- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- K. B. Sundarambal
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Thiruvilaiyadal
- Movie release year
- 1965
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Oct 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This poetic excerpt highlights the profound divine connection between the Tamil language and Lord Shiva. The lines feature a clever linguistic wordplay on the word 'Vaasi' (meaning to recite or play music), which when continuously chanted or inverted seamlessly morphs into the holy name 'Shivaa'. By reciting pure classical Tamil with intense longing and devotion, the poet experiences the divine presence within their consciousness, fulfilling the soul's yearning and bringing visual bliss upon beholding the Lord.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anagram / Phonetic Wordplay
“Vaasi vaasi endru ... Shivaa shivaaa ena”
The Tamil word 'Vaasi' (வாசி - to recite/read) when chanted repeatedly or phonetically inverted transforms into 'Shivaa' (சிவா), linking the act of reading Tamil directly to chanting Shiva's name.
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Shivaa shivaaa ena / Sindhai thanil nindru”
Matching initial consonants/sounds in words across lines, such as 'Shivaa' and 'Sindhai', or 'Kavi' and 'Kankulira'.
Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Avaavinaal indha avvai tamizh kondu”
Rhyming of the second character across adjacent lines, seen in 'Avaavinaal' and 'Avvai' ('v' sound).
Did you know?
Trivia
The word 'Vaasi' (வாசி) means to read, recite, or play a musical instrument in Tamil. Kannadasan expertly exploited the phonetic palindrome where repeating 'Vaasi Vaasi' rapidly sounds like 'Shiva Shiva', illustrating the belief that Tamil and Lord Shiva are inseparable.
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