- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- Nagore E. M. Hanifa
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Raman Abdullah
- Movie release year
- 1997
- Lyrics added on
- 22 Mar 2018
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This philosophical track from the film 'Raman Abdullah' questions communal prejudice, religious fanaticism, and human hypocrisy. Lyricist Vaali argues that God does not belong to any organized religion like Hinduism, Islam, or Christianity, but rather resides wherever goodness, morality, and true humanity exist. He laments that despite centuries of teachings by sages and saints, humans continue to harbour internal malice, greed, and divisiveness. Using clever mathematical metaphors—such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication—the song highlights how humans constantly multiply their sins instead of adding love and harmony. Ultimately, the song delivers a strong message urging people to shed religious animosity, reform their inner character, and work together to create a peaceful and unified world.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyming)
“Kaththiyaachu / Vaththiyaachu”
The second consonant 'th' rhymes between consecutive lines, creating traditional Tamil rhythmic flow.
Monaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Kaththi kaththi thonda thanni”
Repetition of the 'K' sound at the beginning of words in the line.
Metaphor
“Manasukulla naaigalum narigalum / Naal vagai peigalum naatiyam aadudhadaa”
Evil thoughts, craftiness, and negative emotions are personified as dogs, foxes, and ghosts dancing inside the human mind.
Rhetorical Question
“Chirsthuvana muslim-ah illa hindu-va”
The lyricist poses a direct question about God's religion to challenge the listener's narrow religious views.
Extended Metaphor (Mathematical Imagery)
“Kanakkil oru kootalum kazhithalum / Vaguthalum perukkalum”
Arithmetic operations (addition, multiplication) are used metaphorically to represent the accumulation of human sins and life choices.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is composed by Ilaiyaraaja for the 1997 Tamil film 'Raman Abdullah', directed by Balu Mahendra. The movie focuses on the deep bond between two friends from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds, fitting the song's strong anti-communal message. Vaali's lyrics stand out for using simple, folk-inflected conversational Tamil to convey high philosophical truths.
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