Tamil literature has never waited quietly on library shelves as olaichuvadis. It has travelled through voices, temples, classrooms, concert halls, and living rooms, carried by melody as much as memory. Over the decades, composers have turned to texts like Thevaram, Thiruppugazh, and Thirukkural, letting rhythm unlock devotion, ethics, and emotion. When literature becomes music, it sheds formality and finds intimacy, reminding listeners that Tamil’s oldest words were always meant to be heard, not just read.
This tradition finds a contemporary echo in the work of GV Prakash Kumar, who has recently turned to Thiruvasagam by Saint Manikkavacakar, among Tamil literature’s most revered spiritual texts.
The idea took shape around the Pongal celebration in New Delhi, where GV Prakash was invited to perform. While his first instinct was to revisit Thirukkural, a text that many composers have engaged with, he chose instead to venture into relatively uncharted territory. “Nobody has really taken anything from Thiruvasagam on a large scale. Ilaiyaraaja sir had done it as a symphony. So I thought, ‘let’s do it as a song’,” he says, explaining his choice. Mindful of the text’s sanctity, the composer anchored his process in restraint. “Thiruvasagam, is sacred and philosophically rich. So I thought spirituality should be mixed into the audio and presented in a simple way,” he notes. Structurally, the composition moves across rhythmic frames, shifting between 4/4, triplet variations and a 5/8 cycle, allowing select verses to find their natural musical metre. Rather than forcing the poetry into tune, he shaped the music around the words, selecting phrases that could live comfortably within each rhythm.
The first preview, witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drew an immediate and enthusiastic response. Encouraged by the reception and the conversations it sparked, GV Prakash fast-tracked the release. What was initially planned as a gradual unveiling was instead prepared within days, with the inaugural track premiering on January 22 on his official YouTube channel.
For the composer, the project is both deeply personal and deliberately solitary. He has chosen to compose, sing and shape the work himself, treating it as a spiritual exploration rather than a collaborative experiment. Careful attention has been paid to pronunciation and lyrical fidelity, with teachers vetting the verses to ensure accuracy and clarity, while simplifying delivery to make the text accessible to a wider audience.
This first release, encompassing verses from chapters of Sivapuranam and Potrithiruagaval, is only the beginning of a larger journey. GV Prakash envisions building a full Thiruvasagam album over time, selecting verses and creating new musical interpretations when space and intent allow. For him, the larger purpose extends beyond performance. “Tamil language is one of the most ancient languages in the world. Songs like this can make it easier to share that treasure to the next generation,” he concludes.
Listen to the verses at @GVPrakashKumarOffl on YouTube