ஆளவந்தார் ஸ்தோத்ரம்

Title in original script: ஆளவந்தார் ஸ்தோத்ரம் The manuscript is formed of four parts of a text containing 17, 4, 12 and 3 palm leaves, respectively. The 4th part is incomplete. The text by Āḷavantār, a Vaiṣṇava disciple, is in verses (Sk. Śloka-s) written in Grantha scripts (Tamil scripts for transcribing Sanskrit literature). The text is written in maṇipravāḷa, a literary genre of the Tamil medieval period (13 to 15th century) mixing Tamil and Sanskrit languages; the association of maṇi signifying ‘pearl/gem’ and of pravāḷa ‘coral’ metaphorises the language combination. The condition of the manuscript is very good; the 31st leaf is broken. The text, entitled Āḷavantār Stōtram, describes the five purifications (pañcasaṃskāra) in Vaiṣṇavism during which a disciple is initiated by his guru under the auspices of Hari (Viṣṇu). The five purifications comprise tapta, puṇḍrā, nāma, mantra, and yāga. Tapta is given when the guru marks the disciple’s body with the symbols of conch and disc. Puṇḍrā or tilaka marks are the vertical lines drawn on the forehead that symbolise the temple of Hari. Nāma is the name of Viṣṇu that the guru utters to the ears of the disciple who has, then, to chant it daily. Mantra consists in 18 syllables that the guru transmits to the disciple. It is chanted to particular deity such as Kṛṣṇa during the worship. Yāga is the worship of a deity. Using the mantiram that the disciple has received from his/her guru, he or she begins to worship the Śrī Mūrti, personified form of Viṣṇu. By receiving the pañcasaṃskāra, the disciple enters the personal worship of the god (bhājana kriyā), which allows him/her to experience the pure love for Śrī Hari. The text also mentions the Taittrīya Saṃhita, from which it quotes two piracaṇaṅkaḷ (sk. praṣṇa), types of mantiram. Size of the manuscript: 42.0cm x 3.5cm. The palm leaves are variably numbered: part 1 is numbered in Tamil from 1 to 17; and the other parts are numbered in Telugu. 3 leaves are blank and 2 placed at the begining and at the end of the manuscript contain some lines defining the text. The condition of the manuscript is very good; the 31st leaf is broken.