- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- Trichy Loganathan
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Maalaiyitta Mangai
- Movie release year
- 1958
- Lyrics added on
- 20 Apr 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic philosophical song from Maalaiyitta Mangai explores divine power, human helplessness, and spiritual surrender. Kannadasan metaphorically compares human beings to tops spun effortlessly without a string by the Almighty. Despite life's chaos, God is portrayed as the ultimate savior of the underprivileged, the embodiment of love, and the rescue boat across the ocean of life's grief.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Uwamai)
“Sattaiyilla bambaram pol”
Compares human lives controlled by God to tops spinning without strings ('Sattaiyilla bambaram pol').
Metaphor (Uruwagam)
“Thunbamenum kadalinilae / Thoni ennum thunaiyavanae”
Life's sorrow is metaphorically depicted as an ocean ('Thunbamenum kadal') and God as a rescue boat ('Thoni').
Paradox / Chiasmus (Antimetabole)
“Kandavargal sonnadhillai / Sonnavargal kandathillai”
A classic philosophical paradoxical phrase contrasting spiritual realization with verbal expression ('Kandavargal sonnadhillai, Sonnavargal kandathillai').
Edukai (Second-letter rhyme)
“Thanjamavan paadhamada / Sanjalangal theerumada”
Rhyming of the second letter 'n' (ன் / ஞ்) across lines ('Thanjamavan' and 'Sanjalangal').
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Trivia
Maalaiyitta Mangai (1958) was lyricist Kannadasan's maiden movie production under his banner Kannadasan Films. Sung powerfully by Trichy Loganathan, this song remains one of Tamil cinema's most celebrated philosophical tracks, famed for simplifying complex spiritual truths into accessible verse.
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