Satti Suttathada
From Aalayamani · 1962
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Details
- Aalayamani1962
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| { Satti suttathada | { The pot burned my hand, |
| Kai vittathada } (2) | So I let go of it } (2) |
| { Buthi kettathada | { Intellect was lost, |
| Nenjai thottathada } (2) | Yet it touched my heart } (2) |
| Male | |
| Naalum | Every day, |
| Nadanthu mudintha | After things had happened |
| Pinnaal nalladhu kettadhu | And passed, the good and the bad |
| Therinthadhada… | Became clear to me... |
| Male | |
| Satti suttathada | The pot burned my hand, |
| Kai vittathada | So I let go of it |
| { Buthi kettathada | { Intellect was lost, |
| Nenjai thottathada } (2) | Yet it touched my heart } (2) |
| Male | |
| { Paadhi manadhil | { In half of the heart, |
| Deivam irundhu | God resided |
| Paarthu kondathada | And watched over me; |
| Meedhi manadhil mirugam | In the remaining heart, a beast |
| Irundhu aati vaithadhada } (2) | Resided and controlled me } (2) |
| Male | |
| { Aati vaitha | { The beast that |
| Mirugamindru | Controlled me |
| Adangivittathada } (2) | Has now been subdued } (2) |
| Amaidhi theivam muzhu | The deity of peace in my entire |
| Manadhil koyil kondathada | Heart has established its temple. |
| Male | |
| Satti suttathada | The pot burned my hand, |
| Kai vittathada | So I let go of it |
| { Buthi kettathada | { Intellect was lost, |
| Nenjai thottathada } (2) | Yet it touched my heart } (2) |
| Male | |
| Aaravaara | The clamorous |
| Peigalellam odivittathada | Demons have all fled away; |
| Aalayamani osai | The sound of temple bells |
| Nenjil koodivittathada | Has gathered inside my heart. |
| Male | |
| { Dharma devan | { In the temple of the God of Righteousness, |
| Kovililae oli thulanguthada } (2) | The light shines brightly } (2) |
| Male | |
| Manam santhi | The mind, saying peace, |
| Santhi santhiyendru | "Peace, peace!", |
| Oyivu kondathada | Has finally found rest. |
| Male | |
| Satti suttathada | The pot burned my hand, |
| Kai vittathada | So I let go of it |
| { Buthi kettathada | { Intellect was lost, |
| Nenjai thottathada } (2) | Yet it touched my heart } (2) |
| Male | |
| { Erumbu tholai | { Peeling an ant's skin, |
| Urithu paarka yaanai | An elephant came out; as I |
| Vanthadhada naan | Peeled my heart's skin |
| Idhaya tholai urithu | To look inside, wisdom arrived } (2) |
| Paarka gnanam vanthadhada } (2) | { The pure heart that existed before birth |
| Male | |
| { Pirakum munnae | Has returned today } (2) |
| Irundha ullam indru vanthadhada } (2) | The tranquility that follows after death |
| Irandha pinnae varum | Has arrived now. |
| Amaidhi vandhu vittathada | The pot burned my hand, |
| Male | |
| Satti suttathada | So I let go of it |
| Kai vittathada | { Intellect was lost, |
| { Buthi kettathada | Yet it touched my heart } (2) |
| Nenjai thottathada } (2) | |
{ சட்டி சுட்டதடா
கை விட்டதடா } (2)
{ புத்தி கெட்டதடா
நெஞ்சைத் தொட்டதடா } (2)
{ The pot burned my hand,
So I let go of it } (2)
{ Intellect was lost,
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
நாலும் நடந்து
முடிந்த பின்னால்
நல்லது கெட்டது
தெரிந்ததடா
Every day,
After things had happened
And passed, the good and the bad
Became clear to me...
சட்டி சுட்டதடா
கை விட்டதடா
{ புத்தி கெட்டதடா
நெஞ்சைத் தொட்டதடா } (2)
The pot burned my hand,
So I let go of it
{ Intellect was lost,
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
{ பாதி மனதில்
தெய்வம் இருந்து பார்த்து
கொண்டதடா மீதி மனதில்
மிருகம் இருந்து ஆட்டி
வைத்ததடா } (2)
{ In half of the heart,
God resided
And watched over me;
In the remaining heart, a beast
Resided and controlled me } (2)
{ ஆட்டி வைத்த
மிருகமின்று அடங்கி
விட்டதடா } (2)
அமைதி தெய்வம் முழு
மனதில் கோயில்
கொண்டதடா
{ The beast that
Controlled me
Has now been subdued } (2)
The deity of peace in my entire
Heart has established its temple.
சட்டி சுட்டதடா
கை விட்டதடா
{ புத்தி கெட்டதடா
நெஞ்சைத் தொட்டதடா } (2)
The pot burned my hand,
So I let go of it
{ Intellect was lost,
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
ஆரவாரப்
பேய்களெல்லாம்
ஓடிவிட்டதடா
ஆலயமணி ஓசை
நெஞ்சில் கூடிவிட்டதடா
The clamorous
Demons have all fled away;
The sound of temple bells
Has gathered inside my heart.
{ தர்ம தேவன்
கோவிலிலே ஒலி
துலங்குதடா } (2)
{ In the temple of the God of Righteousness,
The light shines brightly } (2)
மனம் சாந்தி
சாந்தி சாந்தியென்று
ஓய்வு கொண்டதடா
The mind, saying peace,
"Peace, peace!",
Has finally found rest.
சட்டி சுட்டதடா
கை விட்டதடா
{ புத்தி கெட்டதடா
நெஞ்சைத் தொட்டதடா } (2)
The pot burned my hand,
So I let go of it
{ Intellect was lost,
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
{ எறும்புத் தோலை
உரித்துப் பார்க்க யானை
வந்ததடா நான் இதயத்
தோலை உரித்துப் பார்க்க
ஞானம் வந்ததடா } (2)
{ Peeling an ant's skin,
An elephant came out; as I
Peeled my heart's skin
To look inside, wisdom arrived } (2)
{ The pure heart that existed before birth
{ பிறக்கும் முன்னே
இருந்த உள்ளம் இன்று
வந்ததடா } (2)
இறந்த பின்னே வரும்
அமைதி வந்து விட்டதடா
Has returned today } (2)
The tranquility that follows after death
Has arrived now.
The pot burned my hand,
சட்டி சுட்டதடா
கை விட்டதடா
{ புத்தி கெட்டதடா
நெஞ்சைத் தொட்டதடா } (2)
So I let go of it
{ Intellect was lost,
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
{ Satti suttathada
{ The pot burned my hand,
Kai vittathada } (2)
So I let go of it } (2)
{ Buthi kettathada
{ Intellect was lost,
Nenjai thottathada } (2)
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
Naalum
Every day,
Nadanthu mudintha
After things had happened
Pinnaal nalladhu kettadhu
And passed, the good and the bad
Therinthadhada…
Became clear to me...
Satti suttathada
The pot burned my hand,
Kai vittathada
So I let go of it
{ Buthi kettathada
{ Intellect was lost,
Nenjai thottathada } (2)
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
{ Paadhi manadhil
{ In half of the heart,
Deivam irundhu
God resided
Paarthu kondathada
And watched over me;
Meedhi manadhil mirugam
In the remaining heart, a beast
Irundhu aati vaithadhada } (2)
Resided and controlled me } (2)
{ Aati vaitha
{ The beast that
Mirugamindru
Controlled me
Adangivittathada } (2)
Has now been subdued } (2)
Amaidhi theivam muzhu
The deity of peace in my entire
Manadhil koyil kondathada
Heart has established its temple.
Satti suttathada
The pot burned my hand,
Kai vittathada
So I let go of it
{ Buthi kettathada
{ Intellect was lost,
Nenjai thottathada } (2)
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
Aaravaara
The clamorous
Peigalellam odivittathada
Demons have all fled away;
Aalayamani osai
The sound of temple bells
Nenjil koodivittathada
Has gathered inside my heart.
{ Dharma devan
{ In the temple of the God of Righteousness,
Kovililae oli thulanguthada } (2)
The light shines brightly } (2)
Manam santhi
The mind, saying peace,
Santhi santhiyendru
"Peace, peace!",
Oyivu kondathada
Has finally found rest.
Satti suttathada
The pot burned my hand,
Kai vittathada
So I let go of it
{ Buthi kettathada
{ Intellect was lost,
Nenjai thottathada } (2)
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
{ Erumbu tholai
{ Peeling an ant's skin,
Urithu paarka yaanai
An elephant came out; as I
Vanthadhada naan
Peeled my heart's skin
Idhaya tholai urithu
To look inside, wisdom arrived } (2)
Paarka gnanam vanthadhada } (2)
{ The pure heart that existed before birth
{ Pirakum munnae
Has returned today } (2)
Irundha ullam indru vanthadhada } (2)
The tranquility that follows after death
Irandha pinnae varum
Has arrived now.
Amaidhi vandhu vittathada
The pot burned my hand,
Satti suttathada
So I let go of it
Kai vittathada
{ Intellect was lost,
{ Buthi kettathada
Yet it touched my heart } (2)
Nenjai thottathada } (2)
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Satti Suttathada from the movie Aalayamani (1962) is a celebrated philosophical song written by Kannadasan, set to music by the duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy and sung by T. M. Soundararajan. The song reflects on human flaws, ego, suffering, and spiritual rebirth. The metaphor of a burning pot illustrates how painful life experiences teach hard lessons, compelling a person to let go of destructive desires and ego.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Satti suttathada Kai vittathada”
The 'burning pot' (Satti suttathada) is a metaphor for painful life lessons and consequences of wrong deeds that force enlightenment.
Juxtaposition / Contrast
“Paadhi manadhil Deivam irundhu ... Meedhi manadhil mirugam Irundhu”
Contrasting the divine conscience and the animalistic urge existing simultaneously within a human mind.
Rhyme & Assonance (Edhukai / Monai)
“Satti suttathada / Kai vittathada / Buthi kettathada / Nenjai thottathada”
Use of matching second letters and rhythmic tailing sounds (suttathada / vittathada / kettathada / thottathada) creating a hypnotic, reflective cadence.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy and sung by T. M. Soundararajan, this song is considered one of lyricist Kannadasan's greatest philosophical masterworks, written during a period of personal reflection in his life.
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