Full-text resources of CEJSH and other databases are now available in the new Library of Science.
Visit https://bibliotekanauki.pl

PL EN


2013 | 15: Text History and Society as Depicted in Indian Literature and Art. Part II. ŚRAVYA. Poetry & Prose | 355-373

Article title

Tirumankaiyālvār’s "Matal" Poems and Social History of Early Medieval South India

Authors

Title variants

Languages of publication

EN

Abstracts

EN
Tirumankaiyālvār (ca. 9th century A.D.), one of the South Indian medieval poet-saints, was an ardent and prolific exponent of early Tamil bhakti ideology, focusing on Visnu as the Ultimate Being. In his two matal poems, he used the literary techniques known to classical Tamil poetry to express his devotion and love towards his favourite God. Although not adopted directly, the main theological concepts of later Śrīvaisnavism seem to play an important role in his stanzas. In this paper I am trying to apply some of them (in the most general way) to analyze Tirumamkai’s stand and his probable influence on philosophical notions of the later Śrīvaisnava doctrine.

Contributors

  • University of Warsaw

References

  • Chari, S. M. S. 2000 (reprint). Vaiṣṇavism. Its Philosophy, Theology and Religious Discipline. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.
  • Dubianski, A. M. 2000. Ritual and Mythological Sources of the Early Tamil Poetry. Groningen: Egbert Forsten.
  • Gurukkal, R. 2010. Social Formations of Early South India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
  • Hardy, F. 2001 (reprint). Viraha-Bhakti. The Early History of Kṛṣṇa Devotion in South India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
  • Hopkins, S. P. 2003 (reprint). Singing the Body of God. The Hymns of Vedāntadeśika in Their South Indian Tradition. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
  • Iraqi, Sh. 2009. Bhakti Movement in Medieval India. Social and Political Perspectives. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers & Distributors.
  • Kōpālayyar, Ti. Vē. 2007. Tirumaṅkaiyāḻvār pirapantaṅkaḷ: Tirukkuṟuntāṇṭakam. Tiruneṭuntāṇṭakam. Tirueḻu kūṟṟirukkai. Ciṟiya tirumaṭal. Periya tirumaṭal. Tañcāvūr: Teyvaccēkkil̲ār caivacittāntap pāṭ acālai.
  • Kusio, J. 2007. Interpretation of the motif of kāmanōy (‘love-sickness’) in the context of Tamil kuṟavañci literature. In: Rocznik Orientalistyczny 60, 2: 121–129.
  • Orr, L. C. 2000. Donors, Devotees, and Daughters of God. Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu. New York–Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Parthasarathy, I. 2002. Vaisnavism in Tamil Literature between the 7th and 9th Centuries. Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies.
  • Raman, S. 2007. Self-surrender (prapatti) to God in Śrīvaiṣṇavism. Tamil Cats and Sanskrit Monkeys. London-New York: Routledge.
  • Rangaswami, J. 1997. Sectarianism within Śrīvaiṣṇavism. Vaṭakalai vs Teṉkalai. In: Kalidos Raju (ed.). Sectarian Rivalry in Art and Literature. Delhi: Sharada Publishing House: 89–103.
  • Seshadri, K. 1998. Srivaishnavism and Social Change. Calcutta: K P Bagchi & Company.
  • Shanmugam Pillai, M., Ludden D. E. 1997 (reprint). Kuṟuntokai. An Anthology of Classical Tamil Love Poetry. Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies.
  • Thapar, R. 1979 (reprint). A History of India. Volume One. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
  • Vaiṇava urainaṭai varalāṟṟu muṟat tamiḻp pērakarāti. 2001. Vol. I–III. Ceṉṉai: Cānti cātaṉā.
  • Venkatesan, A. 2007. Riding a horse for love: A comparative look at the Matal poems of Tirumankaiyalvar and Ceyakontar. In: R. Cheran, D. Ambalavanar, Ch. Kanaganayakam (eds). History and Imagination. Tamil Culture in the Global Context. Toronto: TSAR: 1–12.
  • Viswanathan Peterson, I. 2007 (reprint). Poems to Śiva. The Hymns of the Tamil Saints. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.
  • Wilden, E. 2006. Literary Techniques in Old Tamil Caṅkam Poetry. The Kuṟuntokai. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag.
  • Young, K. K. 1999 (reprint). Theology does help women’s liberation. Śrīvaiṣṇavism, a Hindu case study. In: S. J. Rosen (ed.). Vaiṣṇavī. Women and the Worship of Krishna. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited: 235–294.
  • Younger, P. 2002. Playing Host to Deity. Festival Religion in the South Indian Tradition. Oxford–New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Zvelebil, K. V. 1973. The Smile of Murugan. On Tamil Literature of South India. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
  • Zvelebil, K. V. 1974. Tamil Literature. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.
  • Zvelebil, K. V. 1986. Literary Conventions in Akam Poetry. Madras: Institute of Asian Studies.

Document Type

Publication order reference

Identifiers

YADDA identifier

bwmeta1.element.desklight-7d656ee8-221b-4312-9fff-adb2389a5d23
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.