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Thanga Padhumai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Vidhi Enum Kuzhandai

From Thanga Padhumai · 1959

Lyricist
Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
Singer
Seerkazhi Govindarajan
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Movie name
Thanga Padhumai
Movie release year
1959
Lyrics added on
30 Jun 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Vidhiyennum kuzhandai kaiyil ulagandhannai
Vilaiyaada koduthuvittaal iyarkkaiyannai
Adhu vitteriyum uruttividum manidhar vaazhvai
Mael keezhaai purattividum viyandhidaadhae
Madhiyundu karpudaiya manaiviyundu
Valimaiyundu vettri tharum varundhidaadhae
Edhirthu varum thunbathai midhikkum thanmai
Eidhivittaal kaanbadhellaam inbamappaa
Inbamappaaa…aa…inbamappaaa…aa…
Into the hands of a child called Fate,
Mother Nature has given this world to play with.
It will fling away and roll around human lives,
Turning them upside down—do not be surprised.
You have your wisdom, you have a devoted wife,
You have the strength that brings victory—do not despair.
The spirit to crush the hardships that come your way—
Once you attain that, all you see will be pure joy, my friend...
Pure joy, oh... pure joy, oh...
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This philosophical poem from the 1959 Tamil film 'Thanga Padhumai', penned by Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, offers a deep meditation on fate and human resilience. It begins by metaphorically depicting Nature as a mother who hands the world over to Destiny, framed as an unpredictable child. Destiny carelessly tosses and turns human lives upside down, but the poet advises the listener not to be overwhelmed or shocked by life's sudden reversals. Instead of submitting to despair, the poet urges man to recognize his inner strengths—his intellect, the loving support of a chaste life partner, and inherent courage. By building the mental fortitude to confront and trample incoming sorrows, one can transform every struggle into absolute bliss and view all of existence through a lens of joy.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamaani / Urvagatu)

Vidhiyennum kuzhandai kaiyil ulagandhannai / Vilaiyaada koduthuvittaal iyarkkaiyannai

Fate is conceptualized as an unpredictable child ('Vidhiyennum kuzhandai') and Nature as a caring mother ('Iyarkkaiyannai').

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming)

Vidhiyennum kuzhandai kaiyil... / Madhiyundu karpudaiya manaiviyundu...

The second consonant 'dh' matches in 'Vidhiyennum' and 'Madhiyundu', and 'lh' matches in 'Vilaiyaada' / 'Valimaiyundu', establishing classical Tamil poetic harmony.

Anaphora / Structural Repetition

Madhiyundu karpudaiya manaiviyundu / Valimaiyundu vettri tharum varundhidaadhae

The repetition of the suffix '-undu' (possesses/has) creates an encouraging, rhythmic assertion of human capabilities.

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Trivia

Written by the iconic poet Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram for 'Thanga Padhumai' (1959), this song features music composed by the legendary duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy. Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram was famous for weaving profound social realism and Marxist-inspired philosophy into accessible, rhythmic Tamil film lyrics.

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