Paripāṭal

Paripaadal (Tamil: பரிபாடல், a classical Tamil poetic work, is the fifth book in the Ettuthokai, a Sangam literature anthology. Paripaatal contains seventy poems on various deities of the Hindu pantheon. This is a rare example of religious poetry we find in Sangam literature and is possibly the oldest religious composition in Tamil. The poems have associated music (பண்) so that these can be classified as songs (இசைப்பா). There are eight songs on Thirumaal (Vishnu), 31 songs on Kumaran (Muruga), one song on the Sea God, 26 on the mother Vaigai and four songs on Madurai. These songs are written in the 'Paripaatal' meter.

One of the popular songs in this work is the one attributed to Katuvan Ilaveyinanar:

To திருமால் (Vishnu):

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;

You are the heat within the fire; Fragrance within the flower; Gem within the stone; Truth within the word; Mercy within justice; Might behind valour; Secret within the scripture; Foremost among elements; Splendour in the sun; Coolness in the moon; You are everything; and also the inner substance of these. (Paripadal, iii: 63-68)

References

• Mudaliyar, Singaravelu A., Apithana Cintamani, An encyclopaedia of Tamil Literature, (1931) - Reprinted by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi (1983)
• Literature, Tamil