பரயபரணததல பகதயல சறபபறம இலலமகளர: Housewives Exemplified by Devotion in Periya Puranam

Bhakti is a deep love for God expressed through faith, surrender, and service without expectation of reward. The Periyapuranam presents this devotional relationship through the lives of the sixty-three Nayanmars and the people who sustain their religious service. This article examines the devotion of women whose household responsibilities and spiritual commitments contribute to the work’s portrayal of Saiva life. It focuses on Mangaiyarkkarasiyar, Karaikkal Ammaiyar, and Isaijnaniyar, while retaining the supporting example of Tilakavathiyar. The discussion considers Mangaiyarkkarasiyar’s efforts to sustain Saivism in the Pandya country, Karaikkal Ammaiyar’s hospitality and complete dedication to Shiva, and Isaijnaniyar’s place in the devotional household associated with Sundarar. Through close attention to the selected narratives and verses, the study explains how care, religious steadfastness, generosity, and spiritual guidance become forms of sacred service. These women emerge both as companions in household life and as devotees with distinctive religious identities. Their contributions illuminate the relationship between domestic virtue and devotion in the Periyapuranam.