Annamācārya’s Voice of Spiritual Thought
Keywords:
Vedāntadeśika, Vaiṣṇavism, South India, Sanskrit, Tamil, Prakrit, Āḻvār poetry, Intertextuality, Reflexivity, Devotional poetry, Bhakti, Śleṣa, Eros of possession, Literary traditionAbstract
This article, "Singing in Tongues: Poems for Vishnu by VedåntadeΩika," explores the rich intertextuality and reflexivity in the poetic works of VedåntadeΩika (14th century), a prominent South Indian Vaishnava philosopher-poet. Focusing on his compositions in Sanskrit, Tamil, and Maharashtri Prakrit, the paper demonstrates how DeΩika creatively engages with and transforms earlier Alvar devotional poetry.
Through analysis of specific verses, the author illustrates DeΩika's "southern cosmopolitanism" and his masterful blending of regional and pan-regional literary traditions. The article examines how DeΩika responds to themes of divine possession and separation, particularly the "eros of possession," and utilizes figures like the shlesha (double entendre) to deepen the erotic and devotional experience. By integrating secular erotic tropes with sacred imagery and alluding to Tamil Alvar models, DeΩika's poetry is presented not merely as imitation but as a "vitalizing responsion" that both affirms and subtly alters the existing literary and religious landscape.
