There are also some sects that follow principally Durga (the mother).Īnd so, in keeping with traditions of Saivite sacred poetry the Vinayagar Agaval begins with contemplation of the jewelled feet of the god: By contrast, the Vaishnavite tradition, following Vishnu (and his incarnations as Krishna, Rama etc) are popular in Northern India. It begins with contemplation of the external form of the God and continues as an exposition of ancient Hindu spiritual belief and practice.Īuvaiyar follows the “Saivite” tradition of Hinduism, centred around the God Shiva, which is most popular in the Dravidian cultures of Southern India and Tamil Eelam.

Auvaiyar’s poem is a journey through the Tamil devotional tradition known as “Bhakti”. “Agaval” is a form of blank verse, close to speech, but often lost in translation is the natural succinctness and rhythm of the Tamil language. The Vinayakar Agaval remains one of the simplest and most accessible sacred poems in the vast collection of ancient Tamil literature and is hence chosen for our introduction to this subject. Nevertheless, it is her less widely taught ode to Vinayaga, that stands out as one of the most important poems of classical Tamil. Auviayar II gained recognition in her life time as a court poet of the Chola monarch and as sometimes a peace envoy between warring states.Īmong the Tamils of Sri Lanka Auvaiyar II is best known for her children’s poems, which take the form of proverbs and instructions in ethics, and which are taught almost universally in kindergarten and primary schools in present day Tamil Nadu and Tamil Eelam. Whereas Auviayar I lived in or around the early 1st century CE, it was Auvaiyar II of the medieval Chola period who wrote the Vinayakar Agaval. The name Auvaiyar has been given to a number of important female poets, of whom three in particular stand out as literary giants. The Cholas presided over an important renaissance in Tamil literature, art and architecture, particularly temple construction. The Chola dynasty, which emerged around the ninth century, went on to rule most of South India for the next four hundred years. It is thought to be the greatest poem of the Chola era poet Auvaiyar, written shortly before her death. The Vinayagar Agaval (‘Song of Vinayaga’) is a stunning example of Tamil sacred poetry.

Vinayagar agaval meaning