Tirumurai

Tirumurai
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Name	Tirumurai
Language	Classical Tamil
Period	7th–11th centuries CE
Genre	Devotional poetry, Bhakti
Subject	Shaiva hymns, Tamil Shaivism

Tirumurai is a monumental corpus of twelve volumes of devotional poetry central to Tamil Shaivism, composed by multiple poets and saints between the 7th and 11th centuries CE. The corpus shaped religious practice across the Chola, Pallava, Pandya, and Chera realms and influenced temple liturgy, Tamil literature, and South Indian culture. Tirumurai links the poetic worlds of Vaippu, Tevaram, Kandar Anubhuti, and Tirukovaiyar with temple ritual, monastic institutions, and royal patronage.

Etymology and Meaning

The title denotes a sacred collection in Classical Tamil and reflects usage in Chola inscriptions, Pallava grants, and Pandya records; scholars such as K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, T. N. Ramachandran, and Francis X. Clooney analyze its semantic field. Related terminology appears in medieval temple inscriptions at Brihadeeswarar Temple, Meenakshi Amman Temple, and Ramanathaswamy Temple. Comparative philology draws on manuscripts catalogued by the French Institute of Pondicherry, the Royal Asiatic Society, and the Madras University.

History and Compilation

The corpus evolved during the reigns of the Pallava dynasty, Chola dynasty, Pandya dynasty, and Chera dynasty and was patronized by rulers such as Rajaraja I and officials recorded in the Tanjore inscriptions. Early hymns attributed to itinerant Shaiva bhaktas were transmitted in temple sangams and agraharas, later compiled by Shaiva scholars, monastics associated with Shaiva Siddhanta, and temple administrators of Thanjavur and Chidambaram. Modern editions owe to editors and epigraphists like U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, T. K. V. K. Sharma, and researchers at the Siddhendra Saraswathi Math and the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.

Canonical Structure and Contents

The twelve-volume arrangement attributes specific works to books variously termed the First to Twelfth Tirumurai with contents including the hymns of Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar, the Tiruvacakam of Manikkavasagar, and later lists of hymns, anthologies, and miscellanies. Churchly classification in manuscripts preserved at Srirangam, Annamalaiyar Temple, and Tirunelveli maps hymns to sacred sites such as Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram, Srirangam, Thiruvarur, and Chidambaram. Scholarly studies reference catalogues from the Asiatic Society of Bengal, the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Authors and Major Saints

Primary poet-saints include Appar (also called Tirunavukkarasar), Sambandar, Sundarar, and Manikkavasagar; later contributors and compilers include figures associated with Nayanar traditions, temple priests at Thirupattur, and medieval Shaiva scholastics. Hagiographical accounts appear in the Periya Puranam of Sekkizhar and are reflected in inscriptions mentioning patrons such as Konerirayan and chroniclers preserved by Sri Ramalinga Adigalar devotees. Secondary authors linked to the corpus appear in records kept at the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Chennai and by collectors like T. R. Srinivasa Iyengar.

Themes and Theology

The poetry foregrounds themes of divine grace, renunciation, temple pilgrimage, and intimate devotion to Shiva in forms venerated at Arunachaleswarar Temple, Ekambareswarar Temple, and Kamakshi Amman Temple. Theological discourse engages Shaiva Siddhanta concepts debated with contemporaneous traditions represented by Sri Vaishnavism figures such as Ramanuja and later interactions with Advaita Vedanta exponents like Adi Shankaracharya. Ethical and metaphysical tropes draw on saints’ encounters with kings like Mahendravarman I and narratives tied to sites like Tiruchirappalli and Madurai.

Liturgical and Cultural Use

Tirumurai hymns are integral to daily, festival, and processional rites at major temples including Brihadeeswarar Temple, Meenakshi Amman Temple, Kumbhakonam shrines, and Rameswaram. The corpus shapes classical performing arts, influencing Bharatanatyam repertoire, Carnatic music kritis, and temple theatre as seen in performance traditions of Tirunelveli and royal patronage by Chola and Pandya courts. Institutional custodians include the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, the Saiva Siddhanta Works Publishing Society, and municipal temple boards such as the HR&CE Department (Tamil Nadu).

Manuscript Tradition and Transmission

Manuscripts survive in palm-leaf codices held by the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Chennai, the French Institute of Pondicherry, private collections of families associated with Vellalar lineages, and libraries like the Raja Serfoji's Sarasvati Mahal Library. Transmission involved oral recitation by temple singers, liturgical canons maintained by temple grants recorded in Tanjore inscriptions, colophons added by scribes, and critical editions produced by scholars at the University of Madras, Annamalai University, and international institutes including the British Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Modern projects digitizing the corpus involve partnerships with institutions such as the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and archives supported by the Sangam Research Foundation.

Category:Tamil literature Category:Shaivism Category:Bhakti movement