Paripāṭal
Paripāṭal is a significant anthology from the Caṅkam era, comprising a collection of seventy poems that showcase various genres, including akam (internal), puram (external), and bhakti (devotional). Of the original works, only twenty-four complete poems, along with several fragments, have survived. The anthology is particularly notable for its bhakti poems, which provide an in-depth look at the birth of Lord Murukan, marking it as one of the earliest collections of Tamil devotional literature. It features a total of eight hymns dedicated to Lord Murukan, seven to Lord Tirumal, and a few that honor the river Vaigai. The poems utilize the Paripāṭal meter, evolving from earlier poetic forms like akaval and vañci. These hymns were often set to music, blending melody with poetic expression, a tradition known as icai-Tamil. Additionally, the narrative style of Paripāṭal employs dramatic elements, indicative of a transition from the bardic traditions of early Tamil poetry to the more devotional themes that characterized later works. This anthology serves as an important cultural landmark within Tamil literature, reflecting the spiritual and artistic dimensions of its time.
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Paripāṭal
Related civilization: India (Tamil).
Date: fourth century c.e.
Locale: Tamil Nādu
Authorship: Kirantaiyar, Katuvan Ilaveyinanar, and others
Paripāṭal
Paripāṭal (pah-ree-PAW-tahl) is a collection of seventy poems of the akam (internal), puram (external), and bhakti (devotional) genres of the Caṅkam era. Out of the seventy, only twenty-four complete poems and two long and eleven short fragments have survived the test of time. Bhakti poems in this anthology are the only collection of Tamil literature of this period that give detailed description about the birth of Lord Murukan and may be considered the first set of comprehensive Tamil devotional poems. This anthology includes eight hymns in praise of Lord Murukan, seven in praise of Lord Tirumal, and a few on the river Vaigai. The Paripāṭal meter is used and may be considered a development from the akaval and vañci meters of the early Caṅkam poems. Paripāṭal hymns were set to music and are a combination of icai (music) and inniyal (melodious poetry), also called icai-Tamil (musical Tamil). Narration and dialogues in this anthology seem to be more in the form of dramatic scenes and may be a development from the bardic poems of the early Caṅkam period to the bhakti poems of the later periods of Tamil literature.
Bibliography
Hirosaka, Shu. Paripatal. Chennai, India: Institute of Asian Studies, 1996.
Kantaiya, A. Cult and Worship of Murukan as Reflected in the Paripatal and the Tirumurukarruppatai. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Government Press, 1984.
Sarangapani, R. A Critical Study of Paripatal. Madurai, India: Madurai Kamaraj University, 1984.