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Abstract

Devotion to the Hindu Goddess and Virgin Mary initially developed in geographically and culturally distinct milieus. However, two Tamil-language hymns, the Apirāmi Antāti and Mātaracamman Antāti, emerged in a similar geographic and temporal context: Tamil Nadu on the cusp of modernity. One hymn praises the Hindu goddess Apirāmi ("the lovely one") and the other the Virgin Mary. Both hymns are antātis, a skillful and highly structured Tamil poetic form where a shared word or phrase links the end of one verse to the beginning of the next. Their shared poetic tradition and structure allow a comparative analysis of how Tamil literary inspiration versus theologically specific influences emerge in the two hymns. Here, I compare the background of these hymns, exploring the idea that they adhere to classical Tamil literary forms while expressing distinct sacred feminine theologies, mythologies, and power. Both hymns are bhakti, but comparison reveals distinct expressions of the sacred feminine form. Close analysis suggests that the hymn to Mary draws upon ancient Tamil poetics, caṅkam, which richly encodes the local landscape. By drawing on this tradition, the Virgin becomes firmly part of the Tamil landscape while retaining her transcendent place in heaven.

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