- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Rajapart Rangadurai
- Movie release year
- 1973
- Lyrics added on
- 8 Dec 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This musical dialogue sequence from 'Rajapart Rangadurai' recreates the story of Bhakta Nandanar, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva belonging to an oppressed caste, who yearns to visit the sacred temple of Chidambaram (Thillai). Nandanar humbly begs his Brahmin landlord for permission to make the pilgrimage, explaining the immense spiritual salvation associated with viewing Lord Shiva at Thillai.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagaimai)
“Janana marana piniyai karukkudhaam”
Describing the endless cycle of rebirths as a disease ('Janana marana pini') that gets burned away upon visiting Thillai.
Edhukai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Indha naarum udalai kandu kalippaeno”
Rhyming of the second letter 'da' in 'Udalai' and 'Naalai'.
Imagery / Realism
“Indha naakku narambum innum sumappaeno”
Using visceral imagery ('naarum udalai' meaning stinking body, 'naakku narambu' meaning tongue and sinews) to convey the temporal nature of physical human existence versus spiritual devotion.
Did you know?
Trivia
This sequence pays homage to Gopalakrishna Bharathi's classic 19th-century Tamil opera 'Nandanar Charithram'. In 'Rajapart Rangadurai' (1973), actor Sivaji Ganesan plays a stage actor who performs this famous scene on stage. The music for the film was composed by M. S. Viswanathan, and this classical track features vocals by T. M. Soundararajan.
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