| Self-Surrender (prapatti) to God in Shrivaishnavism: Tamil Cats or Sanskrit Monkeys? Contributor(s): Raman, Srilata (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415391857 ISBN-13: 9780415391856 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $161.50 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: December 2006 Annotation: This book deals with the history of interpretation of a theological concept of self-surrender - prapatti - in late 12th - 13th century religious texts of the Shrivaishnava community of South India. It is a unique textual study, which shows that medieval sectarian formation in its theological dimension is a fluid and ambivalent enterprise, where conflict and differentiation are presaged on "sharing," whether of a common canon, or two languages (Tamil and Sanskrit), a common saint, a common corpus of rituals or of a "meta-social" arena such as the temple itself. Arguing that the core ideas of prapatti in these texts reveal the description of a heterogeneous theological concept, its nature dependent on the status of its practitioner, this book demonstrates that this concept is theologically moulded by the emergence of new literary genres, such as commentaries with hagiographical elements, in this period. The author puts forward the idea that this original heterogeneous understanding of prapatti is a major contributory cause to the emergence of sectarian divisions among the Shrivaishnavas, which lead to the eventual formation of two sub-sects, the Tenkalai and the Vatakalai, who stand respectively, for the "cat" and "monkey" theological positions. The book contributes to a new, intellectual history of medieval Indian religion with a specific emphasis on South Indian Shrivaishnavism. It will be of interest to scholars of Shrivaishnavism and Hindu and Indian Religious Studies. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Ethnic Studies - General - Social Science | Customs & Traditions - Social Science | Regional Studies |
| Dewey: 294.551 |
| LCCN: 2006017980 |
| Series: Routledge Hindu Studies |
| Physical Information: 0.77" H x 6.56" W x 9.47" (1.18 lbs) 272 pages |
| Themes: - Religious Orientation - Hindu |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Filling the most glaring gap in Shrivaishnava scholarship, this book deals with the history of interpretation of a theological concept of self-surrender-prapatti in late twelfth and thirteenth century religious texts of the Shrivaishnava community of South India. This original study shows that medieval sectarian formation in its theological dimension is a fluid and ambivalent enterprise, where conflict and differentiation are presaged on sharing, whether of a common canon, saint or rituals or two languages (Tamil and Sanskrit), or of a meta-social arena such as the temple. Srilata Mueller, a member of the Shrivaishnava community, argues that the core ideas of prapatti in these religious texts reveal the description of a heterogeneous theological concept. Demonstrating that this concept is theologically moulded by the emergence of new literary genres, Mueller puts forward the idea that this original understanding of prapatti is a major contributory cause to the emergence of sectarian divisions among the Shrivaishnavas, which lead to the formation of two sub-sects, the Tenkalai and the Vatakalia, who stand respectively, for the cat and monkey theological positions. Making an important contribution to contemporary Indian and Hindu thinking on religion, this text provides a new intellectual history of medieval Indian religion. It will be of particular interest to scholars of Shrivaishnava and also Hindu and Indian religious studies. |
