R. Vaiyapuri’s Grammatical Hermeneutics: A Study of Jnanamalaiyavay in Vinavenpa

Abstract

Commentarial writings on Saiva Siddhanta scriptures occupy a distinctive position within the Tamil exegetical tradition. Among the significant contributors to the Saiva Siddhanta commentary tradition of the twenty-first century, R. Vaiyapuri is notable for an interpretive method that gives particular importance to grammatical principles in determining textual meaning. His commentarial practice employs grammatical rules as primary evidence for establishing meaning, citing them directly, through textual references, and in footnotes, and subsequently relating the grammatical interpretation to Saiva Siddhanta philosophical concepts. This grammar-based interpretive approach is evident across several of his commentaries. The present study focuses specifically on his interpretation of the expression Nanamalaiyavay occurring in Vinavenpa by Umapati Civam. The study examines the grammatical structure of the compound Nanamalai and the semantic function of the formative expression Avay. Particular attention is given to the grammatical concepts of panputtokai (qualitative compound), natural and artificial derivation, and the relationship between derivational formation and causation. Through this analysis, Nanamalai is interpreted metaphorically as signifying the stability, density, and accumulated fullness of knowledge. The study demonstrates that Vaiyapuri’s interpretation does not treat grammar merely as a linguistic mechanism but employs grammatical analysis as a means of establishing and substantiating philosophical meaning. His method reveals how grammatical structure, semantic interpretation, and Saiva Siddhanta philosophy interact within the Tamil commentarial tradition. The study therefore highlights the fundamental role of grammatical knowledge in Saiva Siddhanta exegesis and demonstrates the significance of grammar as an interpretive tool for uncovering and validating philosophical meaning in classical and theological texts.