- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Panathottam
- Movie release year
- 1963
- Lyrics added on
- 14 Oct 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Pesuvathu Kiliya is a classic romantic duet from the 1963 Tamil film Panathottam, starring M. G. Ramachandran and Saroja Devi. Penned by Kaviarasu Kannadasan and set to music by the legendary duo Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, the song is a exchange of poetic praise between two lovers who express their affection through rich metaphors drawn from Tamil classical literature, nature, and art. The hero compares the heroine's voice and beauty to parrots, temple statues, flower vines, and music ragas, while the heroine counters by comparing the hero's majesty and eloquence to historical patrons like Paari Vallal, royalty of the Chera dynasty, and bow-wielding warriors.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Moonaal / Alliteration
“Pesuvathu kiliya illai Pennarasi mozhiya”
Repetition of initial consonant sound 'P' in words like 'Pesuvathu', 'Pennarasi', 'Paaduvathu', and 'Paarivallal'.
Metaphor / Uvamaani
“Kovil konda silaiya Kothu malar kodiya”
Comparing the heroine's speech to the sweet chatter of a parrot and her form to a temple idol and flowering vine.
Historical & Literary Allusion
“Paarivallal magana Seranukku urava”
Referencing Tamil historical icons like Paari Vallal (famous for generosity) and Cheran dynasty to romanticize the hero's nobility.
Rhetorical Questioning
“Kalyana panthalil aadum thoranama Illai kacheri rasirgal ketkum moganama”
Continuous usage of the suffix '-a' ('kiliya', 'mozhiya', 'silaiya', 'kodiya') asking rhetorical questions to express awe.
Did you know?
Trivia
This iconic track from Panathottam remains one of the most celebrated compositions by Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, featuring the playback singing of T. M. Soundararajan and P. Susheela. Kannadasan's lyrics seamlessly integrate classical Sangam literature tropes into mainstream cinema music.
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