Singing as a Soprano

An Examination of the Female Voice in the NālāyiraDivyaPrabandham

Abstract

This article explores the distinct female voice in the NālāyiraDivyaPrabandham, a foundational Vaiṣṇava anthology from 7th-9th century Tamil Nadu, focusing on the poetry of Āṇḍāḷ, the sole female Ālvār saint-poet. While acknowledging that male poets also adopt feminine personas in devotional erotic poetry (bridal mysticism), the author investigates whether Āṇḍāḷ's poetry reveals a unique "female literary voice" rooted in women's social experiences. Through close readings of messenger poems by Āṇḍāḷ, Tirumankai Ālvār, and Nammālvār, the analysis highlights subtle yet significant differences. The article argues that Āṇḍāḷ's expressions of vulnerability, direct appeals to divine figures like Kāmadeva with an almost childlike threat, and her unique invocation of the mythic power of female breasts, unlike the more "imagined powerlessness" often conveyed by male poets, point to a sensibility born of lived experience within a patriarchal society. Ultimately, the paper suggests that Āṇḍāḷ's work offers a distinct articulation of devotional longing, challenging simplistic interpretations of gender transference in bhakti poetry and underscoring the nuanced ways in which individual lived realities shape spiritual expression.