Loving God in a Tamil Way: the Lyric Poetry of the Vaishnava Saints

HDS 3189 Subject & Catalog Number

This seminar is dedicated to reading in English translation selected works of the 6^th-9^th century Tamil-language Vaishnava saints of South India known as the alvars (popularly translated as “those immersed [in God]”). Tentative list of works include: the 100-verse poems of the first three alvars; a 120 verse philosophical poem of Tirumalicai Piran; the two works of the sole woman alvar, Antal, her 30-verse winter hymn of the young women, and collection of songs on various themes; the ten verses of Amalanatippiran, the sole untouchable among the alvars; selected portions of the four works of Nammalvar, the sudra saint honored as the foremost of the alvars; Maturakavi’s ten-verse work honoring Nammalvar as his sole guide and refuge. Themes include: Who are these poet saints? Context and precedents? What accounts for the sudden flourishing of such poetry? Attention to the interplay of poetic form, ecstatic love, and theology manifest in these works; some attention to parallel poems dedicated to the deity Siva; the later Srivaishnava reception of the poetry; insofar as a course using translations allows, discussion of the challenges inherent in translating this poetry. No language prerequisites, but students knowing Tamil will be warmly encouraged to use it in their reading and their writing assignments.