku ravuttu vandukku
En aalu pandarathi
Eduppaana sembaruthi
Kannala ennai kothi
Kalangadicha sakkalathi
En aalu pandarathi …ee..
Vallanattu malaiyoram
Vaaram oru tharam paathom
Mullukkaattu moottoram
Moochu mutta thaeneduthom
Kakkulathu pakkathula
Kaalasamy koiyilila
Saadhiyathaan palikoduthu
Sandhanam kungumam poosikittom
En pandarathi
En pandaarathi
Yemanoda veettu velakka yethuna
Erumaiyaattam thirinja payala
Yaanai mela yethuna
Andha mottazhagi
Andha mottazhagi
Andha mottazhagi pottazhagi
Kadhaiya kelu ravuttu vandukku
Ravuttu vandukku ravuttu vandukku
Yei…yei podu podu riththa
Yei podu podu riththa
Yei podu
Yei podu
Yei podu
Yei podu
Yei riththa riththa podu
Yei riththa riththa podu
Yei riththa yei riththa
Yei riththa yei riththa yei podu
Yei podu podu podu podu podu podu podu podu
Riththa yei riththa yei riththa
Karuppandhorai manneduthu
Kaara veedu kattikkittom
Naayikutty naaleduthu
Kozhandhayaakki konjikkittom
Paadhagathi saathisanam
Veleduthu vaarumunnu
Vaaleduthu sandayida
Vaasalila kaathirundhen
En pandarathi
En pandarathi
En pandarathi odabukkulla
Enna ezhavu poondhucho
Cholera-nu vandha noyi
Yeman kannedhire thinniduchae
En mottazhagi pottazhagi
Kadhaiya keli ravuttu vandukku
Ravut ravu
Hei yeman azha koodathu azha koodathu
Adiyaa melathaa
My girl is Pandarathi,
A striking red hibiscus.
She hooked me with her eyes,
And stirred my heart, that sweet troublemaker.
My girl is Pandarathi,
A striking red hibiscus.
She hooked me with her eyes,
And stirred my heart, that sweet troublemaker.
Under my arm,
The towel tucked under my arm,
She draped proudly over my shoulder.
So I could walk with bold pride,
She fired up my youthful spirit.
Under my arm,
The towel tucked under my arm,
She draped proudly over my shoulder.
So I could walk with bold pride,
She fired up my youthful spirit.
That little beauty,
That little beauty,
That little beauty dripping with charm,
Listen to the tale of the wandering beetle,
To the wandering beetle, to the wandering beetle!
My girl is Pandarathi,
A striking red hibiscus.
She hooked me with her eyes,
And stirred my heart, that sweet troublemaker.
My girl is Pandarathi...
By the slopes of the Vallanadu hills,
We met once every week.
In the corners of the thorny forest,
We gathered sweet honey until we were breathless.
Beside the Kakkulam pond,
At the shrine of Lord Kaalasamy,
Sacrificing caste itself,
We marked each other with sandalwood and kumkum.
My Pandarathi,
My Pandarathi,
She lit the lamp in Yeman's home.
A guy who roamed like a stray buffalo,
She seated high on an elephant.
That sweet beauty,
That sweet beauty,
That sweet beauty with the bindi on her brow,
Listen to the tale of the wandering beetle,
To the wandering beetle, to the wandering beetle!
Hey... hey, play it, play it, Reetha!
Hey, play it, play it, Reetha!
Hey, play it!
Hey, play it!
Hey, play it!
Hey, play it!
Hey Reetha, Reetha, play it!
Hey Reetha, Reetha, play it!
Hey Reetha, hey Reetha!
Hey Reetha, hey Reetha, hey play it!
Hey, play it, play it, play it, play it, play it, play it, play it, play it!
Reetha, hey Reetha, hey Reetha!
Gathering clay from Karuppanthurai,
We built ourselves a sturdy house.
We brought up four little puppies,
And cuddled them like our own children.
Fearing the cruel caste-folk
Would come charging with spears,
Ready to fight with a sword,
I kept watch at our doorway.
My Pandarathi,
My Pandarathi,
Inside my Pandarathi's body,
What terrible curse crept in?
The deadly disease called cholera
Devoured her right before Yeman's eyes!
My sweet beauty with the bindi on her brow,
Listen to the tale of the wandering beetle,
Rout, rou...
Hey Yema, don't cry, you must not cry!
Beat the drums!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Pandarathi Purani from the 2021 film Karnan is a poignant folk lament sung by an elderly man remembering his beloved late wife, Pandarathi. He reminisces about her striking beauty, their secret meetings along the mountain slopes, and how her love transformed him from an aimless outcast into a man walking with pride and dignity. Together, they defied caste norms, built a home, and nurtured simple joys like raising stray puppies.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Eduppaana sembaruthi

Comparing the vibrant beauty of Pandarathi to a bright, fresh hibiscus flower.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Erumaiyaattam thirinja payala / Yaanai mela yethuna

Metaphorically describing how her love elevated a low-status man (wandering like a buffalo) into someone of high dignity (seated on an elephant).

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

Vallanattu malaiyoram / Vaaram oru tharam paathom

Repetition of the initial sound 'Va' across consecutive words in the line.

Did you know?

Trivia

Following a legal suit filed prior to the film's release alleging that the name 'Pandarathi' demeaned a specific community, director Mari Selvaraj altered the character name in the theatrical audio track to 'Manjanathi', though the original version composed by Santhosh Narayanan and sung by Deva remains popular.

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