- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Gruhapravesam
- Movie release year
- 1976
- Lyrics added on
- 23 Jul 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This poignant song from 'Gruhapravesam' (1976), written by Kannadasan and set to music by M. S. Viswanathan, expresses the deep anguish of a man burdened by family responsibilities and moral dilemmas. The protagonist reflects on how his commitment to righteousness (Dharmam) and truth causes him immense suffering, especially when his own relatives become the source of his trials. He likens an elder brother to a lightning arrester who absorbs all shocks for the family and a heavy burden bearer. Despite feeling betrayed and trapped by fate, he references the Thirukkural's wisdom ('Idukkan Varungkal Nuga') about smiling through adversity, questioning how many hardships one man can endure with a smile. It is only his faint hope that good times lie ahead that keeps him alive, capturing the philosophical resilience and tragic nobility characteristic of Kannadasan's reflective lyrics.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvameyam)
“Annan enbavan idithaangi / Avan aththanai perukkum sumaithaangi”
The elder brother is metaphorically compared to a lightning rod (idithaangi) that shields others from shocks and a rest-stop pillar (sumaithaangi) that carries everyone's weight.
Literary Allusion
“Idukkan varumpothu siriyendraan”
Direct reference to Thiruvalluvar's Thirukkural couplet 'Idukkan Varungkal Nuga' (Smile when grief arrives).
Cultural Allegory
“Pin maraththil yaerum vedhaalam”
Uses the mythical Vikramaditya and Vedhaalam motif ('maraththil yaerum vedhaalam') to symbolize recurring setbacks and endless burdens.
Ethai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Saththiyathin sodhanaikku / Eththanai per potti”
Rhyming of the second letter 'th' in Saththiyathin and Eththanai.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song brilliantly integrates classical Thirukkural moral philosophy with the domestic grief of 1970s middle-class family sagas. Sung by T. M. Soundararajan with heartfelt grief, it remains one of Kannadasan's celebrated philosophical compositions on brotherly duty and existential endurance.
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