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Lyrics & meaning

Vadivelane Sivabalane

From Mangala Nayagi · 1980

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
V. Kumar
Details
Mangala Nayagi1980

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Vadivelanae sivabalanaeO Lord with the sharp spear, O son of Lord Shiva!
Thirumaalin marumaganaeO beloved nephew of Lord Vishnu!
Vadivelanae sivabalanaeO Lord with the sharp spear, O son of Lord Shiva!
Thirumaalin marumaganaeO beloved nephew of Lord Vishnu!
Female
Pazhaniyam padhiyinil iruppavanaeO Lord residing in the holy abode of Palani!
Adiyavan thuyaragalai thaduppavanaeO Lord who dispels and wards off the distress of your devotees!
Female
Vadivelanae sivabalanaeO Lord with the sharp spear, O son of Lord Shiva!
Thirumaalin marumaganaeO beloved nephew of Lord Vishnu!
Female
Thuyar kadhai en vaazhvilIf the painful sorrow in my life...
Thodarkathai endraanaal...turns into a never-ending serial story,
Kandum kaanaatha kolam enna...what is this stance of yours, ignoring me while seeing everything?
Thuyar kadhai en vaazhvilIf the painful sorrow in my life...
Thodarkathai endraanaal...turns into a never-ending serial story,
Kandum kaanaatha kolam enna...what is this stance of yours, ignoring me while seeing everything?
Female
Alai kadal siru odam puyal vasam thadumaaraWhen a small boat falters at the mercy of a storm in the ocean waves,
Vanthu kaavaatha maayam enna...what is this illusion that prevents you from coming to save it?
Female
Devanae ariyaayo thaayin ullamO God, do you not understand the heart of a mother?
Neeyum oru thaayin pillaithaanYou too are the child of a mother!
Devanae ariyaayo thaayin ullamO God, do you not understand the heart of a mother?
Neeyum oru thaayin pillaithaanYou too are the child of a mother!
Un manam nalla ponmanam allaYour heart is not a fine heart of gold,
Kal manam endrum arinthaenaeI have now realized that it is indeed a heart of stone!
Female
Vadivelanae sivabalanaeO Lord with the sharp spear, O son of Lord Shiva!
Thirumaalin marumaganaeO beloved nephew of Lord Vishnu!
Female
Oru malar kaniyaamal karugida vidalaamoShould a flower be allowed to scorch and wither before fruiting?
Annai naan seitha paavam ennaWhat sin did I, a mother, commit?
Oru malar kaniyaamal karugida vidalaamoShould a flower be allowed to scorch and wither before fruiting?
Annai naan seitha paavam ennaWhat sin did I, a mother, commit?
Anuthinam alangaaram aaraththi abhishegamEveryday adornment, camphor light offerings, and sacred baths...
Yaavum naan seithu laabam enna...what is the benefit of performing all these for you?
Female
Velodu mayil meedhu odi vanthuCome running on your peacock holding your divine spear,
Pillai noi theerkka vendumaeTo cure the affliction of my child!
Velodu mayil meedhu odi vanthuCome running on your peacock holding your divine spear,
Pillai noi theerkka vendumaeTo cure the affliction of my child!
Shanmuganaathaa innarul nee thaaO Lord Shanmuga, grant me your sweet grace!
Panniru kangal malaraathaaWill your twelve eyes not bloom with compassion?
Female
Vadivelanae sivabalanaeO Lord with the sharp spear, O son of Lord Shiva!
Thirumaalin marumaganaeO beloved nephew of Lord Vishnu!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This emotional devotional song from Mangala Nayagi (1980) expresses a mother's agonized plea to Lord Murugan to heal her ailing child. She addresses the deity using various traditional titles—the bearer of the Vel, the son of Shiva, the nephew of Vishnu, and the Lord of Palani—while questioning why her life's hardships have turned into an endless saga of suffering. Using vivid imagery of a small boat tossed in a ocean storm and a flower scorching before it ripens, she laments her helpless situation. She challenges Lord Murugan's indifference, reminding him that he too was born to a mother, and questions the purpose of her daily religious rituals if her child remains uncured. Ultimately, she begs Lord Shanmuga to ride his peacock and use his twelve eyes of mercy to bestow his divine healing touch.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Metaphor/Simile)

Alai kadal siru odam puyal vasam thadumaara

Compares a helpless person in distress to a small boat caught in a fierce oceanic storm.

Metaphor

Oru malar kaniyaamal karugida vidalaamo

Compares a child suffering prematurely to a flower scorching away before turning into fruit.

Rhetorical Question

Kandum kaanaatha kolam enna

The speaker questions God's inaction and her own fate, expressing despair and grief.

Edukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Vadivelanae / Thodarkathai

Rhyming of the second letter 'du' across lines for rhythmic emphasis.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by V. Kumar with lyrics by Vaali, 'Vadivelanae Sivabalanae' is a quintessential example of a cinematic devotional lament ('Pulambal'). Expressed eloquently in the voice of P. Susheela, the song weaves traditional mythological iconography of Lord Murugan (Vel, Peacock, Palani, Shanmuga's 12 eyes) into a intense maternal melodrama.

Keep listening

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