- Lyricist
- Puratchi Dasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Tharaasu
- Movie release year
- 1984
- Lyrics added on
- 25 Feb 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Pogaththaan nadanthaen mudiyavilai is a melancholic Tamil film song expressing profound existential crisis, loneliness, and remorse. The narrator struggles between the desire to end his life or walk away from his troubles and his inability to actually do so. Bereft of his beloved wife and estranged from family, he feels completely isolated despite being surrounded by society. The lyrics reflect a heavy conscience burdened by past mistakes and broken relationships. The narrator realizes that wrongdoing brings incessant guilt and daily suffering, making life feel like an inescapable burden.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Thaarathai kaathaaga nan nenaithaen”
Comparing the wife (Thaaram) to the air/breath (Kaathu) essential for survival.
Allusion
“Kaiyai vittu pona pillai karnanaagi vittaan”
Reference to Karna from Mahabharata to symbolize extreme nobility and sacrifice.
Ethukai (Second-letter rhyme)
“Unmai vazhi nadakkumpothu oomaiyaaginraen”
Rhyming of the second letter 'n' across consecutive lines (Unmai / Oomai).
Monaai (First-letter rhyming / Alliteration)
“Pogaththaan nadanthaen mudiyavilai / Ponaal ponadhuthaan thirumbi vandhaen”
Repetition of initial sound 'Po' in adjacent words/phrases.
Did you know?
Trivia
The film 'Tharaasu' (1984) featured music by the legendary composer M. S. Viswanathan with emotive rendition by T. M. Soundararajan. Written by Puratchi Dasan, the song stands out for its deep philosophical exploration of guilt, moral dilemma, and loneliness, delivered in TMS's signature powerful and grief-laden voice during the later phase of his career.
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