Obtaining Grace: Locating The Origins Of A Tamil śaiva Precept

Copyright by Anthony Gardner Harris, Jr. 2008 The Dissertation Committee for Anthony Gardner Harris, Jr. Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation : Obtaining Grace: Locating the Origins of a Tamil Śaiva Precept Committee: Martha Ann Selby, Supervisor Joel Brereton Patrick Olivelle Oliver Freiberger Indira Peterson Obtaining Grace: Locating the Origins of a Tamil Śaiva Precept by Anthony Gardner Harris, Jr., B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2008 Dedication To my wife, Paola, and to my parents For all the love and support Acknowledgements I am honored to thank the many people who assisted in this project in a variety of ways. This dissertation would not have been possible without their support, guidance, and encouragement. I wish to express my profound gratitude to the members of my dissertation committee. I give special thanks to my advisor, Dr. Martha Ann Selby, for reading and commenting on various versions of the manuscript and for encouraging me for the better part of a decade. I would also like to thank Dr. Indira Peterson, Dr. Patrick Olivelle, Dr. Joel Brereton, and Dr. Oliver Freiberger for providing excellent feedback and support. There are several other teachers who deserve special thanks. I would like to thank Dr. Sankaran Radhakrishnan for teaching me the Tamil language and instructing me on the Tamil literary tradition. If not for his tutelage, it is certain that this dissertation would not have come to fruition. Dr. R. Vijayalakshmy also deserves great thanks. I was fortunate enough to read selections of the Tiruvācakam and the Tiruvarupaya with her while researching this project in Chennai, Tamilnadu during 2003-2004. She provided invaluable insight not only into medieval Tamil language and literature, but she also opened her home to me (and loaned me a mattress). My instruction took place while sitting on the veranda of her house on the IIT campus as rambunctious monkeys v attempted to disrupt class. I would also like to thank Dr. Edeltraude Harzer, Dr. Cynthia Talbot, and Dr. Syed Akbar Hyder, all of whom are excellent teachers. There have been many colleagues and friends at the University of Texas at Austin and beyond who have also assisted me on this journey. I would like to thank, in particular order, Dr. Laura Brueck, Matt Stromquist, Dr. Kristen Rudisill, Justin Marx, Dr. Robert Goodding, Dr. Sarah Green, Dr. Matthew Sayers, Mark McClish, Dave Brick, Neil Dalal, Dr. Jarrod Whitaker, Dr. Karline McLain, Dr. Steven Lindquist, Kristin Bloomer, Blake Wentworth, Sandra Paschall, Anne Alexander, Jeannie Cortez, and Jennifer Tipton. Each person has helped me in some way during the process of research and writing. Thanks also go to the good men and women of Hooverville, particularly Gordon Jones, Bill Goodman, and Alison Trosclair. I also wish to thank the other members of Taco Leg—Duffy Walsh, Nathan Lynch, and Joe Weber—for providing nice rhythm to my moments away from writing. My family deserves a lot of thanks. My four parents in particular have been on my side every step of the way. Tio Paul and Somaia have also provided a bastion of support. I would like to thank my brother