- Lyricist
- Ulunthur Pettai Shanmugam
- Singer
- Sirkazhi Govindarajan
- Music director
- Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan
- Movie name
- Thirumalai Thenkumari
- Movie release year
- 1970
- Lyrics added on
- 6 Jun 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic devotional song is a passionate prayer addressed to Lord Venkateswara, the deity residing atop the seven hills of Tirupati. The devotee describes their spiritual journey as climbing the sacred hills with a heart melted in complete surrender. Using beautiful imagery, devotion is compared to lighting a clay lamp where love serves as the lamp and deep spiritual longing acts as the ghee fueling the flame. The song praises the Lord as the ultimate granter of wishes and reliever of hidden burdens. It pays homage to Lord Krishna's divine discourse, the Bhagavad Gita, affirming that those who understand and live by its eternal philosophical truths will attain true fulfillment and righteousness in life.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagamu)
“Anbenum agal vilakkai yaetri vaithaen adhil / Aasai ennum neiyai ootri vaithaen”
The lyrics metaphorically compare love to a clay lamp ('Anbenum agal vilakku') and intense desire/longing to ghee ('Aasai ennum nei') poured into the lamp.
Second-letter Rhyme (Edhugai)
“Ninaithadhai nadathi vaippaai vaigundhaa / Maraithadhai parithiduvaai govindhaa”
Consonance of the second letter across consecutive lines creates rhythmic flow ('Ninaithadhai' / 'Maraithadhai').
Refrain / Repetition (Anaphora)
“Thiruppathi malai vaazhum venkataesaa”
The repeated invocation 'Thiruppathi malai vaazhum venkataesaa' acts as the primary devotional anchor and refrain throughout the song.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and sung by the legendary devotional singer Sirkazhi Govindarajan, this song from the 1970 travelogue-style film Thirumalai Thenkumari remains one of the most popular Tamil devotional tracks dedicated to Lord Venkateswara. Written by Ulunthurpettai Shanmugam, its famous opening lines are widely played across Tirupati pilgrimage trips.
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