Events Centers: SHAIVA STUDIES (CSS)

The classical Tamil Saiva Devotional corpus is known as Tirumurai which consists of 12 books. The first seven are generally known as the Tevaram which were sung by Tirujnanacampantar, Tirunavukkaracar and Sundaramurti who were collectively known as the Nayanmar-s. The 8^th Tirumurai comprises the Tiruvacakam and Tiruccirrampalakkovaiyar sung by Manikkavacakar.

The 9^th Tirumurai comprises the devotional poems sung by nine great Sivabhakta-s most of whom came after the Nayanmar-s. Of these nine great Bhakta-s, Karuvur Tevar was well known as the spiritual teacher of Rajaraja Chola and Kantaradittar was the paternal uncle of Rajaraja Chola.

A large part of the 9^th Tirumarai comprises devotional poems addressed to God Nataraja and sung at the greatest Saiva holy town Tillai (Chidambaram).

These devotional poems bring out the highest Sivabhakti and complete surrender at Siva’s holy feet and they are in no way inferior to the Tevaram songs. One of these known as Tiruppallantu, sung by the great Sivabhakta Centanar, after singing the glory of Siva-Nataraja prays and wishes for the ‘eternality for Siva’ (pallāṇṭu).

Thiruvacakam, the 8th of the 12 Saiva Tamil Thirumurai corpus is the outpouring of supreme śivabhakti in all its vastness and depth by Manikkavacakar, the 9th century śivabhakta par-excellence. Blessed by Śiva who appeared in the form of a human Guru, Manikkavacakar, expresses his revelling in the ocean of highest śivabhakti, his longing to be with Śiva forever and laments his separation from Śiva in his Thiruvacakam.

Centre for Shaiva Studies is presenting the 1st Anniversary Lectures on following topics

1. The importance of Saiva Agamas by Sri Karttikeya Sivam
2. Kashmir Shaivism by Dr. Mark Dyczkowski

The Tevaram is one of the ancient Tamil devotional poetic corpus of high prominence. Three of the greatest shivabhaktas—Tirujnanasambandhar, Tirunavukkaracar and Sundaramurti—known as the Nayanmars have sung these devotional songs at more than 250 Shaiva holy places situated in the region comprising the modern-day Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

The Centre for Shaiva Studies has already held multiple lectures by prominent speakers focussing on the first six books of the Tevaram. In this lecture, the speaker will focus on the various Shaiva concepts and devotional themes expressed in the 7^th book of the Tevaram, hymns sung by the great Shaiva saint Sundaramurthi Nayanar (c. 9^th CE) also widely known as Sundarar.

The Tevaram is one of the ancient Tamil devotional poetic corpus of high prominence. Three of the greatest shivabhaktas—Tirujnanasambandhar, Tirunavukkaracar and Sundaramurti—known as the Nayanmars have sung these devotional songs at more than 250 Shaiva holy places situated in the region comprising the modern-day Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Tevaram is infused with expressions of pure bhakti to Shiva containing multiple references to the number of ways God Shiva blesses his devotees, the many devotional acts of a shivabhakta and the many forms of devotional relationships that a shivabhakta has towards his beloved God Shiva.

In this lecture, the speaker will focus on the various Shaiva concepts and devotional themes expressed in the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th books of the Tevaram, hymns sung by the great Saiva saint Thirunavukkaracar (c. 7^th CE) also widely known as Appar.

Date & Time : 25, February, 2023 | 04:45PM

Venue: Centre for Shaiva Studies, 24-A, Aurobindo Street, Heritage Town, Pondicherry

This lecture is part of the monthly series of lecture organized at the Centre for Shaiva Studies. The talk will be delivered by Sri Muthu Manikkam. The lecture will focus on the various Shaiva concepts and devotional themes expressed in the first 3 books of the Tevaram hymns sung by the great child-saint Thirujnanasambandar (c. 7^th CE). The lecture will detail the emotional and passionate devotion to Shiva in Thirujnanasambandar’s poems and the subsequent impact of his poems in the later Tamil devotional literature.

The Dharmaputrikā and Śivadharma Corpus

The NR Bhatt Memorial Lecture Series

This lecture will detail some of the new research on texts belonging to the ‘Śivadharma corpus’, with a special focus on Dharmaputrikā. The Dharmaputrikā is a text that topicalizes Yoga, which is not purely Śaiva in nature. In this text, we encounter plenty of evidence of ‘outside’ influence, e.g. via Buddhist vocabulary, showing that it was composed in a milieu of religious interchange and borrowing. What is evident is that the collection of texts that has become known as the ‘Śivadharma corpus’, does not consist of purely Śaiva teachings. In this lecture, the speaker will argue that the case of the Dharmaputrikā breaches so far supposed concept of ‘Śivadharma corpus’ by modern scholarship.

The Tevaram is one of the ancient Tamil devotional poetic corpus of high prominence. Three of the greatest Shivabhaktas—Tirujnanasambandhar, Tirunavukkaracar and Sundaramurti—known as Nayanmars have sung these devotional songs at more than 250 Shaiva holy places situated in the region comprising the modern-day Tamilnadu, Andhrapradesh and Kerala. Tevaram is infused with expressions of pure bhakti to Shiva containing multiple references to the number of ways God Shiva blesses his devotees, the many devotional acts of a shivabhakta and the many forms of devotional relationships that a shivabhakta has towards his beloved God Shiva.

In this lecture, the speaker will explicate the devotional and philosophical aspects of Tevaram in Tamil.

This is the inaugural talk at the Centre given by the Centre’s Director, Dr T.Ganesan, titled “The Profundity of Śaiva Philosophy”. The talk will touch upon the greatness of God Śiva mentioned in the Vedic literature, from the Ṛgveda to the Upaniṣads such as the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, Atharvaśiras, and how the philosophical building blocks of Śaiva Philosophy has its origins in the Vedic literature. From the Vedic literature, the talk will detail about Śaivism in the Purāṇas and the role of these texts in popularizing the stories, temple sites, philosophy and rituals related to the Śaiva traditions. Then the finale of the talk would be the Āgamic literature which had spread far and wide across India and beyond, and where the Śaiva tradition finds its highest philosophical expression. The talk will also touch upon the role of Śaivism in the development of the yoga and contemplative tradition.

Venue : 24-A, Aurobindo Street (1st Floor), Opposite to Calve College, Puducherry