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Title: | The Ecumenical Theme in the Religious Poetry of Tayumanavar: Vedanta Siddhanta Samarasam |
Authors: | Manninezhath, Thomas |
Advisor: | Sivaraman, K. |
Department: | Religious Studies |
Keywords: | Religion;Religion |
Publication Date: | Apr-1989 |
Abstract: | <p>In this thesis I intend to investigate the theme of Vedanta Siddnanta samarasam in the writings of Tayumanavar. Tayumanavar was a philosopher-poet, mystic and scholar of the Seventeenth century and represents a true landmark in the religious history of Tamil India. One dimension of his religious poetry is his creative response to the contesting creeds of his days, interpreting them in terms of his own intimate religious (sivanubhava). I and mystical experience will use his deeply of God, Siva reflective and philosophical hymns as the main basis for re-constructing an overall picture of his religious vision. Much of my discussion of that vision will be in terms of his understanding and appropriation of the term "advaita". Both the terms "advaita" and "vedanta", which Tayumanavar often uses, are not to be understood in the first instance as signifying monism or absolutism of scholastic Advaita Vedanta. understanding, refer primarily to as developed in the school These terms, in the poet's the unique and intimate mystical bond among God, Pa~a) which he explains man and the world (Pati, Pasu and in many places is an "inseparable union".</p> <p>The existing editions of Tayumanavar's hymns, and the commentaries and works on him produced by the Saiva tradition and other scholars are slanted toward an interpretation of Tayumanavar as an orthodox advocate of Saiva Siddhanta. In this tradition the problem for scholars has been how to interpret the meaning of samarasam within / the framework of Saiva Siddhanta. Writers like Muttiah Pillai, Nallaswami Pillai, K. Subramanya Pillai, Isaac Tambyah and others have not focused their attention on what appears to be the most significant theme in the whole of Tayumanavar's writings, namely Vedanta Siddhanta samarasam. My study will underline how Tayumanavar's work was intended / to liberalize the Saiva Siddhanta tradition. It will attempt to reopen the question of Vedanta Siddhanta samarasam and show that it has a different and deeper meaning than the one suggested by the above writers. My research thus will be an attempt to understand how Tayumanavar intended Vedanta Siddhanta samarasam to serve as part of an ecumenical and liberal approach towards the religious pluralism of Seventeenth century India.</p> <p>This study might prove useful in several ways: It can stimulate new interest in the hymns of Tayumanavar. The investigation hopes to provide new insights into the understanding of Vedanta Siddhanta samarasam in the , theological history of Saiva Siddhanta; it will show how Tayumanavar sought to bring about an encounter between two opposed traditions through a re-reading of his own tradition and a re-interpretation of scholastic Advaita in favour of a more religiously defined popular Advaita. Finally, this research will illustrate how a concern which is today identified with concepts such as ecumenism and religious dialogue was Hinduism as interpretation also early of a as the Hinduism will be seen as concern within the "household" of the Seventeenth century. If my spirit of samarasam is accepted, having offered as early as the Seventeenth century a basis for affirming its claim of tolerance in the context of a plurality of religions.</p> |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11375/13645 |
Identifier: | opendissertations/8483 9560 4803264 |
Appears in Collections: | Open Access Dissertations and Theses |
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fulltext.pdf | 9.15 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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