Born in 1906 at Kangeyanallur, near Vellore, Kripananda Variyar became known for public discourses on Shaivite religious stories. Shaivite traditions centre on Shiva; devotion to Murugan also held a prominent place in his life and teaching. He lived until 1993, bringing this form of religious explanation into the twentieth century.
A public discourse gives literature a particular kind of setting. A listener can hear a passage, follow an explanation and return to the story with a new question. Variyar’s place in this collection is that of a teacher and interpreter alongside the poets whose works continue to be read and sung.
For someone beginning with his work, the name of the subject matters as much as the name of the speaker. A talk may explain a text, recount a devotional life or explore a religious story. Knowing which of these is being heard helps the listener distinguish a quotation from the teacher’s explanation of it.