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Kottai Mariamman album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Sarpa Sarpamaai

From Kottai Mariamman · 2001

Lyricist
Kalidasan
Singer
Anuradha Sriram
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Kottai Mariamman
Movie release year
2001
Lyrics added on
30 Jul 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Sarppa sarppamaai
Udalai meliththu kondu
Valainthu valainthu
Thalai nelinthu nelinthu
Mella olinthu olinthu
Mannil puguthu pugunthu
Adi puththukkulla pona thaayae
Amma veliyae veliyae vaadi
Amma nooththiyettu paalkudaththai
Nooru murai ooththiputtom
Kuliththu kudiththu
Udal paruththu paruththu
Dhinam urundu urundu
Mannil purandu purandu
Amma puththukkulla thoongiputtiyae
Amma veliyae veliyae vaadi
Nee muththu muththaa
Ammaiyaththaan pottuputta
Adha pottuputtu
Puththukkulla odiputta
Adi saththiya bayangariyae
Sattunnu veliya vara
Yaendi innum thauangariyae
Amma nee venumunnae urangariyae…
Veppilai ammanae vaarum amma
En venduthalai nee theerum amma
Veppilai ammanae vaarum amma
En venduthalai nee theerum amma
Uchchanthalaiyil kodhichchu nikkum
Ujjain kaali irangidaidamma
Nellaikkaraiyil maariyammaavae
Nee neththiyai vittu irangidamma
Kanjanoor dhurkkaiyae
Kaadhai vittu irangidamma
Gaanagaththu nyanammaal
Kannam vittu irangidamma
Adi mukkoodal nagar bavani thaayae
Mookkai vittu irangidamma
Uraiyoor vaazhum vekkaaliyamma
Udhattai vittu irangidamma
Naattarasan kottai kannaaththa
Veppilai ammanae vaarum amma
En venduthalai nee theerum amma
Thanjavur-u magaavaraagi
Thaadai vittu irangidamma
Kambanoor neeliyammaavae
Kazhuththai vittu irangidamma
Thooyavale enga maruvooramma
Tholai vittu irangidamma
Kailaasaththu paarvathiyae
Ival kaiglai vittu irangidamma
Mysore saamundiyae
Muzhangaiyai vittirangu
Thiruvattroor vadivudaiyaalae
Ullangaiyai vittirangu
Adi thiruverkaraiyil vakkirakaali
Purangai vittu irangidammaa
Viraalimalaiyil meikannaal
Viral nagankalai vittu nee irangu
Veppilai ammanae vaarum amma
En venduthalai nee theerum amma
Veppilai ammanae vaarum amma
En venduthalai nee theerum amma
Neiveliththaai muththu maariyae
Nenjai vittu irangidammaa
Mudhukalaththoor muthu maariyae
Mudhugai vittu irangidamma
Nanganalloor rajeshwariyae
Naabikamalam vittu irangu
Yaezhu kinaru pudhu paalaththamma
Iduppai vittu irangidamma
Thudaiyoor poongodhai
Thodaoyai vittu irangidamma
Muraiyur chellamma
Muzhangaalai vittu irangu
Adi karumaari enga thiruverkaataal
Kanukkaal vittu nee irangu
Periya paalaiyaththu ammaavae
Ival paadhangal vittu irangidamma
Sarppa sarppamaai
Udalai meliththu kondu
Valainthu valainthu
Thalai nelinthu nelinthu
Mella olinthu olinthu
Mannil puguthu pugunthu
Adi puththukkulla pona thaayae
Amma veliyae veliyae vaadi
Yamma nooththiyettu paalkudaththai
Nooru murai ooththiputtom
Kuliththu kudiththu
Udal paruththu paruththu
Dhinam urundu urundu
Mannil purandu purandu
Amma puththukkulla thoongiputtiyae
Amma veliyae veliyae vaadi
Nee muththu muththaa
Ammaiyaththaan pottuputta
Adha pottuputtu
Puththukkulla odiputta
Adi saththiya bayangariyae
Sattunnu veliya vara
Yaendi innum thauangariyae
Amma nee venumunnae urangariyae…
Slithering like a serpent,
Making your body slender,
Bending and winding,
Twisting your head,
Slipping slowly into hiding,
Burrowing deep into the earth,
O Mother who entered into the anthill,
O Mother, come out, please come out!
O Mother, one hundred and eight pots of milk,
We have poured for you a hundred times!
Bathing and drinking it all,
With your body swelling in size,
Rolling day after day,
Tossing and turning in the soil,
O Mother, you have fallen asleep inside the anthill!
O Mother, come out, please come out!
Like beads of pearls,
You have inflicted the burning pox,
And after striking with it,
You ran into the anthill!
O fierce Goddess of truth,
To come outside quickly,
Why are you still doing penance?
O Mother, you are sleeping on purpose...
O Mother of neem leaves, please come, Mother!
Fulfill my heartfelt prayer, O Mother!
O Mother of neem leaves, please come, Mother!
Fulfill my heartfelt prayer, O Mother!
Boiling on the crown of the head,
O Ujjain Kali, please step down, Mother!
O Mariamman of Nellai's riverbanks,
Please step down from her forehead, Mother!
O Durga of Kanjanur,
Please step down from her ears, Mother!
O Gnanammal of the deep forest,
Please step down from her cheeks, Mother!
O Mother Bhavani of Mukkudal town,
Please step down from her nose, Mother!
O Vekkali Amman residing in Uraiyur,
Please step down from her lips, Mother!
O Kannatha of Nattarasankottai,
O Mother of neem leaves, please come, Mother!
Fulfill my heartfelt prayer, O Mother!
O Maha Varahi of Thanjavur,
Please step down from her jaw, Mother!
O Neeli Amman of Kambanur,
Please step down from her neck, Mother!
O pure one, our Mother of Maruvur,
Please step down from her shoulders, Mother!
O Parvati of Mount Kailash,
Please step down from her arms, Mother!
O Chamundi of Mysore,
Step down from her elbows!
O Vadivudai Amman of Thiruvottiyur,
Step down from her palms!
O Vakkira Kali of Thiruverkadu,
Please step down from the back of her hands, Mother!
O Meikkannal of Viralimalai,
Step down from her fingernails!
O Mother of neem leaves, please come, Mother!
Fulfill my heartfelt prayer, O Mother!
O Mother of neem leaves, please come, Mother!
Fulfill my heartfelt prayer, O Mother!
O Mother Muthu Mari of Neyveli,
Please step down from her chest, Mother!
O Muthu Mari of Mudukulathur,
Please step down from her back, Mother!
O Rajeshwari of Nanganallur,
Step down from the lotus of her navel!
O Pudu Palathu Amman of Seven Wells,
Please step down from her waist, Mother!
O Poongothai of Thodaiyur,
Please step down from her thighs, Mother!
O Sellamma of Muraiyur,
Step down from her knees!
O Karumari, deity of our Thiruverkadu,
Step down from her ankles!
O Mother of Periyapalayam,
Please step down from her feet, Mother!
Slithering like a serpent,
Making your body slender,
Bending and winding,
Twisting your head,
Slipping slowly into hiding,
Burrowing deep into the earth,
O Mother who entered into the anthill,
O Mother, come out, please come out!
O Mother, one hundred and eight pots of milk,
We have poured for you a hundred times!
Bathing and drinking it all,
With your body swelling in size,
Rolling day after day,
Tossing and turning in the soil,
O Mother, you have fallen asleep inside the anthill!
O Mother, come out, please come out!
Like beads of pearls,
You have inflicted the burning pox,
And after striking with it,
You ran into the anthill!
O fierce Goddess of truth,
To come outside quickly,
Why are you still doing penance?
O Mother, you are sleeping on purpose...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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.

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