The film is based on a story set in the Chola Empire in year 1083 AD. The titular character in the story is Ambikapathy (M K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar), the son of the Tamil poet Kambar (Serugulathur Sama) who is in love with the Chola princess and daughter of Kulothunga Chola, Amaravati (played by M. R. Santhanalakshmi). The king objects to their love and insists on testing Ambikapathy's literary mettle before judging his worth. The test given to Ambikapathi is that he should write and sing a hundred poems in the field of Puram (dealing with war and politics). The poems should not have any reference to the field of Aram (dealing of love and romance). Ambikapathi begins the test in the King's court with a Kadavul Vaazhthu (invocation to God). Amaravathi who is keeping the count, mistakes the invocation as a poem and counts it as poem number one.

Vaikuntam is a lad who lives in a village. He is a good singer and in love with a lass Nagammal. But Nagammal's brother is against their love. One day he ties Vaikundam to a tree. Vaikundam was rescued by a rich woman who was passing that way. She takes Vaikundam to her city. When she came to know that Vaikundam is talented in singing, she promotes him as a singer. She renames him as Geethamani. He becomes famous and also rich. He neglects his parents and ill treats them. His lover Nagammal tries to commit suicide because of his behaviour. How Geethamani realises his delusion and reconciles with his parents and Nagammal forms the rest of the story.

A wealthy and careless man takes his family for granted and loses his fortune to a courtesan, leading him to realise the true values of life.

Chitragathan, a young prince, is determined to prove the maxims at a debating society wrong. He undergoes various adventures that makes him realise how much truth these principles hold.