Periyalvar Tirumoli

The Periyalvar Tirumoli (Tamil: பெரியாழ்வார் திருமொழி, romanized: Periyāḻvār Tirumoḻi, lit.'Sacred verses of Periyalvar') is a Tamil Hindu work of literature written by Periyalvar, one of the twelve Alvars, the poet-saints of Sri Vaishnavism.[1] Comprising 473 verses,[2] it is part of the compendium of hymns called the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, dating back to the 9th century CE.[3]

Periyalvar Tirumoli
Painting of Krishna lifting the Govardhana hill.
Information
ReligionHinduism
AuthorPeriyalvar
LanguageTamil
Period9th–10th century CE
Verses473

Hymns

edit

A hymn of the Periyalvar Tirumoli describes the temple of Srirangam as the home of the Dashavatara, as translated by Vasudha Narayanan:[4]

This is the temple of him who became
the divine fish, tortoise, boar, lion, and dwarf.
He became Rama in three forms, he became Kanna,
and as Kalki, he will end [these worlds].

— Periyalvar Tirumoli, Hymn 4.9.9

Periyalvar also extols Krishna's act of lifting the mountain, Govardhana:[5]

Like the king of the serpents opening his many hoods
and supporting the vast worlds on it,
The five fingers of Damodara's hand opened
like the petals of a flower
and held aloft Govardhana.

— Periyalvar Tirumoli, Hymn 3.5.7

See also

edit
Topics in Tamil literature
Sangam Literature
Five Great Epics
SilappatikaramManimekalai
Civaka CintamaniValayapathi
Kundalakesi
The Five Minor Epics
NeelakesiCulamani
Naga Kumara KaviyamUdayana Kumara Kaviyam
Yashodhara Kaviyam
Bhakti Literature
Naalayira Divya PrabandhamKamba Ramayanam
TevaramTirumurai
Tamil people
SangamSangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literatureAncient Tamil music
edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Rosen, Steven (1996). Vaiṣṇavī: Women and the Worship of Krishna. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 219. ISBN 978-81-208-1437-0.
  2. ^ Raghavan, V. K. S. N. (1983). A Brief Study on the Tiruppallandu of Sri Periyalvar, the Tiruppalliyeluchi of Sri Tondaradippodiyalvar, and the Kanninunsiruttambu of Sri Madhurakaviyalvar. Sri Visishtadvaita Pracharini Sabha. p. 62.
  3. ^ Venkatesan, Archana (2016-01-10). The Secret Garland: Andal's Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli. Harper Perennial India. ISBN 978-93-5177-577-5.
  4. ^ Narayanan, Vasudha (2009-08-15). Hinduism. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-61531-194-1.
  5. ^ Bryant, Edwin F. (2007-06-18). Krishna: A Sourcebook. Oxford University Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-19-028756-6.