Bhutam

(7th c. C.E.) With Pey and Poygai, one of
the first three Alvars, a group of twelve
poet-saints who lived in southern India
between the seventh and tenth centuries. All of the Alvars were devotees
(bhakta) of the god Vishnu. Their stress
on passionate devotion (bhakti) to a
personal god, conveyed through hymns
sung in the Tamil language, transformed and revitalized Hindu religious
life. According to tradition, the three
men were caught in a torrential storm,
and one by one they took shelter in a
small dry spot, with each making room
for the next. As they stood together they
felt a fourth presence, which was
Vishnu. The Alvars were such great
devotees that their combined energy
was sufficient to provoke Vishnu’s manifestation. Overwhelmed with ecstasy,
the three burst into song, which formed
the first of their compositions. For further information see Kamil Zvelebil,
Tamil Literature, 1975.