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Hymns of the Tamil Saivite Saints

1921

INTRODUCTION (A)—The Hymns and their Significance THE voice of chanting and song to the accompanment of unfamiliar instruments floats out over the high wall of the temple in the coolness of the evening or the dawn making the Western passer-by wonder what it is that is being chanted and sung. [...] The process of redution in the number of the superior deities goes further and Brahma falls practically into the background leaving only Vishnu and Alva as supreme beings for the woship of the people of India. [...] He has three eyes the right one being really the sun the left eye the moon and the one in the middle of his forehead fire. [...] The ash shows what the Tantras mean And true religion's essence tells The ash of Him of Alaväy In whom red-lipped Umii dwells.24 HYMNS OF TAMIL SAIVITE SAINTSSAMBANDAR 25 Equally important with the wearing of the sacred ash is the constant repetition of the five syllables or panchäkshara ' Namagivi.ya.' This which means literally ' a bow to Siva ' is the chief mantra or mystic utterance of S [...] According to the collection of legends known as the Periya Puriinam which is a Tamil Aaivite classic he fought at the battle of Vädäpi the modern Badämi which took place in 642 A. D. There are other indic- tions which strengthen the view that these hymns date from the seventh century A. D. In the first three lines of the verse Siva is conceived as a lover and the devotee as the woman whom
philosophy religion
Pages
143
Published in
India
SARF Document ID
sarf.142961
Segment Pages Author Actions
Editorial Preface
i-x F. Kingsbury, G.E. Phillips view
Introduction
1-i unknown view
Sambandar and His Hymns
9-34 unknown view
Apparswami and his Hymns
35-69 unknown view
Sundaramurti and his Hymns
70-84 unknown view
Manikka Vasahar and his Hymns
85-127 unknown view
Appendix
128-130 unknown view
Index
131-132 unknown view

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