Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Sarpa Sarpamaai

From Kottai Mariamman · 2001

Lyricist
Kalidasan
Singer
Anuradha Sriram
Music director
Deva
Details
Kottai Mariamman2001

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics↻ English translation
Female
Sarppa sarppamaaiLike a serpent
Udalai meliththu konduThinning your body
Valainthu valainthuBending and bending
Thalai nelinthu nelinthuTwisting your head
Mella olinthu olinthuSoftly hiding away
Mannil puguthu pugunthuEntering deep into the soil
Adi puththukkulla pona thaayaeOh mother who entered the anthill
Amma veliyae veliyae vaadiOh Mother, come outside, come out
Female
Amma nooththiyettu paalkudaththaiMother, 108 pots of milk
Nooru murai ooththiputtomWe have poured a hundred times
Kuliththu kudiththuBathing and drinking
Udal paruththu paruththuMaking your body thick and plump
Dhinam urundu urunduDaily rolling and rolling
Mannil purandu puranduWallowing in the mud
Amma puththukkulla thoongiputtiyaeOh mother, you fell asleep inside the anthill
Amma veliyae veliyae vaadiOh Mother, come outside, come out
Female
Nee muththu muththaaYou gave pearl-like
Ammaiyaththaan pottuputtaSmallpox blisters
Adha pottuputtuAfter inflicting that
Puththukkulla odiputtaYou ran inside the anthill
Adi saththiya bayangariyaeOh fierce goddess of truth
Sattunnu veliya varaTo quickly step out
Yaendi innum thauangariyaeWhy are you still hesitating?
Amma nee venumunnae urangariyae…Mother, are you deliberately sleeping?
Female
Veppilai ammanae vaarum ammaOh Mother of neem leaves, please come
En venduthalai nee theerum ammaFulfill my prayer, Mother
Veppilai ammanae vaarum ammaOh Mother of neem leaves, please come
En venduthalai nee theerum ammaFulfill my prayer, Mother
Female
Uchchanthalaiyil kodhichchu nikkumBoiling atop the crown of the head
Ujjain kaali irangidaidammaOh Ujjain Kaali, step down
Nellaikkaraiyil maariyammaavaeOh Mariamman on the banks of Nellai
Nee neththiyai vittu irangidammaStep down from her forehead
Female
Kanjanoor dhurkkaiyaeOh Durga of Kanjanoor
Kaadhai vittu irangidammaStep down from her ears
Gaanagaththu nyanammaalOh Gyanambal of the forest
Kannam vittu irangidammaStep down from her cheeks
Female
Adi mukkoodal nagar bavani thaayaeOh procession mother of Mukkoodal town
Mookkai vittu irangidammaStep down from her nose
Uraiyoor vaazhum vekkaaliyammaOh Vekkaliamman dwelling in Uraiyur
Udhattai vittu irangidammaStep down from her lips
Naattarasan kottai kannaaththaOh Kannatha of Nattarasan Kottai
Female
Veppilai ammanae vaarum ammaOh Mother of neem leaves, please come
En venduthalai nee theerum ammaFulfill my prayer, Mother
Female
Thanjavur-u magaavaraagiOh Mahavarahi of Thanjavur
Thaadai vittu irangidammaStep down from her jaw
Kambanoor neeliyammaavaeOh Neeliamman of Kambanoor
Kazhuththai vittu irangidammaStep down from her neck
Female
Thooyavale enga maruvoorammaOh pure Mother of Maruvur
Tholai vittu irangidammaStep down from her shoulders
Kailaasaththu paarvathiyaeOh Parvati of Kailash
Ival kaiglai vittu irangidammaStep down from her hands
Female
Mysore saamundiyaeOh Chamundi of Mysore
Muzhangaiyai vittiranguStep down from her elbows
Thiruvattroor vadivudaiyaalaeOh Vadivudaiyal of Tiruvottiyur
Ullangaiyai vittiranguStep down from her palms
Female
Adi thiruverkaraiyil vakkirakaaliOh Vakkira Kaali of Thiruverkaadu
Purangai vittu irangidammaaStep down from the back of her hands
Viraalimalaiyil meikannaalOh Meikannal of Viralimalai
Viral nagankalai vittu nee iranguStep down from her fingernails
Female
Veppilai ammanae vaarum ammaOh Mother of neem leaves, please come
En venduthalai nee theerum ammaFulfill my prayer, Mother
Veppilai ammanae vaarum ammaOh Mother of neem leaves, please come
En venduthalai nee theerum ammaFulfill my prayer, Mother
Female
Neiveliththaai muththu maariyaeOh Muthu Mari of Neyveli
Nenjai vittu irangidammaaStep down from her chest
Mudhukalaththoor muthu maariyaeOh Muthu Mari of Mudukulathur
Mudhugai vittu irangidammaStep down from her back
Female
Nanganalloor rajeshwariyaeOh Rajeswari of Nanganallur
Naabikamalam vittu iranguStep down from her navel lotus
Yaezhu kinaru pudhu paalaththammaOh Mother of Seven Wells Pudupalam
Iduppai vittu irangidammaStep down from her waist
Female
Thudaiyoor poongodhaiOh Poongodhai of Thudaiyur
Thodaoyai vittu irangidammaStep down from her thighs
Muraiyur chellammaOh Chellamma of Muraiyur
Muzhangaalai vittu iranguStep down from her knees
Female
Adi karumaari enga thiruverkaataalOh Karumari of Thiruverkaadu
Kanukkaal vittu nee iranguStep down from her ankles
Periya paalaiyaththu ammaavaeOh Mother of Periyapalayam
Ival paadhangal vittu irangidammaStep down from her feet
Female
Sarppa sarppamaaiLike a serpent
Udalai meliththu konduThinning your body
Valainthu valainthuBending and bending
Thalai nelinthu nelinthuTwisting your head
Mella olinthu olinthuSoftly hiding away
Mannil puguthu pugunthuEntering deep into the soil
Adi puththukkulla pona thaayaeOh mother who entered the anthill
Amma veliyae veliyae vaadiOh Mother, come outside, come out
Female
Yamma nooththiyettu paalkudaththaiOh Mother, 108 pots of milk
Nooru murai ooththiputtomWe have poured a hundred times
Kuliththu kudiththuBathing and drinking
Udal paruththu paruththuMaking your body thick and plump
Dhinam urundu urunduDaily rolling and rolling
Mannil purandu puranduWallowing in the mud
Amma puththukkulla thoongiputtiyaeOh mother, you fell asleep inside the anthill
Amma veliyae veliyae vaadiOh Mother, come outside, come out
Female
Nee muththu muththaaYou gave pearl-like
Ammaiyaththaan pottuputtaSmallpox blisters
Adha pottuputtuAfter inflicting that
Puththukkulla odiputtaYou ran inside the anthill
Adi saththiya bayangariyaeOh fierce goddess of truth
Sattunnu veliya varaTo quickly step out
Yaendi innum thauangariyaeWhy are you still hesitating?
Amma nee venumunnae urangariyae…Mother, are you deliberately sleeping?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This ritualistic devotional song from the movie Kottai Mariamman functions as an exorcism chant and prayer directed to Goddess Mariamman and various regional forms of Kali. The singer petitions the deity, who has possessed a devotee's body starting from head to toe, to systematically step down ('irangidamma') from each anatomical part—from crown, forehead, ears, nose, and lips, all the way down to the knees, ankles, and feet—thereby granting healing and relief. The lyrics prominently feature serpent imagery symbolizing the goddess residing inside anthills ('puthu') receiving milk offerings, as well as references to smallpox ('muthu'), combining traditional folk beliefs with ritualistic chant structures.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukkuthodar (Repetition / Reduplication)

“Valainthu valainthu”

Consecutive repetition of words for rhythmic urgency and snake-like movement imitation, such as 'valainthu valainthu' (bending and bending) and 'nelinthu nelinthu' (twisting).

Angamani Exorcism Structure

“Uchchanthalaiyil kodhichchu nikkum... Ival paadhangal vittu irangidamma”

A traditional ritualistic poetic framework where divine powers are invoked to leave or enter specific body parts sequentially from head to toe.

Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagam)

“Nee muththu muththaa Ammaiyaththaan pottuputta”

Comparing smallpox blisters to precious pearls ('muththu muththaa') as per Tamil Amman ritual traditions.

Did you know?

Trivia

In rural Tamil folk traditions, songs that appeal to Goddess Mariamman to descend limb-by-limb from a human body are known as 'Angamani Irangum Pattu'. These chants were historically used during trance states, possession rituals, and smallpox treatments, as smallpox was traditionally viewed as the divine manifestation or 'play' (Amman) of Mariamman.

Keep listening

More from Kottai Mariamman