Karaikkal Ammaiyar
Karaikkal Ammaiyar, a prominent figure in Indian spiritual history, was born in Karaikkal, on the southeastern coast of India, to a chief. A devoted follower of the Hindu deity Śiva from childhood, her life took a transformative turn after her marriage to a wealthy merchant named Paramatattan. Following a series of miraculous events, including her ability to conjure ripe mangoes through prayer, her husband abandoned her, freeing her to pursue a life of asceticism. In a profound act of devotion, she requested that Śiva alter her appearance to a skeletal form, symbolizing her renunciation of worldly attachments.
Karaikkal Ammaiyar is celebrated for her passionate devotional poetry, which played a significant role in inspiring the Bhakti Movement in India. Among her notable works are "Arpudhathiruvandhati," which praises Śiva, and "Irattaimanimalaiandhathi," a collection of one hundred alternating poems. Even today, her legacy endures, with devotees commemorating her life by throwing ripe mangoes during processions. Her story highlights themes of devotion, transformation, and the pursuit of spiritual truth, making her a revered figure in the history of Hindu spirituality.
Karaikkal Ammaiyar
Related civilization: Dravidian
Major role/position: Twenty-fifth of the sixty-three Śaivite Nāyānmars
Life
Even as a child, Karaikkal Ammaiyar (kah-RAHI-kahl a-MAHI-yahr) daughter of the chief of Karaikkal, a village on the southeastern coast of India, was a devotee of the Hindu deity Śiva. She was married to Paramatattan, a wealthy merchant. According to legend, one day a client gave Paramatattan two mangoes, one of which Karaikkal Ammaiyar gave away to a Śaivite ascetic. When Paramatattan asked her for the mango, she prayed to Lord Śiva, and a deliciously ripe mango appeared in her hand. Alarmed at her divine powers, Paramatattan abandoned her, thus releasing her from the bondage of marriage. Upon her request, Śiva miraculously replaced her beautiful body with only a skeletal frame, so she could pursue her life as an ascetic without any hindrance.
Influence
The fervent outpouring of devotional love songs composed by Karaikkal Ammaiyar and other Nāyānmars gave birth to the Bhakti Movement in India. Among the numerous songs she composed, the most noted ones are Arpudhathiruvandhati, a song in praise of the lotus feet of Śiva, and Irattaimanimalaiandhathi, one hundred songs with alternate songs being the same type of poem. More than fourteen hundred years after her death, devotees continue to celebrate her life, throwing ripe mangoes in the air as the deity is taken in procession.
Bibliography
Arunachalam, M. Women Saints of Tamil Nadu. Bombay, India: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1970.
Peterson, Indira Viswanathan. Poems to Siva: The Hymns of the Tamil Saints. Princeton Library of Asian Translations. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1989.
Sasivalli, S. Karaikkal Ammaiyar. Madras, India: International Institute of Tamil Studies, 1984.