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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thillaiyin Nayagane

From Sivagami · 1960

Lyricist
Papanasam Sivan
Singer
M. K. Thiyagaraja Bagavathar
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Details
Sivagami1960

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Thillaiyin naayaganaeO Lord of Thillai!
Sivagaamavalli manoharanaeO beloved of Goddess Sivagami!
Thillaiyin naayaganaeO Lord of Thillai!
Sivagaamavalli manoharanaeO beloved of Goddess Sivagami!
En allal pinikilaraTo uproot my miseries and afflictions,
Allal pinikilaraTo clear miseries and afflictions,
Allal pinikilara thirunaamamAs I utter Your holy divine name that cures miseries,
Solla udal silirkkkumMy body thrills with goosebumps.
Allal pinikilara thirunaamamAs I utter Your holy divine name that cures miseries,
Solla udal silirkkkumMy body thrills with goosebumps.
Male
Kanaga sabaesanThe Lord of the Golden Hall,
Kanaga sabaesan thirunadamTo witness the divine cosmic dance of the Lord of Kanagasabha,
Kaana vizhaidhennaeI longed and yearned.
Kanaga sabaesanThe Lord of the Golden Hall,
Kanaga sabaesan thirunadamTo witness the divine cosmic dance of the Lord of Kanagasabha,
Kaana vizhaidhennaeI longed and yearned.
Kanavilum veruEven in dreams, no other,
Kanavilum veru ninaivindriWithout any other thought even in my dreams,
Kanavilum veru ninaivindriWithout any other thought even in my dreams,
KarutharindhenaeI realized the spiritual truth in my mind.
Kanavilum veru ninaivindriWithout any other thought even in my dreams,
En karutharindhenaeI realized the truth within my mind.
Male
Thelliya neezh sadaiyumYour clear, long matted hair,
Thelliya neezh sadaiyum thirumaeniYour sacred form with clear, long matted locks,
Vallalai ennum bodhumWhenever I praise You as the generous benefactor,
Thelliya neezh sadaiyum thirumaeniYour sacred form with clear, long matted locks,
Vallalai ennum bodhumWhenever I praise You as the generous benefactor,
Ullam magizhdhenae ..ae..My heart rejoiced with joy!
Ullam magizhdhenae peraanandhaMy heart rejoiced, and in a flood of supreme bliss,
Vellam amizhdhenaeI was completely immersed!
Ullam magizhdhenae peraanandhaMy heart rejoiced, and in a flood of supreme bliss,
Vellam amizhdhenaeI was completely immersed!
Male
Thillaiyin naayaganaeO Lord of Thillai!
Sivagaamavalli manoharanaeO beloved of Goddess Sivagami!
En allal pinikilara thirunaamamAs I utter Your holy divine name that cures my miseries,
Solla udal silirkkkumMy body thrills with goosebumps.
En allal pinikilara thirunaamamAs I utter Your holy divine name that cures my miseries,
Solla udal silirkkkumMy body thrills with goosebumps.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Thillaiyin Naayaganae is a profound Tamil devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Shiva in his manifestation as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer and Lord of Thillai (Chidambaram), alongside his consort Sivagami. The song captures the overwhelming emotional and physical sensations of divine devotion, where merely chanting the Lord's name dispels all earthly suffering and causes chills of ecstasy across the body. The devotee describes a deep, unshakeable contemplation of God that persists even in dreams. Longing to witness Shiva's cosmic dance in the Golden Hall (Kanagasabha), the singer finds complete liberation and bliss, describing the experience of contemplating Shiva's divine form as drowning in a surging flood of supreme divine happiness (peraanandha vellam).

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Moonaai (Initial Alliteration)

Kanaga sabaesan / Kanavilum veru ninaivindri

Repetition of the initial 'Ka' consonant sound across lines creating rhythmic harmony (Kanaga / Kanavilum / Karutharindhenae).

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Ullam magizhdhenae peraanandha / Vellam amizhdhenae

Rhyming line endings ('magizhdhenae' and 'amizhdhenae') reinforcing the sense of joyful immersion.

Metaphor (Uruvagaim)

Ullam magizhdhenae peraanandha / Vellam amizhdhenae

'Peraanandha vellam' compares spiritual joy to a vast, overflowing flood in which the devotee submerges.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by the legendary Papanasam Sivan, known as the Tamil Tyagaraja, this song highlights the signature high-pitch vocal mastery of M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar (MKT), Tamil cinema's first superstar singer-actor. The rendition in Ragam Kuntalavarali is celebrated for its technical purity and intense bhakti (devotion).

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