![]() “The period between the Sangam Age and the Pallavas - the second to the sixth centuries CE - were trying times for Tamil literature and the Hindu religion. ![]() In contrast, the poetry of the Bhakti movement - some of the first being the Nalayira Divya Prabandham (4,000 songs) of the Azhwars (Vaishnavite) and the Twelve Thirumurais (comprising 18,426 songs) of the Saivite saints - have as their main theme religion and god. A strong secular character seems to have influenced Tamil poetry in the early period. But the Sangam poetry and other early works of Tamils refer less to religion than to social customs and traditions. Religion has always been a big patron of art and literature in most languages, and much of the earliest literature in most languages now extant is religious or philosophical in character. They are also a record of the language as it was spoken in that time.” “The poems of the Bhakti movement composed between the seventh and twelfth centuries provide information on the Tamil traditions using simple language. Deiva Sundaram of the University of Madras agrees. It is not just about religion - it is an expression of Tamil social history from the seventh century on.” ![]() “Look at the number of songs and range of the topics covered. Gnanasundaram, Kamban Chair Professor at Pondicherry University, says. “Without Bhakti, there is no Tamil literature,” D.
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