- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singers
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Kamal Haasan
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Thevar Magan
- Movie release year
- 1992
- Lyrics added on
- 3 Jun 2018
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Saandhu pottu…
Sandhana pottu…
Saandhu pottu
Oru sandhana pottu
Eduthu vachikka vachikka maama
Poo mudichu
Oru selaiyai kattu
Ini nee vettiya kattikkalaama
Kambedutha solli adippen hoi
Jalli kaalaiyai pol thulli kudhippen
Oru bamabaramaai suthi adippen hoi
Unga paattanukkum kathu koduppen
Saandhu pottu
Oru sandhana pottu
Eduthu vachikka vachikka maama
Poo mudichu
Oru selaiyai kattu
Ini nee vettiya kattikkalaama
Suththa thamizh veeram
Raththaththula oorum
Singa thamizhan sanga thamizhan
Eththanaiyo naadu
Suththi vandha aalu
Buddhi irukku sakthi irukku
Ooraarum annanaa
Thambiyaa paarkkum
Anbaana ullamdhaan ullavaru
Yaaraachum muttina
Modhinaa pochu
Anjaama kuttuvaar thattuvaaru
Oru vaaikkozhuppeduthaa
Aduthavan varattizhu pizhuthaa
Avan thol uruippavandaa
Thamizhachi paal kudichavandaa
Ada vishayangal pala
Arinjavan naan
Vevarangal pala purinjavan naan
Sandaikku vandhaa savaal vitta
Thadiyathaan pudichithaan
Kai viralila suthura suthula
Annaachi unna naan
Punnaakku thinnaveppen
Saandhu pottu
Oru sandhana pottu
Eduthu vachikka vachikka maama
Poo mudichu
Oru selaiyai kattu
Ini nee vettiya kattikkalaama…haa..
Enkitta thaan potti
Poduravan vaetti
Kaathil parakkum ooru sirikkum
Ettadi nee paanja
Paththadi naan paanju
Palla udappen sillai udappen
Sooraadhi soorarum
Theerarum yaaru
Godhaavil othaiyaa nikkiraaru
Vandhaakka neththiyin
Maththiyil joraa
Sunnaambu pottadhaan vakkiraaru
Kambu saathiram theriyum
Adhil ulla sootchamam theriyum
Oru aathiram porandha
Appo ivan yaarunnu puriyum
Ada padapadavena adikkattuma
Podipada unna norukkattuma
Aththiri achcha
Kaththiri bachcha
Odhingikka olinjikka
Un iduppula podura podula
Okkaaththi unna naan
Mukkaadu poda veippen
Saandhu pottu
Oru sandhana pottu
Eduthu vachikka vachikka maama
Poo mudichu
Oru selaiyai kattu
Ini nee vettiya kattikkalaama
Kambedutha solli adippen hoi
Jalli kaalaiyai pol thulli kudhippen..hai
Oru bamabaramaai suthi adippen hoi
Unga paattanukkum kathu koduppen..
Hoi hoi hoi
Saandhu pottu
Oru sandhana pottu
Eduthu vachikka vachikka maama
Poo mudichu
Oru selaiyai kattu
Ini nee vettiya kattikkalaama
Hahahahahaha
A dot of black paste...
A dot of sandalwood paste...
A dot of black paste,
A dot of sandalwood,
Put it on your forehead, uncle!
Wear flowers in your hair,
Wrap a saree around you,
Can you still wear a dhoti anymore?
If I pick up a stick, I'll call my strike and hit! Hoy!
I will leap and charge like a Jallikattu bull!
I will spin like a top and strike all around! Hoy!
I will even teach your grandfather a lesson!
A dot of black paste,
A dot of sandalwood,
Put it on your forehead, uncle!
Wear flowers in your hair,
Wrap a saree around you,
Can you still wear a dhoti anymore?
Pure Tamil courage
Runs deep in his blood!
A lion-like Tamil, an ancient Sangam Tamil!
So many countries,
He is a man who traveled the world!
He has got sharp brains, he has got strength!
The whole town sees him
As an elder or a younger brother!
He has a heart full of love!
But if anyone picks a fight,
Or clashes with him, they are done for!
Fearlessly, he will knock them down and beat them up!
If someone acts too arrogant,
Or needlessly creates trouble for others,
He is the one who will skin them alive!
He was nursed on a Tamil mother's milk!
Hey, I know a great many things,
I am a man of wisdom!
I understand how the world works!
If you come for a fight and dare challenge me,
I will take hold of this stick,
And with the way I twirl it in my fingers,
Brother, I will beat you so hard
That I will make you eat cattle feed!
A dot of black paste,
A dot of sandalwood,
Put it on your forehead, uncle!
Wear flowers in your hair,
Wrap a saree around you,
Can you still wear a dhoti anymore... Ha!
The one who dares to compete
With me, his dhoti
Will fly away in the wind, and the town will laugh!
If you leap eight feet,
I will leap ten feet,
Smash your teeth and shatter you to bits!
Who is the greatest of heroes,
Who is the fearless champion?
He stands all alone in the battle arena!
If anyone comes to fight, right in the center
Of their forehead,
He boldly marks a dot of lime!
I know the sacred art of stick-fighting,
I know every secret trick of the trade!
If my anger flares up,
You will finally see who I am!
Hey, shall I rain down rapid blows on you?
Shall I crush you into powder?
Athiri accha,
Kathiri paccha,
Step aside and go hide!
With the blow I land across your hip,
Woman, I will make you
Cover your head with a veil in shame!
A dot of black paste,
A dot of sandalwood,
Put it on your forehead, uncle!
Wear flowers in your hair,
Wrap a saree around you,
Can you still wear a dhoti anymore?
If I pick up a stick, I'll call my strike and hit! Hoy!
I will leap and charge like a Jallikattu bull... Hoy!
I will spin like a top and strike all around! Hoy!
I will even teach your grandfather a lesson...
Hoy hoy hoy!
A dot of black paste,
A dot of sandalwood,
Put it on your forehead, uncle!
Wear flowers in your hair,
Wrap a saree around you,
Can you still wear a dhoti anymore?
Hahahahaha!
Male
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Chorus
Male
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Chorus
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Saandhu Pottu' from 'Thevar Magan' (1992) is a playful yet fiercely competitive folk taunt song centered around traditional Tamil martial arts (Silambam stick fighting) and pride. The singer humorously mocks his opponent's lack of courage, telling him to give up his manhood, wear a saree, and apply tilak/bindi like a woman, while boasting about his own agility, wisdom, and combat skills.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Upamai (Simile)
“Jalli kaalaiyai pol thulli kudhippen”
Compares the speaker's agility to a wild Jallikattu bull and a spinning top using the word 'pol' (like).
Monai (Alliteration)
“Singa thamizhan sanga thamizhan”
Repetition of the initial letter 'S' across words creating a rhythmic effect.
Edugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Ettadi nee paanja / Paththadi naan paanju”
Rhyming second letters in adjacent lines ('tt' sound in Ettadi and Paththadi).
Metaphor / Idiom
“Punnaakku thinnaveppen”
'Punnaakku thinnaveppen' (literally 'making someone eat cattle cake') is a colloquial idiom for utterly humiliating or defeating an opponent.
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