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The Tiruviruttam () is a hundred-verse poem composed by
The Tiruviruttam () is a hundred-verse poem composed by Nammalvar
Nammalvar (Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார், lit. 'Our Alvar') was one of the twelve Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled ...
, a poet-saint of the Sri Vaishnava
Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who ...
tradition. It is one of the many works present in the compilation known as the Naalayira Divya Prabandham
The Naalayira Divya Prabandham ( ta, நாலாயிரத் திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம், lit=Four Thousand Divine Hymns, translit=Nālāyira Divya Prabandham) is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by ...
. According to tradition, it is said to contain the quintessence of the Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one Sh ...
.Structure
The Tiruviruttam is framed as a love story that unfolds between an anonymous heroine (''talaivi'') and her beloved hero (''talaivan''), while friends, fortune tellers, bees, birds, and the poet’s own heart play important supporting roles, acting as messengers, lamenters, and audiences in the style of a story. According to some interpretations, this poem is regarded to take the form of a dramatic sequence, in which a few characters discuss the love of God, which is portrayed as the earthly love between a man and a woman. In this regard, the poet Nammalvar's yearning for God expresses itself through a woman's love-tossed heart pining for her omnipotent lover. Secular love for a man by a woman is framed asdivine love
Love of God can mean either love for God or love by God. Love for God (''philotheia'') is associated with the concepts of worship, and devotions towards God.
The Greek term ''theophilia'' means the love or favour of God, and ''theophilos'' means ...
for God himself in this work.
The Indologist David Shulman
David Shulman (November 12, 1912 – October 30, 2004) was an American lexicographer and cryptographer.
He contributed many early usages to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' and is listed amon"Readers and contributors from collections" for the se ...
states that the hymns of the Tiruviruttam, "create a poetic or aesthetic world suffused by classical grammar".
Hymns
The hymns of the Tiruviruttam are structured as a conversation, or a series of exchanges between the heroine of the poem and her friends. The first few hymns of this poem serve as an example of this format: One of the responses of the heroine's friends is written thus:See also
*Tiruchanda Viruttam
The Tiruchanda Viruttam () is a Tamil Vaishnava work composed by the poet-saint Tirumalisai Alvar, comprising 120 ''pasurams'' (hymns). It is a part of the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the Sri Vaishnava canon of the Alvars. It is dedicated to th ...
* Tiruvaymoli
The ''Tiruvaymoli'' ( ta, திருவாய்மொழி; ) is a 1102-verse Tamil poem, composed in the ninth century by the Hindu poet-saint Nammalvar, who is regarded as the foremost of the Alvar saints of South India. It is the most promi ...
* Perumal Tirumoli
Perumal Tirumoli () is a compilation of hymns written by Kulasekhara Alvar, one of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. This work, which is a part of the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, consists of 105 hymns, that are numbered ...
External links Tiruviruttam of Nammalvar
References
{{Reflist Vaishnava texts Naalayira Divya Prabandham Tamil Hindu literature