- Lyricist
- Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- T. G. Lingappa
- Movie name
- Sabaash Meena
- Movie release year
- 1958
- Lyrics added on
- 22 Sept 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This philosophical track from the film Sabaash Meena (1958) meditates on the transient nature of worldly riches and material wealth. The song serves as a reminder to the mind ('manamae') that money has no existence at birth and offers no companionship after death. Accumulating immense wealth is characterized as an empty, burdensome pursuit that only incites bad deeds before vanishing.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Moni (Initial Alliteration)
“Piranthidum bothu panamenbathaedhu”
Repetition of the initial sound 'p' in 'Piranthidum' and 'panamenbathaedhu'.
Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Piranthidum bothu panamenbathaedhu / Iranthidum bothu kuda varaathu”
Rhyming of the second letter 'ra' across lines in 'Piranthidum' and 'Iranthidum'.
Rhetorical Question
“Panam irundhaal yeman payapaduvaanoo”
A philosophical question asking if Lord Yama (death) fears money, emphasizing that death treats everyone equally regardless of wealth.
Repetition (Adukkuthodar)
“Nilaiyallavae selvam nilaiyallavae”
Continuous repetition of the phrase 'nilaiyallavae' to reinforce the thematic message of impermanence.
Did you know?
Trivia
Sabaash Meena (1958) was directed by B. R. Panthulu and starred Sivaji Ganesan and J. P. Chandrababu. The soundtrack was composed by T. G. Lingappa with lyrics written by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam, capturing the classic golden-age Tamil cinema trope of embedding deep philosophical commentary within popular narrative films.
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