- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan, S. Varalakshmi
- Music director
- Kunnakudi Vaithiyanathan
- Movie name
- Rajaraja Chozhan
- Movie release year
- 1972
- Lyrics added on
- 23 Mar 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Yaedu Thanthaanadi Thillaiyilae is a deeply devotional Tamil song from the historical film Rajaraja Chozhan (1973), celebrating Lord Shiva of Chidambaram (Thillai) and the grand legacy of Tamil Saivite literature. The lyrics highlight how divine grace inspired the revered triad of Nayanmars—Appar, Sundarar, and Thirugnanasambandar—to compose the sacred Thevaram hymns, thereby enriching both the Tamil language and the cultural heritage of the land. The song articulates core Saivite philosophy, depicting Shiva as the ultimate parent who is Himself uncreated and causeless. It also pays tribute to the Chola dynasty, particularly Emperor Raja Raja Chola I, who famously retrieved the forgotten Thirumurai palm-leaf manuscripts locked away in the Chidambaram temple, ensuring these eternal spiritual treasures were preserved for future generations.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Paradox / Muran (முரண்)
“Thanthaiyum thaayum pol avan irupaan / Oru thanthaiyum thaayum avanukkillai”
Contradictory statement used for philosophical depth: Shiva acts as a loving mother and father to all creation, yet as the ultimate source of existence, He has no parents of His own.
Ethukai (எதுகை - Second letter rhyming)
“Iraivanai naada innisai paada / Thirumurai kooridum araneri kooda”
Rhyming of the second consonant sound across consecutive lines ('ra' sound in Iraivanai and Thirumurai) creating rhythmic flow.
Moonaai (மோனை - Initial letter alliteration)
“Iraivanai naada innisai paada”
Alliteration of initial sounds ('I' in Iraivanai and Innisai) enhancing melodic harmony in devotional singing.
Anaphora / Erattai (இரட்டை - Refrain/Repetition)
“Yaedu thanthaanadi thillaiyilae”
Repetition of the signature refrain 'Yaedu thanthaanadi thillaiyilae' across stanzas to reinforce the central theme of divine manuscript revelation.
Did you know?
Trivia
Rajaraja Chozhan (1973), starring Sivaji Ganesan, was the first full-length CinemaScope film produced in South India. The song references the historic event where Emperor Raja Raja Chola I, guided by Nambiyandar Nambi, unlocked the sealed chamber at the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple to recover the lost palm-leaf manuscripts containing the divine Thevaram hymns.
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