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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Unakken Veen Kavalai

From Sudharsan · 1951

Lyricist
Papanasam Sivan
Singers
P. U. Chinnappa, Kannamba
Music director
G. Ramanathan
Details
Sudharsan1951

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Unakkaen veen kavalaiWhy do you worry unnecessarily?
Ulagamellam paandurangan kuzhandhaigalEveryone in the world is Panduranga's child.
Unakkaen veen kavalaiWhy do you worry unnecessarily?
Female
Kavalai illadhavarkku pendatti pillai yenWhy does a person without worries need a wife and child?
Kavalai illadhavarkku pendatti pillai yenWhy does a person without worries need a wife and child?
Kaashaayam aniyalaamaeCouldn't they just wear saffron robes?
Pendatti pillai yen kaashayam aniyalaamaeWhy a wife and child, couldn't they wear saffron robes?
Male
Kaashaya veshathai kandaal mayanguvenoWill I be fooled upon seeing a saffron attire?
Kaashaya veshathai kandaal mayanguvenoWill I be fooled upon seeing a saffron attire?
Vittalan enndrennamo paedhaaiOh foolish girl, why think only of Vittala?
Kaashaya veshathai kandaal mayanguvenoWill I be fooled upon seeing a saffron attire?
Vittalan enndrennamo paedhaaiOh foolish girl, why think only of Vittala?
Female
Ungal kabada vaedhaanthathai kettaalIf people hear your deceitful philosophy,
Ungal kabada vaedhaanthathai kettaalIf people hear your deceitful philosophy,
Ulagam kai kotti sirikkadhooWon't the world clap its hands and laugh?
Ulagam kai kotti sirikkadhooWon't the world clap its hands and laugh?
Male
Ulagu sirithaalum unmaikku azhivundooEven if the world laughs, can the truth ever be destroyed?
Ulagu sirithaalum unmaikku azhivundooEven if the world laughs, can the truth ever be destroyed?
Uyar dheivam endhan vittobhaMy Supreme Deity is Vithoba!
Uyar dheivam endhan vittobhaMy Supreme Deity is Vithoba!
Female
Avar ungal pasi theerpaarHe will satisfy your hunger,
Paanai satti samaippaarHe will cook in pots and pans!
Avar ungal pasi theerpaarHe will satisfy your hunger,
Paanai satti samaippaarHe will cook in pots and pans!
Asaiyaamal amarndhirungalJust sit without moving,
Neengal asaiyaamal amarnthirungalYou just sit without moving!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This classic song takes the form of a philosophical debate between a devout devotee of Lord Vittala (Panduranga) and a pragmatic skeptic. The devotee advocates absolute surrender to God, asserting that Lord Vithoba will take care of every worldly need, even mundane chores like cooking food, if one surrenders completely. The opposing perspective challenges this idealist philosophy as deceptive and impractical for householders.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhetorical Question

Ulagam kai kotti sirikkadhoo

Questions like 'Ulagam kai kotti sirikkadhoo' (Won't the world clap and laugh?) are used dramatically to challenge the opposing viewpoint.

Anaphora / Repetition

Ulagu sirithaalum unmaikku azhivundoo

Lines are repeated sequentially to reinforce emotional emphasis and philosophical conviction.

Imagery / Anthropomorphism

Paanai satti samaippaar

Depicting Lord Vitthal taking up cookware to cook food ('Paanai satti samaippaar') provides vivid personal imagery of divine grace.

Did you know?

Trivia

Sudharsan (1951) was one of the final films featuring the famed Carnatic musician and cinema superstar P. U. Chinnappa, who passed away in September 1951 shortly before or around the time of the film's release.

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