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Swami Ayyappan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Sabari Malaiyil Vanna Chandrodhayam

From Swami Ayyappan · 1975

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
G. Devarajan
Movie name
Swami Ayyappan
Movie release year
1975
Lyrics added on
8 Jul 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Sabari malaiyil vanna chandrodhayam
Dharma saasthaavin sannidhiyil abishaegam
Kodi kan thaedi varum aiyappanae
Naamum kumbittu paadugindrom
En appanai
Sabari malaiyil vanna chandrodhayam
Dharma saasthaavin sannidhiyil abishaegam
Kodi kan thaedi varum aiyappanae
Naamum kumbittu paadugindrom
En appanai
Sabari malaiyil vanna chandrodhayam
Paalena cholluvadhu udalaagum
Adhil thayirena kandadhengal manamaagum
Vennai thirandadhundhan arulaagum
Indha neiyabishaegam engal anbaagum
Ezhu kadal unadhaatchiyilae varum aiyappaa
Indha ezhulagam undhan kaatchiyilae varum aiyappaa
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa
Sabari malaiyil vanna chandrodhayam
Vaasamudaiya panneer abishaegam
Engal manadhil ezhundha anbaal abishaegam
Iniya panjaamrudhathil abishaegam
Adhil inbathai koottudhaiyaa un dhaegam
Ezhu kadal unadhaatchiyilae varum aiyappaa
Indha ezhulagam undhan kaatchiyilae varum aiyappaa
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa
Sabari malaiyil vanna chandrodhayam
Ullathil vennai thannai kaiyil eduthu
Adhil un peyarai kuzhaithu nettriyil ittu
Urugum viboodhiyinaal abishaegam
Hari om endru sandhanathil abishaegam
Ezhu kadal unadhaatchiyilae varum aiyappaa
Indha ezhulagam undhan kaatchiyilae varum aiyappaa
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa
Sabari malaiyil vanna chandrodhayam
Dharma saasthaavin sannidhiyil abishaegam
Kodi kan thaedi varum aiyappanae
Naamum kumbittu paadugindrom
En appanai
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa
Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa…
A colorful moon rises over Mount Sabari,
a sacred bath at the shrine of Dharma Sastha.
To Lord Ayyappan, whom millions of eyes come seeking,
we too bow in worship and sing,
praising my beloved Lord!
A colorful moon rises over Mount Sabari,
a sacred bath at the shrine of Dharma Sastha.
To Lord Ayyappan, whom millions of eyes come seeking,
we too bow in worship and sing,
praising my beloved Lord!
A colorful moon rises over Mount Sabari.
What is called milk is our body,
what turned into curd is our mind,
the butter that formed is your grace,
and this sacred bath of ghee is our love!
The seven seas come under your rule, Lord Ayyappa!
The seven worlds appear in your divine sight, Lord Ayyappa!
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord!
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord...
A colorful moon rises over Mount Sabari.
A sacred bath of fragrant rosewater,
a sacred bath of love rising from our hearts,
a sacred bath of sweet panchamritam (holy fruit offering),
in which your divine form brings boundless bliss!
The seven seas come under your rule, Lord Ayyappa!
The seven worlds appear in your divine sight, Lord Ayyappa!
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord!
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord...
A colorful moon rises over Mount Sabari.
Taking the purity in our hearts into our hands,
mixing your holy name with it and applying it to our forehead,
a sacred bath with heart-melting holy ash,
a sacred bath of sandalwood paste chanting 'Hari Om'!
The seven seas come under your rule, Lord Ayyappa!
The seven worlds appear in your divine sight, Lord Ayyappa!
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord!
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord...
A colorful moon rises over Mount Sabari,
a sacred bath at the shrine of Dharma Sastha.
To Lord Ayyappan, whom millions of eyes come seeking,
we too bow in worship and sing,
praising my beloved Lord!
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord!
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord...
O Ayyappa, you alone are the true Lord...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Sabari Malaiyil Vanna Chandrodhayam' is an iconic Tamil devotional hymn written by Kannadasan for the film Swami Ayyappan (1975). The song expresses deep reverence toward Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala. Lyricist Kannadasan employs profound philosophical allegories, comparing milk to the human body, curd to the evolving mind, butter to divine grace, and the ritual ghee offering (Neyyabhishekam) to pure love and devotion. The song describes various ritualistic holy baths (abhishekam) performed for the deity using rose water, panchamritam, sacred ash, and sandalwood, symbolizing the purification of the devotee's heart.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Paalena cholluvadhu udalaagum... Indha neiyabishaegam engal anbaagum”

Equating physical and spiritual aspects of devotion to dairy products: the body as milk, the mind as curd, grace as butter, and devotion as ghee.

Second-letter Rhyme (Ethirai)

“Ezhu kadal unadhaatchiyilae varum aiyappaa / Indha ezhulagam undhan kaatchiyilae varum aiyappaa”

Rhyming of second consonants across consecutive lines, such as 'Ezhu kadal' and 'Indha ezhulagam', as well as 'aatchiyilae' and 'kaatchiyilae'.

Wordplay / Pun (Irettura Mozhidhal)

“Aiyappaa nee thaan meiyappaa”

Playing with the sound and meaning of 'Aiyappaa' (the name of the deity) and 'Meiyappaa' (True Lord / Embodiment of Truth).

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by G. Devarajan and sung soulfully by K. J. Yesudas, this song remains one of the most immortal and universally played Tamil Ayyappa devotional tracks during the annual Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.

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