- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Kann Malar
- Movie release year
- 1970
- Lyrics added on
- 26 Feb 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This powerful song from 'Kann Malar' (1970) serves as a poignant social critique and anguish-filled lamentation against divine inaction and societal hypocrisy. Penned by Kannadasan and set to tune by K. V. Mahadevan, the protagonist confronts Goddess Mariyamma and God Himself, asking why stone idols receive devotion while suffering, real-life women face cruelty and abandonment. She scorns a hypocritical society that idolizes womanhood in abstract rituals while branding helpless women as sinners and biting the hands that feed them. Drawing upon mythological references like Kannappa Nayanar—who sacrificed his eye for Shiva—the song highlights the tragic irony that while a human could sacrifice for God, God fails to grant mercy or empathy to human beings. Through raw emotion and philosophical questioning, the protagonist questions whether holy scriptures, history, and God Himself are mere illusions created out of human grief and desperation.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Aged / Monai (Initial Rhyme)
“Pothumada sami / Ponnupatta paadu”
The initial 'Po' sound repeats in 'Pothumada' and 'Ponnupatta', creating a rhythmic cadence of despair.
Irony / Contrast
“Poojai seiveere / Pennai thevi enbeere / Vaazhvillaatha penninathai / Paavi enbeere”
Juxtaposes society worshipping women as goddesses in rituals while condemning real, helpless women as sinners.
Mythological Allusion
“Iraivanukke kan koduthaan / Engalaipol manithanaana / Kannappa”
Refers to Kannappa Nayanar, the devotee who gouged out his own eye for Lord Shiva, to contrast intense human devotion against God's indifference.
Rhetorical Questioning (Anaphora/Apostrophe)
“Saathiram poyyo.. / Ketta sarithiram poyyo.. / Naangal aathirathil padaithukonda / Aandavan poyyo..”
Repeatedly questions the truth of scriptures, history, and God in a climax of existential agony.
Did you know?
Trivia
In 'Kann Malar' (1970), which emphasizes themes of sight and suffering, Kannadasan masterfully uses sight metaphors ('kan', 'vision') to tie into the title of the film. P. Susheela's vocal performance brings out deep pathos, making this one of Tamil cinema's most famous philosophical solos questioning social double standards.
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