Siva as Heroic Father: Theology and Hagiography in Medieval South India
Author(s)
Bovon, Francois
Abstract
The stories of the South Indian saints of Siva narrated in the Tiruttontarpranam, or simply the Periyapuranam, constitute a vital part of the Hindu religious practices of throughout the Tamil-speaking world of South India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Despite the important religious and cultural significance of the Periyapuranam little scholarly attention has been paid to it. What literature there is on the Periyapuranam focuses on the bloodshed and violence found within its pages. While violence is one of the themes of the sacred book, there are overlooked aspects of great importance to the Hindi culture. The Periyapuranam marks the transition from a poetic expression of devotion to the philosophical formulation of the path to such experience. Accordingly, the Periyapuranam should be read with the mindset of one looking for insight into the Tamil Saiva tradition, especially with regard to the picture of Siva painted as a heroic father and warrior-lord.
