தொல்காப்பிய அகத்திணை நோக்கில் திருஞானசம்பந்தரின் அகப்பாட்டுப் பதிகங்கள்

"Thirugnanasambandar's Akam (Interior/Love) Hymns from the Perspective of Tolkappiyam's Akattinai (The Poetics of Interior Love)"

Abstract

In the Tamil literary tradition, devotional hymns clearly demonstrate the deep connection between the akam (interior) tradition and Bhakti literature. The emotional themes, psychological states, and grammatical structures found in Sangam-era akam poetry reappear in later devotional works with a renewed spiritual meaning. In particular, the hymns of Thirugnanasambandar in the Tevaram reflect the akam poetic mode, where God is portrayed as the hero and the soul as the heroine. This article examines Thirugnanasambandar’s akam-based hymns through the grammatical principles outlined in the Tolkappiyam. It explores elements such as divine grace, love, longing, separation, lamentation, and ethical restraint as expressions of akam poetics within a spiritual framework. The deep devotion of the soul toward God is expressed in the language of love, with the ultimate aim of achieving union with the divine and experiencing supreme bliss. Furthermore, this study establishes that the akam conventions of the Tolkappiyam continue within Bhakti literature, creating a meaningful bridge between human emotions and spiritual experience. Titled “Akam Poetic Hymns of Thirugnanasambandar from the Perspective of Tolkappiyam”, the article is organized into sections including introduction, expression of divine grace, worship, divine vision in the Tirumurai, akam hymns in Tirukkadaikkappu, the “heart-stealing beloved,” the heroine’s loss of beauty, the messenger motif, ethical stance, lament of the heroine, expression of longing, description of the hero’s place, and akam poetics. The study concludes with a comprehensive conclusion synthesizing these ideas.