- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Music director
- K. Chakravarthy
- Movie name
- Yemanukku Yeman
- Movie release year
- 1980
- Lyrics added on
- 8 Oct 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This dramatic duet portrays a fierce clash of egos and philosophical convictions between Lord Yama (the God of Death) and a mortal hero who refuses to bow to death's authority. Yama asserts his supreme cosmic authority, boasting that even Lord Brahma does not defy his decrees and that he claims lives across all ages without exception. In response, the hero counters with mythological precedents like Markandeya and Savitri, reminding Yama that death itself is subject to ultimate cosmic laws and that vanity is meaningless before true spiritual self-awareness.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Mythological Allusion
“Ivan aaviyillai maarkandan jaadhi ivan da”
The lyrics evoke the legendary figures Markandeya and Savitri to symbolise mortals who famously triumphed over Lord Yama through devotion and righteousness.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Aayiram yemanai vendru”
The phrase 'Aayiram yemanai vendru' is repeated sequentially to emphasize the hero's monumental valor in vanquishing a thousand deaths.
Antithesis
“Yettilum uyir parippen / Enbathai kuvithu veippen”
Contrasts the finite mortal life span ('eight years', 'eighty years') with the absolute authority of death to highlight the stark divide between human vulnerability and cosmic destiny.
Did you know?
Trivia
The film Yemanukku Yeman (1980), starring Sivaji Ganesan, is the official Tamil remake of the 1977 Telugu fantasy-comedy hit Yamagola, featuring a celebrated comedic duel between a mortal hero and the Lord of Death.
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