Tiruvempavai

The Tiruvempavai (Tamil: திருவெம்பாவை, IAST: Tiruvempāvai) is a collection of songs composed by the poet-saint Manikkavacakar.^[1] It consists of 20 stanzas devoted to the Hindu deity Shiva.^[2] It forms part of the collection called the Tiruvasagam, and the 8th book of the Tirumurai, a canonical text of the Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta. The songs form part of the pavai ritual for unmarried young girls during the Tamil month of Margali.

Manikkavacakar, the author of Tiruvempali, depicted here at Madhuvaneswarar Temple, Tamil Nadu

Triyampawai, one of the twelve month ceremonies in royal Thai Hinduism, descended from the tradition of Tiruvempavai.^[3]

Pavai genre

The pavai songs are part of an ancient tradition amongst unmarried young girls, where they would light lamps in the early mornings of Margali, and sing songs in praise of Shiva. The 20 stanzas are sung, one on every day and then followed by the 10 songs of the Tirupalliyeluchi. It is believed that such rituals would bring prosperity and a suitable husband.

Verses

The first verse of the work extols the attributes of Shiva:^[4]

ātiyum antamum illā arumpĕruñ
cotiyai yāmpāṭak keṭṭeyum vāl̤taṭaṅkaṇ
māte val̤arutiyo vaṉcĕviyo niṉcĕvitāṉ
mātevaṉ vārkaḻalkal̤ vāḻttiya vāḻttŏlipoy
vītivāyk keṭṭalume vimmivimmi mĕymmaṟantu
potār amal̤iyiṉmel niṉṟum puraṇṭu iṅṅaṉ
eteṉum ākāl̤ kiṭantāl̤ ĕṉṉe ĕṉṉe
īte ĕntoḻi paricelor ĕmpāvāy.

We are singing of the rare great flame that has no beginning and no end.
In spite of listening to it, O girl with sword-like sharp beautiful eye,
you still have not opened your sleeping eyes.
Is your ear senseless?
On hearing the praise of the perfect feet of the greatest deity, the sound of praise, which arises at the start of the street, one has forgotten herself weeping and weeping!
You, as if nothing happened, are coolly turning about enjoying the soft flowers spread on the bed,
what a pity!
Is this behavior becoming of you, my dear friend?

— Verse 1

References

1. Consider Our Vow: Translation of Tiruppāvai and Tiruvempāvai Into English. Muttu Patippakam. 1979.
2. Rajarajan, R. K. K. (2017). Samāpti-Suprabhātam – Reflections on South Indian Bhakti Tradition in Literature and Art. New Delhi: Sharada Publishing House. ISBN 978-93-83221-15-8.
3. Rāma Karaṇa Śarmā, Radhavallabh Tripathi (2008). Glory of Sanskrit tradition. Pratibha Prakashan.
4. Consider Our Vow: Translation of Tiruppāvai and Tiruvempāvai Into English. Muttu Patippakam. 1979. p. 23.