Vaishnavism in Ancient Tamilakam

The temple is mentioned in Tamil literature of the Sangam era (6th century BCE to the 2nd century CE[16]), including in the epic Silapadikaram (book 11, lines 35–40):[17] ஆயிரம் விரித்தெழு தலையுடை அருந்திறற் பாயற் பள்ளிப் பலர்தொழு தேத்த விரிதிரைக் காவிரி வியன்பெருந் துருத்தித் திருவமர் மார்பன் கிடந்த வண்ணமும் āyiram viritteḻu talaiyuṭai aruntiṟaṟ pāyaṟ paḷḷip palartoḻu tētta viritiraik kāviri viyaṉperu turuttit tiruvamar mārpaṉ kiṭanta vaṇṇamum On a magnificent cot having a thousand heads spread out, worshipped and praised by many, in an islet surrounded by Kaveri with billowing waves, is the lying posture of the one who has Lakshmi sitting on his chest The temple was initially constructed by the Chola ruler, Dharmavarma.

For example, she is mentioned as Thiru seated on the chest of Ranganatha sleeping in Srirangam,[40] She is in the form of Sita with Rama and Radha - the lover of Krishna.

[41] Manimekalai describes an event dedicated to Indra where the tired and sleeping young boys and girls who earlier in the day had run around in their costumes of Hindu gods (Vishnu) and goddesses (Lakshmi).

The text also mentions Kanyakumari as being a Hindu bathing pilgrimage site dedicated to Maha Lakshmi, The Akanāṉūṟu describes Rama at Dhanushkodi, sitting under a Banyan tree, involved in secret discussions about the war between him and Ravana who kidnapped Sita, while the birds are singing.

The reference to Mukkol Bhagavars in Sangam literature indicates that only Vaishnavaite saints holding Tridanda existed during the age and Perumal was glorified as the supreme deity, whose "divine lotus feet can burn all our evils and grant moksha" (maru piraparukkum maasil sevadi).

Tamil Sangam literature (200 BCE to 500 CE) mentions Mayon or the "dark one," as the supreme deity who creates, sustains, and destroys the universe and was worshipped in the mountains of Tamilakam.

[48] தீயினுள் தெறல் நீ; பூவினுள் நாற்றம் நீ; கல்லினுள் மணியும் நீ; சொல்லினுள் வாய்மை நீ; அறத்தினுள் அன்பு நீ; மறத்தினுள் மைந்து நீ; வேதத்து மறை நீ; பூதத்து முதலும் நீ; வெஞ் சுடர் ஒளியும் நீ; திங்களுள் அளியும் நீ; அனைத்தும் நீ; அனைத்தின் உட்பொருளும் நீ; In fire, you are the heat; in blossoms, the fragrance; among the stones, you are the diamond; in speech, truth; among virtues, you are love; in valour—strength; in the Veda, you are the secret; among elements, the primordial; in the burning sun, the light; in moonshine, its sweetness; you are all, and you are the substance and meaning of all.

[58] However the text Harivamsa which is complex, containing layers that go back to the 1st or 2nd century BCE, consists of parts that mention Krishna playing with Gopis and stealing their sarees.

[60][61] The Purananuru poems use words, phrases, and metaphors, including references to the Himalayas of "immeasurable heights", Vishnu, Shiva, the four Vedas, the Ramayana, rivers, and other aspects.

[82][83] Lines 46–47 of Mullaippattu mentions Brahmin yogis in ochre-colored clothes carrying three staves and called as "Mukkol Pakavars" and indicates that only Vaishnava saints were holding Tridanda and were prominent during the period and considered Maha Vishnu as the Supreme god.

Certain verses from the epic show Maha Vishnu as the father of Brahma and who gave Vedas to the entire universe and is considered as the Paramatma - The Supreme Deity of the World.

"[43] This epic also makes several references to the Ramayana, such as a setu (bridge) being built by monkeys in canto 5, line 37 (however the location is Kanyakumari rather than Dhanushkodi).

In another reference, in canto 17, lines 9 to 16, the epic talks about Rama being the incarnation of Trivikrama or Netiyon, and he built the setup with the help of monkeys who hurled huge rocks into the ocean to build the bridge.

The epic narrates the tale of Kovalan, son of a wealthy merchant, his wife Kannagi, and his lover Madhavi, and has many references to the Ramayana, avatars of Para Brahman and temples of Maha Vishnu.

It describes the fate of Poompuhar suffering the same agony as experienced by Ayodhya when Rama leaves for exile to the forest as instructed by his father (Dikshitar, 1939, p. 193).

The Aycciyarkuravai section (canto 27), makes mention of the Lord who could measure the three worlds, going to the forest with his brother, waging a war against Lanka and destroying it with fire (Dikshitar, 1939, p. 237).

Such scenes where cowgirls imitate Krishna's life story are also found in Sanskrit poems of Harivamsa and Vishnu Purana, both generally dated to be older than Cilappatikaram.

[92] The Tamil epic calls portions of it as vāla caritai nāṭaṅkaḷ, which mirrors the phrase balacarita nataka – dramas about the story of the child Krishna" – in the more ancient Sanskrit kavyas.

[93][94] Meaning Spring held sway over the fertile Tamil country, bounded in the north by the Viṣṇu’s hill, and in the south by the Kumari’s sea.

Silappatikaram, Kāṭukāṇ kātai: 41–51 Translation vīṅkunī raruvi vēṅkaṭa meṉṉum ōṅkuyar malaiyat tucci mīmicai virikatir ñāyiṟun tiṅkaḷum viḷaṅki irumaruṅ kōṅkiya iṭainilait tāṉattu miṉṉukkōṭi yuṭuttu viḷaṅkuviṟ pūṇṭu naṉṉiṟa mēkam niṉṟatu pōlap pakaiyaṇaṅ kāḻiyum pālveṇ caṅkamum takaipeṟu tāmaraik kaiyi ṉēnti nalaṅkiḷar āram mārpiṟ pūṇṭu polampū vāṭaiyiṟ polintu tōṉṟiya ceṅkaṇ neṭiyōṉ niṉṟa vaṇṇamum.

[citation needed] Similarly, J. J. Glazov, a Tamil literature scholar and the translator of the Kural text into the Russian language, sees "Thiruvalluvar as a Hindu by faith", according to a review by Kamil Zvelebil.

It is also the place where Thirumangai Alvar stayed after coming back from North India having defeated Thirugnana Sambandar in a debate and proving Maha Vishnu is the Supreme Lord.

'The Immersed') were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused bhakti (devotion) to the Hindu deity Maha Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and service.

The devotional outpourings of the Alvars, composed during the early medieval period of Tamil history, were the catalysts behind the Bhakti Movement through their hymns of worship to Vishnu and his avatars.

The poetry of the Alvars echoes bhakti to God through love, and in the ecstasy of such devotions, they sang hundreds of songs that embodied both depth of feeling and the felicity of expressions.

The bhakti literature that sprang from Alvars has contributed to the establishment and sustenance of a culture that deviated from the Vedic religion and rooted itself in devotion as the only path for salvation.

[citation needed] Sri Vaishnavism developed in Tamil Nadu in the 9th century after Nathamuni returned from a pilgrimage to Vrindavan in north India (modern Uttar Pradesh).

[citation needed] Nathamuni's ideas were continued by Yamunacharya, who maintained that the Vedas, Vaikhanasa and Pancaratras are equal, devotional rituals and bhakti are important practices.

[citation needed] During the period of Nathamuni, Kambar, or Kavichakravarthy Kamban (1180 CE–1250 CE),[114] wrote the Ramavataram, popularly known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of the epic Ramayana.

The open hall where he recited his verse lies close to the Ranganayaki shrine within the temple and now called as the Kamba Ramayana Mandapam.