Topics in Sangam literature
Sangam literature
Agattiyam Tolkāppiyam
Eighteen Greater Texts
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Aiṅkurunūṟu Akanāṉūṟu
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Kuṟuntokai Natṟiṇai
Paripāṭal Patiṟṟuppattu
Ten Idylls
Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai Kuṟiñcippāṭṭu
Malaipaṭukaṭām Maturaikkāñci
Mullaippāṭṭu Neṭunalvāṭai
Paṭṭiṉappālai Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
Poruṇarāṟṟuppaṭai Ciṟupāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
Related topics
Sangam Sangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literature Ancient Tamil music
Eighteen Lesser Texts
Nālaṭiyār Nāṉmaṇikkaṭikai
Iṉṉā Nāṟpatu Iṉiyavai Nāṟpatu
Kār Nāṟpatu Kaḷavaḻi Nāṟpatu
Aintiṇai Aimpatu Tiṉaimoḻi Aimpatu
Aintinai Eḻupatu Tiṇaimālai Nūṟṟaimpatu
Tirukkuṟaḷ Tirikaṭukam
Ācārakkōvai Paḻamoḻi Nāṉūṟu
Ciṟupañcamūlam Mutumoḻikkānci
Elāti Kainnilai
Bhakti Literature
Naalayira Divya Prabandham Ramavataram
Tevaram Tirumuṟai
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Velliveethiyār (Tamil: வெள்ளிவீதியார்), also Velli Vitiyar,[1] was a poet of the late Sangam period, to whom 14 verses of the Sangam literature have been attributed, including verse 23 of the Tiruvalluva Maalai.[2]

Biography

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Velliveedhiyar hailed from the Pandya Kingdom.[3] She lived in the Velliambala Veedhi area of Madurai and came to be known thus.[4] She remained separated from her husband, who left her and spent her remaining life in search of him. Many of her verses reflected her poignant lived experience.[5] The verses are rife with feministic psychological thoughts.[2] Verses in Agananuru nos. 45 and 362 describes Athimanthi's quest of her husband and the battle that ensued on the lopping off by Anni of Thithian's branches of punnai in Kurukkai field and Vanavaramban's power in destroying fortresses.[6]: 105–106  Velliveeedhiyar is also praised for her simile of the tiger's nail to the deep-rd murukku-bud.[6]: 106  She has been described by Avvaiyar, who described her quest of her husband and her tribulations.[4][6]: 106 

Contribution to the Sangam literature

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Velliveedhiyar has written 14 Sangam verses, including 8 in Kurunthogai (verses 27, 44, 58, 130, 146, 149, 169, and 386), 3 in Natrinai (verses 70, 335, and 348), 2 in Agananuru (verses 45 and 362), and 1 in Tiruvalluva Maalai (verse 23).[5] Her verse no. 23 in praise of the Kural is oft-quoted.[6]: 106 

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Susie J. Tharu; Ke Lalita (1991). Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the early twentieth century. Feminist Press at CUNY. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-55861-027-9.
  2. ^ a b Vedanayagam, Rama (2017). திருவள்ளுவ மாலை மூலமும் எளிய உரை விளக்கமும் [Tiruvalluva Maalai: Moolamum Eliya Urai Vilakkamum] (in Tamil) (1 ed.). Chennai: Manimekalai Prasuram. pp. 36–37.
  3. ^ Gopalan, P. V. (1957). புலவர் அகராதி [Dictionary of Poets] (in Tamil) (1 ed.). Chennai: M. Duraisami Mudaliyar and Company. p. 162.
  4. ^ a b Kowmareeshwari, S., ed. (August 2012). அகநானூறு, புறநானூறு [Agananuru, Purananuru]. Sanga Ilakkiyam (in Tamil). Vol. 3 (1 ed.). Chennai: Saradha Pathippagam. p. 251.
  5. ^ a b Kowmareeshwari, S., ed. (August 2012). குறுந்தொகை, பரிபாடல், கலித்தொகை [Kurunthogai, Paripadal, Kalitthogai]. Sanga Ilakkiyam (in Tamil). Vol. 2 (1 ed.). Chennai: Saradha Pathippagam. p. 453.
  6. ^ a b c d M. S. Purnalingam Pillai (2015). Tamil Literature. Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies.