Abstract
This article asks whether dependence on God in the Tiruvaymozhi means only the loss of self-worth, or a recognition of the soul's existence and action within a new relationship. Taking eight decads (1.1, 2.9, 3.3, 5.7, 6.10, 7.9, 8.10 and 10.10) for close textual reading, it compares the themes of grace, having no other refuge, renunciation of possession, servitude (adimaittiram), fellowship with devotees and the joy of service. The central argument is that grace initiates knowledge; dependence transforms the illusion of private ownership expressed as 'I and mine'; saranagati (surrender) gives the right to speak to and petition the Lord; and kainkaryam becomes the continuing expression of that relationship. When the language of unworthiness in 'norra nonbilen' ('I have kept no vows') is read together with the worth-giving language of 'porulakki adimai kondai' ('you made me of worth and took me into service'), servitude cannot be understood merely as passive submission. 'Vazhuvila adimai' (unfailing service) demands continuity in time; 'avanadiyar adiye' (the feet of his devotees) extends the relationship socially; and 'ennal tannai' (himself, through me) redefines the ownership of the poetic act. Grace, dependence and kainkaryam thus appear not as separate stages but as relational movements that keep returning to one another. Fifteen related research articles published between 2022 and 2026 are used as secondary sources. The study maintains a historical awareness that distinguishes the poetic experience of the pasurams from the later doctrine of saranagati. This reading explains God-dependent selfhood not as an 'I' that is erased, but as a relational 'I' that gains worth through grace and finds fulfilment in service.
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How to Cite
T., A., T., H., & V. C., S. (2026). சரணாகதியும் இறைசார்ந்த தன்னிலையும்: நம்மாழ்வாரின் திருவாய்மொழியில் அருள், சார்பு, கைங்கரியம் நம்மாழ்வார் — திருவாய்மொழி ஆய்வு: Saranagati and God-Dependent Selfhood: Grace, Dependence and Kainkaryam in Nammalvar’s Tiruvaymozhi. KALANJIYAM - International Journal of Tamil Studies, 10(06), 91-103. https://doi.org/10.63300/KIJTS10n06m112026.07
