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KAVIYARASU KANNADASAN

Topic started by On behalf of Sankar (@ 210.186.51.129) on Mon Dec 30 07:11:34 EST 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Kaaviyathayin Illaya magan
Kadhal Pengalin Perun thalaivan
Paamara jaadiyil thani manidan – naan
Padaippadhanal yen per Iraivan

Naan Manida jaadiyai aati vaipen – avar
Maandu vital adhai paadi vaipen
NAAN NIRANDARAM AANAVAN AZHIVADILAI
ENDA NILAYILUM ENAKKU MARANAM ILLAI

These are the great lines of Kaviyarasu Kannadasan in the movie Ratha Thilakam where he acts in the movie singing these lines. ( Song.. Oru Koopayilae yen kudiyiruppu)

What a visionary he was ? Indeed, he is NIRANDARAMAANAVAN.

I share some of my observations about Kavingyar. I want all the fans of HIM to join this discussion and add more quality material in praise of his great works.
This is the only way we pay tributes to this GENIUS.
WILL WE EVER GET BACK A KAVINGYAR LIKE KANNADASAN ??

Read the complete opening post here.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Anand (@ 66.26.80.105) on: Fri May 16 11:39:51 EDT 2003
  
  Can somebody give a detailed explanation of the meaning of this song by Kannadaasan? It is a beautiful song and I understand part of the lyrics, but not completely.
  
  mayakkamaa kalakkamaa
  manadhilae kuzhappamaa
  vaazhkkaiyil nadukkamaa
  
  vaazhkkai enraal aayiram irukkum
  vaasal dhoarum vedhanai irukkum
  vandha thunbam edhu vandhaalum
  vaadi ninraal oaduvadhillai
  vaadi ninraal oaduvadhillai
  edhaiyum thaangum idhayam irundhaal
  irudhi varaikkum amaidhi irukkum
  
  aezhai manadhai maaligaiyakki
  iravum pagalum kaaviyam paadi
  naalaip pozhudhai iraivanukkaliththu
  nadakkum vaazhvil amaidhiyaith thaedu
  nadakkum vaazhvil amaidhiyaith thaedu
  unakkum keezhae ullavar koadi
  ninaiththup paarththu nimmadhi naadu
  
  Thanks,
  Anand
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Sat May 17 17:01:17 EDT 2003
  
  Anand: I will try to translate this line by line.
  Dizzy (a daze)? Perturbed?
  Confusion in mind?
  Tremors in life?
  In life you face a thousand things
  In every home there is some pain
  Whatever distress comes
  Won't go away if you stand (still) dejected
  If you have a heart that will face (bear)anything
  Till the end there will be peace
  Make your poor heart a mansion
  Write poetry day and night
  Offer it to God in the evening
  Seek peace in everyday life
  There are a lot (crore) worse of than you
  Think about that and seek (live in) peace
  
  Please note that this is an 'impromptu' translation. I do not have a dictionary or lexicon to find the most appropriate word or phrase. But, you should get the idea. Others are welcome to change the words/phrases/lines.
  
  Translating his songs may be another way of paying tribute to Kannadasan. Cheers!
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Sat May 17 17:04:01 EDT 2003
  
  Anand: It should read --Dizzy (in a daze)? Typo!
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Sat May 17 17:05:58 EDT 2003
  
  Anand : Typo again . It is 'worse off'
  
  
• From: Subramaniam V Koduvayur (@ 63.200.38.110) on: Mon May 19 19:12:36 EDT 2003
  
  Anand, Since Raj has a detailed translation done..I do not want to get into the same details, though I am interested in letting you know how I view the meaning of this song.
  
  At one point of time or other every individual human being confronts with a very difficult situation in life. It is this situation which makes him either an achiever or a loser.
  
  How much ever you have your family members or your closest friends, it is upto the individual to decide on specific opportunities and the motivation needs to be within oneself. It is upto the individual to learn from what he visualises, hears and learns every day.
  
  It is the knowledge translated into wisdom over the years and the self confidence in oneself which brings success to an individual. As is cited in Gita 'kadamayai sei, palanai yedhir parkadhey'. One will attain self satisfaction by achieving his/her objectives. This gives the most difficult thing in life 'Peace of Mind'. Finally develop 'A never give up' attitude.
  
  Personally also this song has been a great motivator for me.
  
  
  
• From: Canadian (@ 216.154.128.139) on: Tue May 20 11:34:50 EDT 2003
  
  It was very interesting to read Ram’s translation and Subramaniam’s motivating note that put the meaning of the entire song so perfectly in a nutshell. “Never give up” that is the attitude Kannadhasan always promotes. May I take the liberty here to write a little about his poetic approach combined with a crystal clear mind. “Vaazhkkai endraal 1000 irukkum. Vaasal thoarum Vaedhanai irukkum” Kannadhasan is very talented in transforming colloquial statements into his lyrics. “Veettukku Veedu Vaasappadi” is a very general statement to say that, as there is a door step to every house there are problems in every house. That is from where he linked that word Vaasal and the connected sorrows saying “vaasal thoarum vaedhanai irukkum”. It is a great attachment he wanted to provide by using the word vaasal.
  Then “Vandha Thunbam edhuvendraalum Vaadi nindraal oaduvadhillai.” This is what he exactly tries to say in another song – Ninaipadhellaam Nadandhuvittal from Nenjil Oar Alaiyam. In that he says “nadandhadhaiyae Ninaithirundhaal Amaidhy endrum illai” meaning, if you keep worrying about what happened you will never have any peace of mind. Forget the past. Don’t give up. Kannadhasan always believed that the Peace of mind was the greatest gift to mankind. You really know it, when he pleads in “Engae Nimmadhi” song saying “Ennai konjam thoonga vaithaal vananguvaen thaaaye. Indru mattum amaidhi thandhall uranguvaen thaayae” . meaning. If you let me sleep a little, I will worship you. And if you let me have a little peace I will sleep. It is not easy to translate Kannadhasan’s lyrics. Because he has unique meanings for each and every word and the placement of those words. If another poet wrote these two lines he would have said “Ennai konjam thoonga vaithaal uranguvaen thaaye. Indru mattum amaidhi thandhall vananguvaen thaayae. Meaning if you let me sleep I will sleep and if you give me peace I will worship you. But Kannadhasan doesn’t say that because he is not just another poet. What a big difference in emotion is brought into his lyrics by just two words exchanging places. We shall not loose track now.
  Vandha thunbam edhuvendraalum vaadi nindraal oduvadhillai. Then comes the greatest lines
  “Edhaiyum thaangum idhayam irundhaal irudhi varaikkum amaidhi irukkum”
  As Raj wrote. If you have a heart that will face (bear)anything
  Till the end there will be peace.
  Kannadhasan rightly believes that conditioning of one’s mind is the source of happiness, sadness, satisfaction, poverty, richness etc.
  He beautifully says this in another one of his songs; That song starts as:
  Manidhan enbavan. Dheivamaagalaam.
  Vaari vaari vazhangum paodhu vallal aagalaam.
  In that song he says:
  “Manam irundhaal paravai koottil maangal vaazhalaam
  Vazhi irundhaal kaduguk kullae malaiyai kaanalaam.
  Thunindhu vittal thaliyil endha sumaiyum thaangalaam.
  By this last line he means that once you decide “come what may”/ once you make up your mind to face any thing, you can carry any weight on your head. You can face any problem in your life. Here again if another poet wrote these words he would have written
  “Manam irundhaal paravai koottil maangal vaazhalaam
  Vazhi irundhaal kaduguk kullae malaiyai kaanalaam.
  Thuni virundhall thaliyil endha sumaiyum thaangalaam. That’s the way the language would have guided him to write. But Kannadhasan doesn’t go where the language takes. He takes the language where he wants to go. By breaking the beauty of the sound (Oasai nayam) and replacing the word irundhaal with vittaal he explains how determined ones mind should be. When will we ever get poet like Kannadhasan again.
  Once again we get back to Mayakkamaa kalakkamaa song
  The greatest line in this song is
  Unakkum keezhae ullavar koadi
  Ninaithu paarthu nimmadhi naadu.
  I remember reading a poster that said
  “I was worried about not having a pair of shoes until I saw a person without his legs”
  Meaning that, when you realize that there are millions of people in this world with bigger and worse problems than yours all your problems will become so negligible and your mind will be in peace. This was what Kannadhasan said so long ago in his songs. I personally find these lines so soothing when I am faced with problems. No literature, no lyrics, no preaching, no advice could have such an effect these words of Kannadhasan has on you when you are faced with a problem or sorrow.
  My main purpose to link various other songs to Anandh’s song was to prove that Kannadhasan wrote what he believed. He didn’t just write the lyrics to suit the film requirements or situations. The lyrics he wrote never came just from his pen. They came from the bottom of his heart. Now, we know how such a small poet could easily and boldly handle the opposition from powerful figures and politicians of his time.
  
  
• From: RR (@ 203.199.213.3) on: Tue May 20 22:29:25 EDT 2003
  
  AIR has been broadcasting an interview with MSV in 5-min. segments. Yesterday's bit was on "Vaan Nila". When MSV initilally sang the tune as "Naa Na Naa..", KD rebuked him for such a lousy tune and left in a huff. KB, not willing to miss out on the tune, told MSV that it was his responsibility to get the lyrics for the tune from KD. MSV then challenged KD reminding him of the number of tunes he had composed for the same meter (?): Veedu Varai Uravu, Pesuvadu Kiliya, Mambazhathu Vandu etc. (MSV even sang Chinna Chinna Aasai in the same breath in the interview)). KD then asked him to sing the tune again. This time MSV sang it as "Laa La Laa".
  And out came the song in a matter of minutes with all the words ending in 'laa'. When KD stared at him at the end, MSV reminded him that he had left out a few words such as mother-in laa- etc.!!
  RR
  
  
• From: geeth (@ 195.39.134.84) on: Wed May 21 01:23:27 EDT 2003
  
  Canadian, very good analysis. these songs and these lines are motivating factor for me and many of my friends too. Ninaipathellam nadanthuvuttaal was repeatedly played in music systems on the day when each semester results were out.
  
  
• From: Subramaniam V Koduvayur (@ 12.234.61.78) on: Thu May 22 09:04:04 EDT 2003
  
  In today's fast paced world, where individuals are becoming more selfish there is no time for being considerable or humble. It is our mankind which does not understand what god has given us & what nature has in store for us. Yes change is the only constant thing but what type of change is it that mankind is facing today:
  
  "Inbamum Kaadhalum eyarkayin needhi
  aetra thazvugal manidhanin jaadhi
  paaril eyarkay padaithadhai yellam
  paavi manidhan pirithu vaithaney...
  manidhan maarivitaan.."
  
  
• From: Canadian (@ 216.154.128.139) on: Thu May 22 12:48:40 EDT 2003
  
  Hi Subraminam, these are some of Kannadhasan’s greatest lines. I am really tempted to share some of my views.
  
  Inbamum Kadhalum iyatkaiyin needhi
  Aetra thaazhvugal manidhanin jaadhi
  Paaril iraivan padaithadhai ellam
  Paavi manidhan pirithu vaithaanae.
  
  Kannadhasan always had an opinion that nature was far superior than human beings. Even he valued the animals above men. That is why in his song – “Aedho manidhan pirandhu vittaan, avan aenoa maram poal valarndhu vittaan” in the movie Panithirai, he goes on saying
  Naayaai manidhan pirandhirundhaalum
  Nandriyenum gunam niraindhirukkum
  Nariyaaai avanum uruveduthaalum
  Thandhiramaavadhu therindhirukkum
  Kaakkai kulamaai avadharithaalum
  Otrumiyaavadhu valarndhirukkum
  Kaatraai, neruppai, neeraai irundhaal
  Kadugalavaavadhu payanirukkum
  Aararivudanae paechchum paatum
  Arindhae manidhan pirandhu vittan – andha
  Aaraam arivai thaera arivaai
  Avanae veliyil vittu vittaan
  
  With these lines he suggests that the nature and its products have some superior qualities that are missing in humans. He compares each animal to highlight their special quality that should have been in human beings but is lacking. In this song that was mentioned by Subramaniam. He even gets into the territory of human beings and clearly separates the little bit of nature that is there in them and says how good they are. He goes a little advanced and compares how nature in him unites things, and how the human qualities in us leads us towards division and seperation. Inbamum kaadhalum iyatkaiyin needhi. Love and happiness that is derived from love unites people ( very literally unites lovers together) but aetra thaalvugal i.e. man made casts, religion etc makes divisions amongst people. These casts and religion makes them feel they are superiors and people of other casts and religion are inferiors and brings about a division among them. What a great comparison. What a great thinking. As we see Kannadhasan’s lyrics look like small ponds, but when you dive into it we realize that each of them are huge oceans with rich treasures. In this same song he further goes saying:
  Paravaiyai kandaan vimaanam padaithaan
  Paayum meenil padaginai kandaan
  Edhiroli kaettaan vaanoli padaithaan
  Edhani kandaan madhangalai padaithaan?
  Kannadhasan says that God through nature gave the man clues and signals to make useful inventions. But does not understand where man got the clue to invent religion. He is sure that God didn’t give one. Kannadhasan himself was a great believer of God. But did not believe in the divisions created by religions.
  
  
  

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