Periya Puranam
Also called: Tiruttondar Puranam · Topic: Southern Dynasties: Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Periya Puranam (also called the Tiruttondar Puranam) is a 12th-century Tamil book about the lives of saints. It was written by Sekkilar, a minister of the Chola king Kulottunga II. It tells the stories of the 63 Nayanars, the Tamil saint-poets of Shaivism (worship of Shiva). It forms the twelfth book of the Tirumurai, the collection of Tamil Shaiva holy texts.
Example
The Periya Puranam tells the life stories of Nayanars such as Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar. They came from many castes and backgrounds. Written at the Chola court in the 12th century, the work shows royal support for Shaiva bhakti.
Don't confuse with
- Tevaram: the hymns written by Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar. The Periya Puranam is a later book about the saints' lives, not their songs.
- Nalayira Divya Prabandham: the collection of hymns of the Alvars, the Vaishnava saints, not the Shaiva Nayanars.
Related concepts
- Temple economy
- Vellanvagai
- Hero stones
- Chola patronage of bhakti
- Kamban
- South Indian merchant guilds