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Lyrics & meaning

Vetrivel Vellumada

From Manidhanum Dheivamagalam · 1975

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
T. M. Soundararajan, Seerkazhi Govindarajan
Music director
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan
Movie name
Manidhanum Dheivamagalam
Movie release year
1975
Lyrics added on
25 Nov 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Vettri vel vellumadaa
Vinai theerppaan velanadaa
Vettri vel vellumadaa
Vinai theerppaan velanadaa
Kattravarkkum kallaarkkum
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
Kattravarkkum kallaarkkum
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
Piranthu vantha kadhaiyai paarththaal
Periya veedu theriyumadaa
Marainthu pogum mudivai paarththaal
Mannan sakthi puriymadaa
Idaippatta idaththil kadan patta manithaa
Yaendaa unakku poiyarivu
Idaippatta idaththil kadan patta manithaa
Yaendaa unakku poiyarivu
Eeraezhu ulagamengum vadivelan arasatchi
Eeraezhu ulagamengum vadivelan arasatchi
Vettri vel vellumadaa
Vinai theerppaan velanadaa
Kattravarkkum kallaarkkum
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
Iraivan aalum ulagam endraal
Yaezhaigalai yaen padaiththaan
Oruvan vaazha oruvan vaadum
Uyarvu thaazhvai yaen amaithaan
Kadan patta murugan udan patta namakku
Kaatiya karunai idhuthaanaa
Kadan patta murugan udan patta namakku
Kaatiya karunai idhuthaanaa
Kadhai solla vendaam annaa
Adhilaethaan arasatchi
Kadhai solla vendaam annaa
Adhilaethaan arasatchi
Vettri vel vellumadaa
Vinai theerppaan velanadaa
Kattravarkkum kallaarkkum
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
Kuzhanthai pola avanai paarththaal
Kooda vanthu konjumadaa
Kuzhanthai ingu kodi undu
Kumaran enna thevaiyadaa
Aaththiram kondavan naaththigan aavaan
Avanae avanukky pagaiyaavaan
Naaththigam enbathu suya mariyaathai
Nampiya manithan thannai aalvaan
Un kannil orunaal thondrum
Vadivelan arasaatchi
Un nenjil orunaal thondrum
Periyaarin manasaatchi
Vettri vel vellumadaa
Vinai theerppaan velanadaa
Kattravarkkum kallaarkkum
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
Karunai tharum thendraladaa
The victorious Vel (divine spear) will triumph!
Lord Muruga will wipe away your burdens!
The victorious Vel (divine spear) will triumph!
Lord Muruga will wipe away your burdens!
To the learned and the unlearned alike,
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
To the learned and the unlearned alike,
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
If you reflect on how life begins,
You will know the great home we come from.
If you look at how life ends,
You will understand the supreme King's power.
O man trapped in debts in between birth and death,
Why do you hold on to false pride?
O man trapped in debts in between birth and death,
Why do you hold on to false pride?
Across all fourteen worlds spreads the reign of Lord Muruga!
Across all fourteen worlds spreads the reign of Lord Muruga!
The victorious Vel (divine spear) will triumph!
Lord Muruga will wipe away your burdens!
To the learned and the unlearned alike,
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
If this world is truly ruled by God,
Why did He create the poor?
While one person prospers, another suffers;
Why did He create such inequality?
Murugan himself fell into debt; is this the mercy
He showed to those of us who followed him?
Murugan himself fell into debt; is this the mercy
He showed to those of us who followed him?
Do not spin stories, my brother,
For your rule exists only in tales!
Do not spin stories, my brother,
For your rule exists only in tales!
The victorious Vel (divine spear) will triumph!
Lord Muruga will wipe away your burdens!
To the learned and the unlearned alike,
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
If you treat him tenderly like a child,
He will come near and shower you with love!
There are millions of real children living here,
Why do we need a god called Kumaran?
A person consumed by anger turns into an atheist,
And becomes his own worst enemy.
Atheism stands for self-respect,
And one who trusts oneself will govern their own life.
One day before your eyes will shine
The divine reign of Lord Muruga!
One day in your heart will awaken
The conscience of Periyar (rationalist social reformer)!
The victorious Vel (divine spear) will triumph!
Lord Muruga will wipe away your burdens!
To the learned and the unlearned alike,
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
He is a gentle breeze offering grace!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This philosophical debate song from the 1975 film Manidhanum Dheivamagalam sets divine spiritual belief against rationalist self-respect ideology. Through a lyric dialectic composed by Kannadasan, one voice praises Lord Murugan's omnipotence and universal grace, while the opposing voice raises socio-economic questions regarding inequality, poverty, and self-governance inspired by Dravidian rationalism. Ultimately, the song presents both perspectives as crucial aspects of human inquiry, balancing the vision of Vadivelan's divine reign with Periyar's humanistic conscience.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Muran (Contrast)

Kattravarkkum kallaarkkum

Contrasts educated and uneducated people to show universal grace.

Uruvagam (Metaphor)

Karunai tharum thendraladaa

Metaphorically compares divine mercy to a soothing breeze.

Edhugai (Rhyme)

Piranthu vantha kadhaiyai paarththaal / Marainthu pogum mudivai paarththaal

Second letter rhyming in consecutive lines (Piranthu / Marainthu).

Ideological Antithesis

Vadivelan arasaatchi / Periyaarin manasaatchi

Direct juxtaposition of divine faith (Vadivelan) and rationalist ideology (Periyar).

Did you know?

Trivia

This iconic song represents a classic Pattumanram (debate) style duet in Tamil cinema, pitting T. M. Soundararajan's devotional tone against Seerkazhi Govindarajan's rationalist counterpoints.

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