Hymn-Vinayagar Agaval-M. Venkataraman

Glimpses from Indian spirituality, mythology and way of life.

Avvaiyar is one of the important and famous woman poet-saints of Tamilnadu. In Tamil literature, there are many poetesses with the name of Avvaiyar. However, there are two of them who are well known. One of them lived during the Sangam period and was close to the kings of that period like Pari Vallal and Adhigaman. It is said that she wrote a number of poems of a work known as Purananuru.

The other Avvaiyar was a contemporary of poet Kamban. Kamban wrote the Ramayanam in Tamil known as Kamba Ramayanam. This Avvaiyar was an elderly lady well known to Tamil people. Her works, the Athichudi and the Kondraivendan contain universally acceptable values of life in just a single line. They are normally prescribed in schools for children of primary classes. Two of her other works known as Moodurai and Nalvazhi are generally prescribed for children of higher classes. All these works instruct and explain the basic wisdom that should govern the ordinary course of life. Vinayagar Agaval is another one of her great works and is a hymn on Lord Ganesha.

Lord Ganesha is popularly known as Pillaiyar in Tamilnadu. He is also known as Vinayagar meaning ‘he who removes obstacles’. Agaval means blank poetry and Vinayagar Agaval is a poem on Lord Ganesha. It is in Tamil and this hymn is popular in Tamil Nadu. The hymn brings out the mastery of Avvaiyar in the philosophy of Hindu religion and in particular the Saivism.

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