Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Raghu Vamsa Raja

From Porutham · 1985

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Shailaja
Music director
Gangai Amaran
Details
Porutham1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Raghuvamsa sudhaampudhi chandhira sriOh moon born from the nectar ocean of the Raghu dynasty!
Raghuvamsa sudhaampudhi chandhira sriOh moon born from the nectar ocean of the Raghu dynasty!
Raama raama raaja raajeshvaraRama, Rama, supreme king of kings!
Raghuvamsa sudhaampudhi chandhira sriOh moon born from the nectar ocean of the Raghu dynasty!
Female
Agamega maarutha sriharaaOh Lord who dispels dark clouds like the wind!
Agamega maarutha sriharaaOh Lord who dispels dark clouds like the wind!
Ashuraenthram rukaenthraa kadhaa janathaa…Oh destroyer of demon kings and savior of people...
Male
Raghuvamsa raja raghu raamanaeOh King of the Raghu dynasty, Raghu Rama!
Raghuvamsa raja raghu raamanaeOh King of the Raghu dynasty, Raghu Rama!
Pennenna santhai porulaa ennaIs a woman a commodity in a market?
Raghuvamsa raja raghu raamanaeOh King of the Raghu dynasty, Raghu Rama!
Male
Pala kaalamaai vazhiyindriyaeFor ages, living without any solution...
Pala kaalamaai vazhiyindriyaeFor ages, living without any solution...
Vaazhum pengalukkae badhil illaiyaeThere is no answer for women who live like this!
Raghuvamsa raja raghu raamanaeOh King of the Raghu dynasty, Raghu Rama!
Male
Sarimaga risaripa mathatha nigagapasaa[Swaras / Musical Notation]
Saanithapa magapamagari[Swaras / Musical Notation]
Saririma mathatha nigapapa sasa ririma[Swaras / Musical Notation]
Magaga ririsasaa ninithatha papamagarisa[Swaras / Musical Notation]
Male
Kastam enbathe kanni pennukkaeIs hardship meant only for young women?
Paranthaamane nee thanthathaeOh Supreme Lord, is this what you have granted?
Kastam enbathe kanni pennukkaeIs hardship meant only for young women?
Paranthaamane nee thanthathaeOh Supreme Lord, is this what you have granted?
Male
Kalyanam endraal viyaabaaramaa aa….Is marriage merely a business transaction?
Kalyanam endraal viyaabaaramaa aa….Is marriage merely a business transaction?
Kaalang kaalamaaga sanjalamaa maaridumaaWill this sorrow continue for generations to come?
Kaalang kaalamaaga sanjalamaa maaridumaaWill this sorrow continue for generations to come?
Male
Raghuvamsa raja raghu raamanaeOh King of the Raghu dynasty, Raghu Rama!
Male
Sarimaga risaripa mathathani kakapasaa[Swaras / Musical Notation]
Saanithapa magapamagari[Swaras / Musical Notation]
Sariri mamathatha nigapapa sasaririma[Swaras / Musical Notation]
Magaga ririsasaa ninithatha papamagarisa[Swaras / Musical Notation]
Male
Siraiyai pola oru thaali thevaiyaaIs a sacred wedding thread needed if it acts like a prison?
Dhinamum vaadavae bedhai paavaiyaaMust an innocent woman suffer and wither every day?
Siraiyai pola oru thaali thevaiyaaIs a sacred wedding thread needed if it acts like a prison?
Dhinamum vaadavae bedhai paavaiyaaMust an innocent woman suffer and wither every day?
Male
Panaththai enniyae manamum seivathaaShould a marriage be conducted solely by counting money?
Panaththai enniyae manamum seivathaaShould a marriage be conducted solely by counting money?
Muraiyaa sariyaa idhuthaan tharamaIs this proper? Is this right? Is this high quality or fair?
Muraiyaa sariyaa idhuthaan tharamaIs this proper? Is this right? Is this high quality or fair?
Male
Raghuvamsa raja raghu raamanaeOh King of the Raghu dynasty, Raghu Rama!
Pennenna santhai porulaa ennaIs a woman a commodity in a market?
Raghuvamsa raja raghu raamanaeOh King of the Raghu dynasty, Raghu Rama!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song opens with classical invocation slokas celebrating Lord Rama as the noble moonlight of the Raghu dynasty. It quickly transitions into a powerful social commentary questioning divine justice regarding the societal plight of women. Lyricist Vaali uses a conversation with Lord Rama to critique patriarchal customs, dowry systems, and the commercialization of marriage. The lyrics question why women are treated as market goods and why the sacred marital thread ('thaali') often turns into a life-long sentence of suffering and confinement for innocent women.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Siraiyai pola oru thaali thevaiyaa

Compares the sacred wedding thread (thaali) to a prison sentence (sirai).

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Aani)

Pennenna santhai porulaa enna

Asks provocative rhetorical questions to highlight social injustice regarding dowry and commercialization of marriage.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Raghuvamsa sudhaampudhi chandhira sri

Metaphorically describes Lord Rama as the glowing moon born from the ocean of nectar of the Raghu lineage.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track famously adapts Saint Tyagaraja's classical Carnatic kriti 'Raghuvamsa Sudha' (set in Kadanakuthuhalam ragam) and transforms it into a contemporary film song addressing dowry and women's rights.

Keep listening

More from Porutham