Sree Narayana Guru was not only a social reformer, spiritual teacher, and philosopher but also a prolific poet, authoring over sixty works, including devotional hymns, philosophical poems, and didactic verses. Despite this extensive literary output, his poetic contributions have received limited scholarly attention; Malayalam literary historians, for instance, have often overlooked his poetry. While Dr. M. Leelavathi characterized Guru's poetic journey as an "experience”, and a few biographers have attempted to evaluate his literary contributions, most analyses predominantly focus on his influence on the poet Kumaran Asan. Dr. T. Bhaskaran, however, stands out as a biographer who meticulously evaluated Narayana Guru's complete works.
Sree Narayana Guru carved a unique poetic path in Malayalam literature by masterfully blending the traditions of folk songs (Pattu Paaramparyam), hymns (Stotra Paaramparyam), and philosophy (Darshanika Paaramparyam) into his verses. His poetry elegantly combines Dravidian rhythms, clear Malayalam, and the elegance of Sanskrit.
His poetic oeuvre includes devotional hymns, philosophical works, ethical works, prose works, and translations.
Sree Narayana Guru inherently possessed both poetic prowess and philosophical insight. Generally, devotion (‘Bhakti’) is the fundamental emotion of a hymn. Love for God can be called devotion. The psychological aspect of hymns is the concentration attained by the mind through the repetition of sound. His compositions resonate equally with the depth of Vedantic texts and the brilliance of self-experience, with the initial phase of his poetic journey dedicated to hymn writing.
These hymns hold significant literary and historical value. Guru made divinity accessible to a society where worship was often forbidden, offering them hymns that became mantras of liberation. His first hymns, including ‘Sree Vasudevashtakam’ and ‘Vishnvashtakam,’ are believed to have been composed during his student days at Varanappalli, a period when Vishnu was his favoured deity.
The second phase of hymn composition coincided with his Avadhootha period, marked by restless travels and solitary meditation. During this time, Guru's concept of worship evolved, shifting from Vaishnava to Shaiva hymns. His extensive knowledge of Tamil literature, alongside close associations with Chattampi Swami and Thycaud Ayyavu Swami, significantly influenced this evolution in his hymn compositions.
Guru's vernacular hymns were revolutionary, reshaping the trajectory of Malayalam hymn composition. They were crucial in purifying the devotion often tinged with romantic connotations found in the Venmani tradition, with the hymns from this second phase deeply infused with Guru's unique essence.
As worship practices and idols changed, the demand for new hymns increased. In his third phase, Guru composed hymns specifically for temple consecrations, providing verses to praise the respective deities.
However, when Guru realized that temple consecrations weren't yielding the anticipated societal transformation, he gradually withdrew from hymn composition. The fourth phase saw him adopt an independent style, moving away from traditional compositional methods. This evolution in the style and language of Guru’s hymns ultimately reflects the profound shifts in his philosophical thought over the years. Linguistically, his hymns can be broadly categorized into Sanskrit, Tamil, and vernacular compositions.
