Tirukkovaiyar

The Tirukkovaiyar (Tamil: திருக்கோவையார், romanized: Tirukkōvaiyār) is a Shaivite work composed by Manikkavacakar.[1] Dated to the 9th century CE, the work is part of the 12-volume Tirumurai and, along with Thiruvasagam, is traditionally placed as the 8th volume of the work. The work is also known as the Thiruchitrambalakkovaiyar.

Description

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Sculpture of Manikkavacakar
Om symbol
Om symbol
Tirumurai
Om symbol in Tamil
Om symbol in Tamil
The twelve volumes of Tamil Śaiva hymns of the sixty-three Nayanars
Parts Name Author
1,2,3 Thirukadaikkappu Sambandar
4,5,6 Thevaram Thirunavukkarasar
7 Thirupaatu Sundarar
8 Thiruvasakam &
Thirukkovaiyar
Manickavasagar
9 Thiruvisaippa &
Tiruppallaandu
Various
10 Thirumandhiram Thirumular
11 Various
12 Periya Puranam Sekkizhar
Paadal Petra Sthalam
Paadal Petra Sthalam
Rajaraja I
Nambiyandar Nambi

Known as "Aranam" among Shaivite scholars, which translates to "Vedas," the work consists of 400 verses.[2] The work is divided into 25 chapters. On a superficial view, the work may appear as part of the Tamil akam genre of poetry. The work was sung entirely in Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram.[3] In the work, Shiva is associated with the golden hall of the temple, where the deity is believed to perform his cosmic dance called the tandava.[4]

Translations

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In 1921, an English translation of Manikkavacakar's hymns was done by Francis Kingsbury and GE Phillips, both of United Theological College, Bangalore (Edited by Fred Goodwill) and published in a book as Hymns of the Tamil Śaivite Saints, by the Oxford University Press [5]

References

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  1. ^ Nāyakam, T. H. Aicak Cāmuvēl (1992). Pāratiyār kavitai nūlkaḷ kur̲itta āyvukaḷ: oru matippīṭu (in Tamil). T.H. Aicak Cāmuvēl Nāyakam. p. 170.
  2. ^ Selby, Martha Ann; Peterson, Indira Viswanathan (2008-05-22). Tamil Geographies: Cultural Constructions of Space and Place in South India. SUNY Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-7914-7245-3.
  3. ^ B.S., Chandrababu; S., Ganeshram; C., Bhavani (2011). History of People and Their Environs. Bharathi Puthakalayam. p. 36. ISBN 9789380325910.
  4. ^ Comeau, Leah Elizabeth (2020-03-19). Material Devotion in a South Indian Poetic World. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-350-12290-1.
  5. ^ Kingsbury, F (1921). Hymns of the Tamil Saivite Saints (1921) (PDF). Oxford University Press. pp. 84–127. Retrieved 8 July 2014.