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{{Distinguish|text=[[Dance Guru Meenakshi sundaram Pillai]] of [[Pandanallur style]] in Baratnatyam}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
|name= Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai
|image= File:Meenakshisundaram Pillai.jpg
|caption =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
|birth_date= 6 April 1815
|birth_place= [[Tiruchirapalli]]<br>[[Tamil Nadu]]<br>[[India]]
|birth_name=
|death_date= {{death-date and age|1 February 1876|6 April 1815}}
|death_place=
|guru=
|philosophy= [[Saivism]]
|honors= Tamil Poet
|literary_works = ''[[Sthala Purana#Sthala Puranas|Sthalapurana]]''
|footnotes=
}}

'''Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai''' or '''Mahavidhvan Meenakshisundaram Pillai''' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]:மீனாட்சிசுந்தரம் பிள்ளை) was a [[Tamil people|Tamil]] scholar and teacher of [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]], a [[Tamil language|Tamil]] scholar and researcher who was instrumental in bringing many long-forgotten works of [[classical Tamil literature]] to light.

==Literary works==
He began his career as a [[Tamil language|Tamil]] teacher in [[Mayiladuthurai]] and went on to train many students in the craft of Tamil literature. One of his first publications under his own name was ''Akhilanda Nayaki Pillai Tamil'', written in 1842. He is remembered for his contribution to Tamil studies as well as [[Saiva]] [[Āgama (Hinduism)|Agamas]] (Rules of ''[[Saivites]]'').
The celebrated Tamil scholar [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]], known for his discovery of the [[Sangam literature|Sangam]] classics, became his student at the age of 17. Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, who left behind him a treasure of Tamil palm leaf manuscripts, died in 1876. He led a poor person's life but is respected as one among the greats who served to Tamil language.<ref>''Historical dictionary of the Tamils. '' P.190. Vijaya Ramaswamy</ref>

Along with the institution of [[Tamil literature]] came an increased specialization of roles. Whereas poetic and musical composition were often combined in the creation of dramatic and poetic works, the dual role of ''Kirthana''(musical text) composer and erudite poet was becoming unusual in the 19th century. [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]] reports the contempt of his teacher, Pillai, for poets who composed musical works; music was thought to be a distraction from the more important aspects of grammar, poetics and mastery of traditional commentaries.<ref>''Singing the classical, voicing the modern: the postcolonial politics of music in South India. ''P.154.Amanda J. Weidman</ref>

==Sthala Puranas==
''Sthala Puranas'' constitute one of the 96 minor literary genres of [[Tamil language|Tamil]], which gained prominence after the 16th century and came to be recognised as an important literary text for studying temples in the context of socio-economic milieu. Pillai is said to have composed 90 ''Sthalapuranas''(history of ancient temples) about various temples and imparted ''puranams'' to his pupils.<ref>''In those days there was no coffee: writings in cultural history. '' P.108. Ā. Irā Vēṅkaṭācalapati</ref>

==Biography==
[[Mahamahopadhyaya]] Dr. [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]] compiled Pilla's biography in Tamil, which was translated into English by Sridharam K. Guruswamy. as "A Poet's Poet" (Maha Vidhwan Sri Meenakshisundaram Pillai of Tiruchrappalli).<ref>''Religious controversy in British India: dialogues in South Asian languages. ''P.252.Kenneth W. Jones</ref> This book of 129 pages was first published in the year 1976 by Mahamahopadhyaya [[Dr. U. V. Swaminatha Iyer Library]], Madras, now known as Chennai.

In addition, we get to know the poetic brilliance and the unwavering Tamil bhakti of Poet Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, and the high regard the Tamil speaking world idolized him, by reading the first 300 pages of the Autobiography of Dr. U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer, ''En Saritham''. It was to the credit of the Saivite Thiruvaavaduthurai mutt and the then Sannidhanam HH. Subramania Desikar that Poet Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai could sustain despite the severe monetary challenges faced. Another aspect is of the Guru Sishya relation that moves one to tears and shows the dark contrast to the low level, education of our current times have degraded to. A disciple (in the form of U. Ve. Sa) like a calf that has strayed out for a few days, longing for its mother, and The Poet as the searching and longing mother yearning to nourish the calf (his disciple and take care of his Tamil hunger as well as the real hunger). He passed away at Thiruvaaduthurai after ailing for sometime, with his two foremost disciples at the deathbed, Saverinatha Pillai massaging his feet and U. V. Swaminatha Iyer reciting from the Thiruvaasagam.

He was an ardent Saivite, but held Kamban and his Ramayanam in the loftiest pedestal. It would be fair to say that in the last 200 years, Pillai has contributed possibly the largest corpus to Tamil poetic literature than any other poet, and by his teaching and through his students brought out the greatness of Tamil literature to the public at large and beyond. Remember all of this literature are aligned to the Yaappu and Ani Illakanam (Poetic grammar) and much before the advent of the new style of poem writing (Pudhu Kavidhai).

==Notable works==
* ''Prabada Tirattu''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0129.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Kanthimathiammai Pillai Tamil''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0232.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Sri Mangalambigai Pillai Tamil''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0233.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Perunthipirattiyar Pillai Tamil''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0234.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Thiruvidaikazhi Murugar Pillai Tamil''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0235.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabada Tirattu - Paguthi 10 - Sri Ambalavanathesikar Pillai Tamil''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0236.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Vaatpokki Kalambagam''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0237.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Thiruvavauthurai Atheenathuk Guru Parambarai Agaval''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0238.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 11 - Sri Ambalavana Thesigar Kalambagam''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0240.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Thiruvidaimaruthur Ula''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0243.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 13 - Seekazhi Kovai''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0250.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 14 - Thirupanjeelithirupandathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0253.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 15 - Thiruthillaiyamagavanthathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0262.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 16 - Thuraisaiyamagavanthathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0264.pdf . Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 17 - Thirukudanthai Thiripandathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0265.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 18 - Thiruvidaimaruthur Thiripanthathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0272.pdf . Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 19 - Palaivana Pathitranthathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0274.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 20 - Thirvooraipathiranthathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0275.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 26 - Thiruchiramalaiyamagavanthathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0328.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 27 - Thirupanjeeli thiripanthathi''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0343.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 28 - Kalaichaichidambareswarar Malai''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0345.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 29 - Agilanda Nayagi Malai''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0346.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 30 - Subramaniya Thesika Malai''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0347.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 31 - Sri Sachithananda Thesikar Malai''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0348.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Thiruvanaikka Agilandanayagi Pillai Tamil''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0184.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 2''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0184.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Seizhkizhar Pillai Tamil''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0190.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Thirugnana Sambandar Aaanantha Kalippu, Thirukkarkudi malai''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0284.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 32 - Thesikar Nenjuvidu Thoothu''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0351.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>
* ''Prabantha Thirattu - Paguthi 33 ''<ref>http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0352.pdf. Project Madurai.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, Meenakshi Sundaram}}
[[Category:1815 births]]
[[Category:1876 deaths]]
[[Category:Tamil poets]]
[[Category:19th-century poets]]

Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai - Revision history

imported>Tom.Reding at 21:55, 5 April 2021