Books

Akilathirattu Ammanai (Tamil: அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; akilam (“world”), thirattu (“collection”), ammanai (“ballad”)), also called Thiru Edu (“venerable book”), is the main religious text of the Tamil belief system Ayyavazhi. The title is often abbreviated to Akilam or Akilathirattu. Akhilathirattu Ammanai is considered as the primary text of Ayyavazhi, which was written by R. Harigoplan. The author who is also renowned by the name Sahadeva Sidar was one among the main five disciples of Ayya Vaikundar. This is an epic poem composed in the local Tamil vernacular, which could be easily understood by the common masses. This work is composed in the traditional Tamil performative ballad form of “Ammanai” and metrical styles of “Nadai” and “Virutham” are employed, along with the use of prose passages. This work contains more than 15000 verses and is regarded as the longest work in Ammanai form. Akhilathirattu Ammanai was composed by Harigopalan in 1840 as per the instruction of Vaikundar himself and was completed the following year. The original text is in the form of a palm leaf manuscript and it’s first printed from appeared in 1933. Apart from depictions of spiritual discourses and biography of Ayya Vaikundar, the text includes relevant information on mythography, philosophy, anthropology, history and geography. Different versions of Akhilathirattu Ammanai are available at present, which include Swamithope version, Saravanantheri version, Panchalakurichi version, Nariyan Vilai version, Varampetran Pantaram version and Kottangad version. These were made into printed books based on their original manuscript versions and apart from them, there are other modern versions like Vivekanandan version, Kalaiilakkiyaperavai version, Thirukudumbam version, Sentrathisai Ventraperumal version and Palaramachandran version. There are also printed versions like the Ambalapathi versions which were published after cross-examination of the existing printed versions and manuscripts. 

Akilam includes more than 15,000 verses and is the largest collection of Ammanai literature in Tamil[1] as well as one of the largest works in Tamil constructed by a single author.

Arul Nool consists of the verses expounded by Vaikundar on different occasions and were written down by his disciples who were commonly referred to as Arulalarkal. The work is recited as the part of daily and occasional prayers by devotees and it also includes a few hymns sung by Arulalarkal. The work is an anthology of subtexts like “Pothippu”, “Uchippathippu”, “Vazha Padippu”, “Uga Padippu”, “Chattuneettolai”, “Thirumana Vazhthu”, “Panchadevar Ulpathi”, “Thinkal Padam”, “Sivakanda Adhikara Pathiram” and “Naduthirvai Ula”. The verses were originally compiled and stored in the form of palm-leaf manuscripts. The first paper print version of Arul Nool was published in 1927 and has been later translated into Malayalam. In Arul Nool there are many passages and ideas which have been borrowed from Akhilathirattu Ammanai. Hence the latter is considered as the primary resource of Ayyavazhi, even though there also autobiographical references regarding Vaikundar in “Chattuneettolai” of Arul Nool.

New World Philosophy of Narnia: Recognition and Resolution of Crisis (115-117)