வேதநாயகம் சாஸ்திரியார்

Open presentation.

Vedanayagam Sastriyar, arguably the greatest Tamil Christian poet, displayed extraordinary punditry in poetry, music and drama. Tutored by the incomparable Prussian missionary Christian Friedrich Schwartz, Sastriyar acquired a commendable grasp of various subjects like musicology, botany, theology, geography, physiology, biology, astronomy, philosophy and sociology – to say nothing about his more than nodding acquaintance with the English, German and Latin languages; besides, he was comfortable with usage of Sanskrit . And his works covered the entire human life cycle – from lullaby to elegy – and even went beyond to describe heaven!

Sastriyar’s manuscripts and books can be found in major centres of literature, arts, academia and theology around the world, most notably in the British Library, London, the French National Library, Paris, the Lutheran Museum, Halle, the United Theological College, Bangalore and the Saraswati Mahal Library, Thanjavur.

Unfortunately, only a handful of his 130 books is available to the public today and it has been my desire for some years to put his works in cyberspace for easy access by those interested, with only a few clicks of the mouse, touch of fingers or perhaps even voice commands. The fist of Sastriyar’s books to be so e-published was his magnum opus ஜெப மாலை and the second was the collection of his lyrics going under the name of ஞானப் பத கீர்த்தனைகள். Many of these lyrics have found their way into the book used widely for worship in Tamil Christian congregations the world over.

Judah

22 July 2019

P.S. Since then two other books have also been digitized, viz.,

• பேரின்பக் காதல்
• கடைசி நியாயத்தீர்ப்பு

This is an ongoing work. With support from the family and scholars, many more of Sastriar’s works can be archived thus for access by everybody with a smart device.

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