sivaji ganesan plays the younger physician to the king (r. balasubramaniam). his wife (padmini) was modelled on kannagi (pathni driven)as the personification of female virtues. the physician is commanded to the palace to treat the king where the princess (m. n. rajam), who is greedy to offer the 2 emerald eyes of the kannagi devi to her yuddha devi, falls for him and virtually enslaves him, preventing him from going back to his wife. she even goes to the extent of blinding the hero and in a long song-oriented climax, the wife prays before the gold statue of kannagi devi hence the title, and gets back her husband's sight and happiness.