Eight Anthologies

"The “Eight Anthologies” of poetry (or eññuttokai ) abound in references to many gods : Shiva, Uma, Murugan, Vishnu, Lakshmi (named Tiru, which corresponds to Sri) and several other Saktis. The Paripàóal, one of those anthologies, consists almost entirely of devotional poetry to Vishnu. One poem begins with a homage to him and Lakshmi, and goes on to praise Garuda, Shiva on his “majestic bull,” the four-faced Brahma, the twelve âdityas, the Ashwins, the Rudras, the Saptarishis, Indra with his “dreaded thunderbolt,” the devas and asuras, etc., and makes glowing references to the Vedas and Vedic scholars. So does the Puranànåru, another of the eight anthologies, which in addition sees Lord Shiva as the source of the four Vedas and describes Lord Vishnu as “blue-hued” and “Garuda-bannered”. Similarly, a poem of a third anthology, the Akanànåru, declares that Shiva and Vishnu are the greatest of gods."