Join Mukunda and Krishna as we speak to Professor Archana Venkatesan, Professor of Religious Studies at University of California, Davis.  She is an expert and translator of Tamil Bhakti poetry specifically the poetry or pasurams of the Azhwars, a group of saints, poets and mystics from what is now Tamil Nadu from the 6th to 9th centuries of the common era. In this episode, we discuss a host of topics including:
00:02:33 Introduction to Professor Venkatesan and her background/journey into studying Tamil poetry
00:12:40 The status of Tamil language and ancient literature in the modern world
00:16:50 Poetry of Women and brief introduction to Andal/Kodai
00:20:25 Ancient Tamil literature, its origins, characteristics, landscapes and history
00:33:55 Origins of the SriVaishnava Sampradaya from the Azhwars and the identity of the Azhwars
00:47:12 How is poetry created, what is the genius of the Azhwars and their pasurams
00:53:00 The journey and process of translation and it’s connection to poet and their poetry
00:58:20 Comparison between Tamil and Sanskrit poetry
01:02:11 Discussion on Andal/Kodai, her history, pasurams and impact
01:19:30 The voices of the Azhwars in the Pasurams
01:31:35 The importance of the Azhwars and how the pasurams become the Divya Prabandam
01:37:15 Questions from the listeners
01:49:00 Prof. Venkatesan’s message to young children about the greatness of Andal/Kodai
01:53:40 Prof. Venkatesan’s next projects
01:56:45 The impact of the Azhwar Pasurams on Professor Venkatesan
You can find Prof. Archana Venkatesan at:
https://ucdavis.academia.edu/ArchanaVenkatesan
Buy her books at:
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