Page:Tamil studies.djvu/348

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THE VISHNUVITE SAINTS
321

come out successful and established Vishnuism in his part of the Tamil country. His contributions, mostly descriptive of the life of Sri Krishna, numbering about 116 stanzas forın part of the Nalayiraprabandam. His style is modern and contains a large admixture of colloquial and provincial words and many Sanskrit tadbavas. He has not said one word against the Jains or Buddhists, probably because by that time these two religions had almost died out in the Pandya country. Nor did he use any unpleasant words against the Saivas, a fact which proves that it had already established itself firmly in the Tamil country and that the two rival sectarians had been reconciled. The only harsh sentiments he gives vent to against the Saivas and which also explain his religious views are :

(1) நீரேறு செஞ்சடை நீலகண்டனும் நான்முகனு முறையால்,

சீரேறு வாசகஞ் செய்ய நின்ற திருமால்; (2) எருத் துக்கொடி யுடையானும் பிரமனுமந்திரன் மற்றும், ஒருத்தரு மிப்பிறவி யென்னும் நோய்க்கு மருந்தறிவாருமில்லை.

To determine the age of this Saint there are no clear references in his works. But the following extracts combined with the tradition that he lived at the time of the Pandya king Sri Vallabhadeva must throw some light on his date :

ÖRÁL KAN WC-II. vi. 2. (1) 0811GO GL1500 84.-II, vi, 2. (2) Bion pour tol 6810.-IV, ii, 7. (3) Cerise wi@enco 94001T H*T.—IV, iv, 8. (4) uguussas sweiQund is un dople wi.-IV, iv,7. 21