For my Blemishless Lord: A Study of Three Srivaisnava Medieval Commentaries on Tiruppan Aivar's Amalan Ati Piran.

• Applicant: Suganya Anandakichenin, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Asian Studies
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 506100119

My book deals with three medieval, theological commentaries from South India, which belong to a period of cultural and historical importance, and which have never been dealt with before. Belonging to three Srivaisnava masters (followers of the philosopher Ramanuja) from the 13**’ century, these commentaries have been chosen because they are of eminent importance from various points of view, e.g., linguistic/ philological (especially from the point of view of the history of the Dravidian languages). They are also crucial from the perspective of the religious and cultural history of the Indian subcontinent, which contributes to gaining an in-depth knowledge of the ideas, concepts, and practices of the period to which these authors belonged. This book gives an insight for the first time into what is happening within a community, in less than two centuries, knowing that a religious schism caused by various factors is imminent within the community. In this book, I present, on the one hand, easily usable, word-searchable texts, which are essential for future research and projects such as lexicographic projects planned in the ever-growing field of Manipravala (a hybrid language used by the Srivaisnavas, mixing Sanskrit and the vernacular Tamil) literature. And on the other hand, I also provide a philological translation of the texts mentioned above (which has never been done before), so that they become easily available to everyone, especially given their importance. To this can be added, an in-depth study of various elements enumerated above, such as language and theology. And finally, the book has a didactical function as well, since it will help future learners of this peculiar hybrid language called Manipravala to learn it in context, as both the original text and a translation will be given in parallel, especially no separate manuals for Manipravala exist so far. Therefore, my book will be useful from different aspects, as a text, as a translation, as a tool for learning a rare language, for gaining insight into the evolution of the ideas and religious practices of the Srivaisnavas of that time, and so forth. In that sense, it is a pioneering work in more than one respect.

• DFG Programme: Publication Grants