Padoo Padoo Lokame - Lalitham Sundaram

Singer – Harishankar

Lyrics – BK Harinarayanan

Composition – Bijibal

Prelude – I was in awe on hearing the song “ Padoo Padoo Lokame “ from the film Lalitham Sundaram . A classical music-based song in a movie after a long time was really enticing . I would like to thank Harishankar , BK Harinarayanan and Bijibal for coming up with such a heart-throbbing song which is meditative . 

Padoo padoo lokame manam oronnum mitti nee

Oh world ! Sing a song, plucking the mind's strings of every soul .

Njanum neeyum ekamay our ganathin enamay

We both become one, like the tune of a song.

Ner athrukale mattam thammil thoo virulakalil korkkam thantri

Let’s remove the differences between us by plucking the strings of the lute with the beautiful fingers .

Vendum athinu mozhi basha sarvam ganam

To communicate our thoughts with clarity  , we need speech , language and, above all , song . 

Vanathil ariya oru maruthil nira sarithil oru jathi unarnne

A dear breeze in the forest produced waves in the stream . A jathi ( rhythmic syllable - based patterns performed within the rhythmic cycle ) arose when the waves moved in the stream . 

Our vari paravakal maru vari malarukal idayile varikal nammalum

One line is about  birds and,  the other line is about flowers . The line between these two lines is about us .

Oro jeevanil onai cherthidum sneha ananda nila noolayay

Music unites everyone on earth through love and happiness like the thread of moonlight . 

Shilayum kelkukil mizhi neer thukana maya ninadam ayi

The rocks , on hearing music, shed tears,which form an illusionary stream with the gentle sound of water . 

Karuna rasam arnoru marandham shruthi chernnu ulayachithuethu  prapancham

The music has a benevolent expression like nectar.  The music is the world created by varying the pitch of the voice . 

Ethunundo verunundo ethil param mahatarram mannake

Is there anything as great and noble as music in this world ?

Vedana than kula kachiya muth ethu vedana ethinum aushadam

Music is the most precious pearl,like a decoction made after a lot of hardwork. It is used as a medicine to remove any sorrow from one’s life . 

Madi aruthu oru pozhuth ennale

May I never go idle at any moment in mastering this divine art of music.

Paadu hridaya ragam

Sing a song from your heart which enchants everyone . 

Postlude – I thought a lot to find out what the song really meant . BK Harinarayanan’s mysterious wordplay has come out beautifully, celebrating the richness of the art form music, which never fails to calm even the most melancholic person in the world with its therapeutic effect . Nature sings her song with the rivers , leaves , air and birds joining the ensemble .