Pondatti Oru Paadhi
From Varavu Nalla Uravu · 1990
- Lyricist
- Idhaya Chandran
- Singer
- Malaysia Vasudevan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Details
- Varavu Nalla Uravu1990
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Pondatti oru paadhi | Wife claims one half, |
| Pullainga maru paadhi | Children claim the other half, |
| Santhosam thadumaaruthae | Happiness slips away. |
| Samsaaram perusaagi sonthangal varumpothu | As the family grows and relatives arrive, |
| Thanmaanam pari poguthae sanniyaasam uruvaaguthae | Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born. |
| Male | |
| Pondatti oru paadhi | Wife claims one half, |
| Pullainga maru paadhi | Children claim the other half, |
| Santhosam thadumaaruthae | Happiness slips away. |
| Samsaaram perusaagi sonthangal varumpothu | As the family grows and relatives arrive, |
| Thanmaanam pari poguthae sanniyaasam uruvaaguthae | Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born. |
| Male | |
| Paalootti valarththaalum | Even if raised on milk, |
| Seeraatti paarththaalum | Even if showered with pampering, |
| Pullainga paambuthaan saami | Children are like snakes, oh Lord! |
| Koththaama pogamaa yaemi | How can they go without biting? |
| Yaezhu kundala vaadaa meerae seppandi | Oh Lord of the Seven Hills, please tell me! |
| Male | |
| Thuttoda ellam poyaachchu | All my money is gone, |
| Thundoda naanum ninaachchu | I am left standing with just a towel. |
| Adiyoda adichchittaan mottai | They shaved my head completely, |
| Angange theriyuthe sottai….. | Bald spots are visible here and there... |
| Male | |
| Pondatti oru paadhi | Wife claims one half, |
| Pullainga maru paadhi | Children claim the other half, |
| Santhosam thadumaaruthae | Happiness slips away. |
| Samsaaram perusaagi sonthangal varumpothu | As the family grows and relatives arrive, |
| Thanmaanam pari poguthae sanniyaasam uruvaaguthae | Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born. |
| Male | |
| Poo vaangi koduththaalum | Even if you buy flowers for her, |
| Halwa-vaa kuvichchaalum | Even if you heap piles of sweet halwa, |
| Ammaakkal pullai pakkamthaan | Mothers always take the children's side, |
| Appaakkala road-ttu pakkamthaan | Leaving fathers out on the road! |
| Male | |
| Pondattiyaala naanthaane | Because of my wife, |
| Thindaadi devadaasaa aanen | I struggled and turned into Devadas! |
| Kettathum puththi vanthaachchu | Now that I am ruined, good sense has dawned, |
| Ippo naan puththan aayaachchu | Now I have become a Buddha! |
| Male | |
| Puththam saranam kachchaami | I take refuge in the Buddha, |
| Sangam saranam kachchaami | I take refuge in the Sangha, |
| Dharmam saranam kachchaami….. | I take refuge in the Dharma... |
| Male | |
| Sangara sangaraa sambo | Shankara Shankara Shambo! |
| Kamatchi sirichchaachhu ippo naan ambo | Kamatchi laughed, and now I am abandoned. |
| Male | |
| Sangara sangaraa sambo | Shankara Shankara Shambo! |
| Kamatchi sirichchaachu | Kamatchi laughed, |
| Ippo naan ambo ippo naan ambo | Now I am left high and dry, now I am abandoned. |
| Sangara sangara sambo | Shankara Shankara Shambo! |
பொண்டாட்டி ஒரு பாதி
புள்ளைங்க மறு பாதி
சந்தோஷம் தடுமாறுதே
சம்சாரம் பெருசாகி சொந்தங்கள் வரும்போது
தன்மானம் பறி போகுதே சந்நியாசம் உருவாகுதே
Wife claims one half,
Children claim the other half,
Happiness slips away.
As the family grows and relatives arrive,
Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born.
பொண்டாட்டி ஒரு பாதி
புள்ளைங்க மறு பாதி
சந்தோஷம் தடுமாறுதே
சம்சாரம் பெருசாகி சொந்தங்கள் வரும்போது
தன்மானம் பறி போகுதே சந்நியாசம் உருவாகுதே
Wife claims one half,
Children claim the other half,
Happiness slips away.
As the family grows and relatives arrive,
Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born.
பாலூட்டி வளர்த்தாலும்
சீராட்டி பார்த்தாலும்
புள்ளைங்க பாம்புதான் சாமி
கொத்தாம போகுமா ஏமி
ஏழு குண்டல வாடா மீரே செப்பண்டி
Even if raised on milk,
Even if showered with pampering,
Children are like snakes, oh Lord!
How can they go without biting?
Oh Lord of the Seven Hills, please tell me!
துட்டோட எல்லாம் போயாச்சு
துண்டோட நானும் நின்னாச்சு
அடியோட அடிச்சிட்டான் மொட்டை
அங்கங்கே தெரியுதே சொட்டை......
All my money is gone,
I am left standing with just a towel.
They shaved my head completely,
Bald spots are visible here and there...
பொண்டாட்டி ஒரு பாதி
புள்ளைங்க மறு பாதி
சந்தோஷம் தடுமாறுதே
சம்சாரம் பெருசாகி சொந்தங்கள் வரும்போது
தன்மானம் பறி போகுதே சந்நியாசம் உருவாகுதே
Wife claims one half,
Children claim the other half,
Happiness slips away.
As the family grows and relatives arrive,
Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born.
பூ வாங்கி குடுத்தாலும்
அல்வாவா குவிச்சாலும்
அம்மாக்கள் புள்ளப் பக்கம்தான்
அப்பாக்கள் ரோட்டுப் பக்கம்தான்
Even if you buy flowers for her,
Even if you heap piles of sweet halwa,
Mothers always take the children's side,
Leaving fathers out on the road!
பொண்டாட்டியால நான்தானே
திண்டாடி தேவதாசானேன்
கெட்டதும் புத்தி வந்தாச்சு
இப்போ நான் புத்தன் ஆயாச்சு
Because of my wife,
I struggled and turned into Devadas!
Now that I am ruined, good sense has dawned,
Now I have become a Buddha!
புத்தம் சரணம் கச்சாமி
சங்கம் சரணம் கச்சாமி
தர்மம் சரணம் கச்சாமி......
I take refuge in the Buddha,
I take refuge in the Sangha,
I take refuge in the Dharma...
சங்கர சங்கரா சம்போ
காமாட்சி சிரிச்சாச்சு இப்போ நான் அம்போ
Shankara Shankara Shambo!
Kamatchi laughed, and now I am abandoned.
சங்கர சங்கரா சம்போ
காமாட்சி போயாச்சு
இப்போ நான் அம்போ இப்போ நான் அம்போ
சங்கர சங்கர சம்போ....
Shankara Shankara Shambo!
Kamatchi laughed,
Now I am left high and dry, now I am abandoned.
Shankara Shankara Shambo!
Pondatti oru paadhi
Wife claims one half,
Pullainga maru paadhi
Children claim the other half,
Santhosam thadumaaruthae
Happiness slips away.
Samsaaram perusaagi sonthangal varumpothu
As the family grows and relatives arrive,
Thanmaanam pari poguthae sanniyaasam uruvaaguthae
Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born.
Pondatti oru paadhi
Wife claims one half,
Pullainga maru paadhi
Children claim the other half,
Santhosam thadumaaruthae
Happiness slips away.
Samsaaram perusaagi sonthangal varumpothu
As the family grows and relatives arrive,
Thanmaanam pari poguthae sanniyaasam uruvaaguthae
Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born.
Paalootti valarththaalum
Even if raised on milk,
Seeraatti paarththaalum
Even if showered with pampering,
Pullainga paambuthaan saami
Children are like snakes, oh Lord!
Koththaama pogamaa yaemi
How can they go without biting?
Yaezhu kundala vaadaa meerae seppandi
Oh Lord of the Seven Hills, please tell me!
Thuttoda ellam poyaachchu
All my money is gone,
Thundoda naanum ninaachchu
I am left standing with just a towel.
Adiyoda adichchittaan mottai
They shaved my head completely,
Angange theriyuthe sottai…..
Bald spots are visible here and there...
Pondatti oru paadhi
Wife claims one half,
Pullainga maru paadhi
Children claim the other half,
Santhosam thadumaaruthae
Happiness slips away.
Samsaaram perusaagi sonthangal varumpothu
As the family grows and relatives arrive,
Thanmaanam pari poguthae sanniyaasam uruvaaguthae
Self-respect is lost, and asceticism is born.
Poo vaangi koduththaalum
Even if you buy flowers for her,
Halwa-vaa kuvichchaalum
Even if you heap piles of sweet halwa,
Ammaakkal pullai pakkamthaan
Mothers always take the children's side,
Appaakkala road-ttu pakkamthaan
Leaving fathers out on the road!
Pondattiyaala naanthaane
Because of my wife,
Thindaadi devadaasaa aanen
I struggled and turned into Devadas!
Kettathum puththi vanthaachchu
Now that I am ruined, good sense has dawned,
Ippo naan puththan aayaachchu
Now I have become a Buddha!
Puththam saranam kachchaami
I take refuge in the Buddha,
Sangam saranam kachchaami
I take refuge in the Sangha,
Dharmam saranam kachchaami…..
I take refuge in the Dharma...
Sangara sangaraa sambo
Shankara Shankara Shambo!
Kamatchi sirichchaachhu ippo naan ambo
Kamatchi laughed, and now I am abandoned.
Sangara sangaraa sambo
Shankara Shankara Shambo!
Kamatchi sirichchaachu
Kamatchi laughed,
Ippo naan ambo ippo naan ambo
Now I am left high and dry, now I am abandoned.
Sangara sangara sambo
Shankara Shankara Shambo!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This humorous yet poignant song from the 1990 Tamil movie 'Varavu Nalla Uravu' portrays the plight of an overburdened family patriarch who feels stripped of his dignity, money, and peace of mind by his demanding family. Divided between his wife's demands and his children's needs, he finds himself financially broke and emotionally exhausted, comically comparing his situation to being forced into spiritual renunciation. The track satirically tracks his transition from a loving provider to a disillusioned man finding solace in chanting religious refuges (invoking both Lord Buddha and Lord Shiva), capturing director Visu's iconic style of social satire on middle-class domestic life.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Pullainga paambuthaan saami”
Compares children directly to snakes ('Pullainga paambuthaan') to emphasize ingratitude and harm.
Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Thuttoda ellam poyaachchu / Thundoda naanum ninaachchu”
The second consonant sound 't' (ட்) rhymes between 'Thuttoda' and 'Thundoda'.
Monai (First-letter Rhyme)
“Pondatti oru paadhi / Pullainga maru paadhi”
The initial letter sound 'P' ('Po' and 'Pu') repeats across adjacent lines.
Allusion
“Puththam saranam kachchaami”
Alludes to the Buddhist Triratna formula ('Buddham Saranam Gacchami') to convey comic renunciation of worldly life.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Varavu Nalla Uravu' (1990) is a famous family drama film directed by Visu, known for exploring middle-class economic struggles. The music for the film was composed by Shankar-Ganesh, and this song serves as a humorous commentary on the financial and emotional trials of a middle-class breadwinner.
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