சைவக் குரவர்கள் பாடல்களில் இயற்கை வருணனை உவமைகள்

Nature Descriptions and Similes in the Songs of the Saivite Saints (Saiva Kuravargal)

Abstract

In the history of Tamil literature, the period from the 7th to the 9th century CE is considered the golden age of the Bhakti movement. The Saivite saints (Saiva Kuravargal) who lived during this era—Thirugnanasambanthar, Thirunavukkarasar, Sundaramurthy Nayanar, and Manikkavasagar—nurtured both the Tamil language and spirituality concurrently. In their hymns, nature does not merely serve as a backdrop; it acts as a treasury of similes that illustrate the supreme power of God, the yearning of the soul, and the values of Saiva Siddhanta.

This article explores in detail how the Sangam-era Ainthinai (five landscapes) traditions underwent a spiritual evolution in Bhakti literature and how the richness of the sacred shrines is explained through nature similes. Specifically, it analyzes subtle literary elements—such as the natural beauty of the Marutham (agricultural land), Kurinji (mountainous region), and Neithal (coastal region); the tradition of sending bees and doves as messengers in Agapporul (internal/love themes); and the comparison of rain to the grace of the Divine—through the lens of Immanuel Kant’s aesthetic theories and Saivite philosophy. The primary objective of this research is to highlight how Bhakti literature transforms romantic love into a path of supreme bliss (Perinbam) and establishes the lofty concept of viewing nature as the physical manifestation of the Divine.