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Lyrics & meaning

Vetkapada Vendum

From Samarpanam · 1974

Lyricist
Pattukottai Dhandayuthapani
Singer
M. S. Rajeswari
Music director
N. S. Thiyagarajan
Movie name
Samarpanam
Movie release year
1974
Lyrics added on
5 Apr 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Vetkkapada vendum
Ovvoru manithanum
Vetkkapada vendum
Ovvoru manithanum
Vedhanai pada vendum
Vedhanai pada vendum
Avanavan nenjai thottapadi
Vetkkapada vendum
Ovvoru manithanum
Vedhanai pada vendum
Avanavan nenjai thottapadi
Sorkaththin thanthaiyaana
Antha kadavul kudiththaaraa
Yazhai varkaththin thanthaiyaana
Annal ganthi kudiththaaraa
Paaratha poril kadamaiyai seitha
Kannan kudiththaara
Uyar kaaviyathalaivi seedhaiyai pirikka
Raman kudiththaaraa
Vetkkapada vendum
Ovvoru manithanum
Vedhanai pada vendum
Avanavan nenjai thottapadi
Gandhiyai pootti punnagai seitha
Siraiyin kadhavugalae
Gandhiyai pootti punnagai seitha
Siraiyin kadhavugalae
Paalum kudiyai pootti unakkul vaiththaal
Kudiyaa muzhugi vidum
Paalum kudiyai pootti unakkul vaiththaal
Kudiyaa muzhugi vidum
Vetkkapada vendum
Ovvoru manithanum
Vedhanai pada vendum
Vedhanai pada vendum
Avanavan nenjai thottapadi
Avanavan nenjai thottapadi
One ought to feel ashamed,
Every single person,
Ought to feel ashamed!
Every single person
Ought to feel deep remorse,
Ought to feel deep remorse,
Touching their own heart with conscience.
One ought to feel ashamed,
Every single person
Ought to feel deep remorse,
Touching their own heart with conscience.
As the Father of Heaven,
Did that God ever drink?
As the father of the poor and humble,
Did the great Gandhi ever drink?
Fulfilling his duty in the great Bharata war,
Did Lord Krishna ever drink?
When separated from Sita, the noble epic heroine,
Did Lord Rama ever drink?
One ought to feel ashamed,
Every single person
Ought to feel deep remorse,
Touching their own heart with conscience.
You locked Gandhi away and smiled,
O doors of the prison!
You locked Gandhi away and smiled,
O doors of the prison!
If you lock away this ruinous drink inside yourself,
Will the world really collapse?
If you lock away this ruinous drink inside yourself,
Will the world really collapse?
One ought to feel ashamed,
Every single person
Ought to feel deep remorse,
Ought to feel deep remorse,
Touching their own heart with conscience.
Touching their own heart with conscience.
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Vetkkapada Vendum is a socially conscious reform song from the 1974 Tamil film Samarpanam. The song urges every individual to deeply introspect and feel ashamed of the vice of alcoholism. It uses a series of powerful rhetorical questions involving divine and historical icons—God, Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Krishna, and Lord Rama—asking if any of these great figures ever consumed alcohol while carrying out their duty or enduring trials.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhetorical Question (Vina Vani)

“Antha kadavul kudiththaaraa”

Repeated use of rhetorical questions ending with 'kudiththaaraa' to challenge the listener's conscience by appealing to moral role models.

Personification

“Gandhiyai pootti punnagai seitha Siraiyin kadhavugalae”

Addressing the prison doors as living beings capable of smiling after locking up Gandhi.

Repetition (Anaphora)

“Vetkkapada vendum”

The line 'Vetkkapada vendum' is repeated systematically to emphasize the urgency of moral shame and social reform.

Did you know?

Trivia

Samarpanam (1974) features music composed by N. S. Thiyagarajan, with lyrics penned by Pattukottai Dhandayuthapani. Sung by veteran singer M. S. Rajeswari, the track stands out as a prohibition movement song in 1970s Tamil cinema.

Keep listening

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VeeranganaiMortalityRebellion
Nallavan Kaiyil Naanayam Song1972
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Oorukku Nalladhoru1981
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From the same album

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