Unnarulaal Indha Udal Valarum
From Rathna Kumar · 1949
- Lyricist
- Papanasam Sivan
- Singer
- N. S. Krishnan
- Music directors
- G. Ramanathan, C. R. Subbaraman
- Details
- Rathna Kumar1949
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Unnarulaal indha udal valarum | By your grace, this body grows, |
| Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa | Oh belly father, my pot-belly father! |
| Unnarulaal indha udal valarum | By your grace, this body grows, |
| Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa | Oh belly father, my pot-belly father! |
| Unnarulaal indha udal valarum | By your grace, this body grows. |
| Male | |
| Panamum kaasum paruthavan dheivam | For a rich person, money and coins are God, |
| Panamum kaasum paruthavan dheivam | For a rich person, money and coins are God, |
| Paruppum sorum pasithavan dheivam | For a hungry person, lentils and rice are God, |
| Paruppum sorum pasithavan dheivam | For a hungry person, lentils and rice are God. |
| Unnarulaal indha udal valarum | By your grace, this body grows, |
| Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa | Oh belly father, my pot-belly father! |
| Male | |
| Thaevaikkumelae saerppavan thirudan | One who hoards beyond their needs is a thief, |
| Thaevaikkumelae saerppavan thirudan | One who hoards beyond their needs is a thief, |
| Dheivam vidhiyendru kaaibavan kurudan | One who blames God and fate is a blind person, |
| Dheivam vidhiyendru kaaibavan kurudan | One who blames God and fate is a blind person. |
| Unnarulaal indha udal valarum | By your grace, this body grows, |
| Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa | Oh belly father, my pot-belly father! |
உன்னருளால் இந்த உடல் வளரும்
உந்தியப்பா என் தொந்தியப்பா
உன்னருளால் இந்த உடல் வளரும்
உந்தியப்பா என் தொந்தியப்பா
உன்னருளால் இந்த உடல் வளரும்
By your grace, this body grows,
Oh belly father, my pot-belly father!
By your grace, this body grows,
Oh belly father, my pot-belly father!
By your grace, this body grows.
பணமும் காசும் பருத்தவன் தெய்வம்
பணமும் காசும் பருத்தவன் தெய்வம்
பருப்பும் சோறும் பசித்தவன் தெய்வம்
பருப்பும் சோறும் பசித்தவன் தெய்வம்
உன்னருளால் இந்த உடல் வளரும்
உந்தியப்பா என் தொந்தியப்பா
For a rich person, money and coins are God,
For a rich person, money and coins are God,
For a hungry person, lentils and rice are God,
For a hungry person, lentils and rice are God.
By your grace, this body grows,
Oh belly father, my pot-belly father!
தேவைக்குமேலே சேர்ப்பவன் திருடன்
தேவைக்குமேலே சேர்ப்பவன் திருடன்
தெய்வம் விதியென்று காய்பவன் குருடன்
தெய்வம் விதியென்று காய்பவன் குருடன்
உன்னருளால் இந்த உடல் வளரும்
உந்தியப்பா என் தொந்தியப்பா
One who hoards beyond their needs is a thief,
One who hoards beyond their needs is a thief,
One who blames God and fate is a blind person,
One who blames God and fate is a blind person.
By your grace, this body grows,
Oh belly father, my pot-belly father!
Unnarulaal indha udal valarum
By your grace, this body grows,
Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa
Oh belly father, my pot-belly father!
Unnarulaal indha udal valarum
By your grace, this body grows,
Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa
Oh belly father, my pot-belly father!
Unnarulaal indha udal valarum
By your grace, this body grows.
Panamum kaasum paruthavan dheivam
For a rich person, money and coins are God,
Panamum kaasum paruthavan dheivam
For a rich person, money and coins are God,
Paruppum sorum pasithavan dheivam
For a hungry person, lentils and rice are God,
Paruppum sorum pasithavan dheivam
For a hungry person, lentils and rice are God.
Unnarulaal indha udal valarum
By your grace, this body grows,
Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa
Oh belly father, my pot-belly father!
Thaevaikkumelae saerppavan thirudan
One who hoards beyond their needs is a thief,
Thaevaikkumelae saerppavan thirudan
One who hoards beyond their needs is a thief,
Dheivam vidhiyendru kaaibavan kurudan
One who blames God and fate is a blind person,
Dheivam vidhiyendru kaaibavan kurudan
One who blames God and fate is a blind person.
Unnarulaal indha udal valarum
By your grace, this body grows,
Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa
Oh belly father, my pot-belly father!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This lighthearted yet philosophical song from Rathna Kumar (1949) personifies the singer's stomach or belly as a paternal deity ('Undhiyappa' / 'Thondhiyappa') whose nourishment allows the body to flourish. Beneath its humorous exterior, the lyrics deliver sharp moral and social commentary. It notes how perspective defines divinity: wealth is God to the affluent, while basic food is God to the starving. Furthermore, it embeds socialistic values by declaring that anyone who accumulates wealth beyond their basic necessities is essentially a thief, and those who passively resign themselves to fate or curse God instead of taking action are visually and intellectually blind.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification / Apostrophe
“Undhiyappaa en thondhiyappaa”
Addressing the stomach ('Undhi' / 'Thondhi') affectionately as a divine father figure ('Appa') to whom gratitude is expressed for bodily growth.
Edugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Paruppum sorum pasithavan dheivam”
The second letter harmony ('ru' / 'si') between 'Paruppum' and 'Pasithavan' creates classic Tamil poetic Edugai rhythm.
Antithesis / Parallelism
“Panamum kaasum paruthavan dheivam / Paruppum sorum pasithavan dheivam”
Contrasting the perception of God between the rich man (wealth) and the hungry man (food) highlights social divides.
Metaphor
“Thaevaikkumelae saerppavan thirudan”
Equating a hoarder to a thief and a fatalist to a blind person directly conveys ethical commentary through metaphor.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by renowned Carnatic composer and lyricist Papanasam Sivan for the 1949 film 'Rathna Kumar' (which starred P. U. Chinnappa and M. G. Ramachandran), this song cleverly disguises early socialist and Gandhian principles—such as anti-hoarding and human dignity—within comedic belly-worship lyrics.
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