The secret garland : Āṇṭāls Tiruppāvai and Nācciyār tirumoli

This book offers new translations of the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli, composed by the ninth-century Tamil mystic and poetess Kotai. Two of the most significant compositions by a female mystic, the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli give expression to her powerful experiences through the use of a vibrant and bold sensuality, in which Visnu is her awesome, mesmerizing, and sometimes cruel lover. Kotai's poetry is characterized by a richness of language in which words are imbued with polyvalence and even the most mundane experiences are infused with the spirit of the divine. Her Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli are garlands of words, redolent with meanings waiting to be discovered. Today Kotai is revered as a goddess, and as a testament to the enduring relevance of her poetry, her Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli continue to be celebrated in South Indian ritual, music, dance, and the visual arts. This book aims to capture the lyricism, beauty, and power of Kotai's original works. In addition, detailed notes based on traditional commentaries, and discussions of the ritual and performative lives of the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli highlight the importance of this ninth-century poet and her two poems over the past one thousand years. Content: Note on Transliteration Introduction Tiruppavai (Thirty Verses for the Drum of Mal) Commentary and Notes to the Tiruppaavai Nacciyar Tirumo?i (Fourteen Songs for the Love of Mal) Commentary and Notes to the Nacciyar Tirumo?i Appendix 1: Ta?iya? to the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumo?i Appendix 2: Major Myths Appendix 3: Index of Myths and Names in the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumo?i Glossary Bibliography Index. These new translations of the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli composed by Kotai, the ninth-century South Indian mystic-poetess, capture the lyricism of the Tamil originals. Kotai's poems--two of the most significant compositions by a female mystic--express her encounters with the divine Vishnu through the use of a vibrant verbal sensuality Machine Generated Contents Note: Tiruppavai (thirty Verses For The Drum Of Mal) -- Commentary And Notes To The Tiruppavai -- Nacciyar Tirumoli (fourteen Songs For The Love Of Mal). Translated With Introduction And Commentary By Archana Venkatesan. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.