Viraha in Indian Poetics
In classical Indian poetics (alaṅkāra-śāstra), viraha is one of the states of śṛṅgāra (romantic love) — the pain of separation from the beloved. The erotic literary conventions of śṛṅgāra are spiritualized in the Āzhvār tradition: the devotee (nāyikā — feminine soul) longs for the Lord (nāyaka — divine lover).
Viraha in the Divya Prabandham
Nammāzhvār's Tiruvāymozhi oscillates between the ecstasy of the Lord's presence (sambhoga) and the agony of his perceived absence (viraha). Decades of scholarly commentary by Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ and others have traced the emotional arc of the Tiruvāymozhi through these states. The famous tenth centum of the Tiruvāymozhi, where Nammāzhvār is on the verge of liberation, represents the culmination of viraha transformed into union.
Viraha as Spiritual Practice
In Sri Vaishnava theology, viraha is not considered a spiritual problem to be overcome but a marker of authentic love. One who has no viraha has no real relationship with the Lord. Conversely, the intensity of viraha corresponds to the depth of devotion. The Āzhvārs' viraha is a gift of the Lord — he withdraws his perceptible presence to intensify the love, just as a parent briefly hides from a child to make the reunion sweeter.
The concept is related to paramabhakti — the stage just before liberation is characterized by an unbearable viraha that the Lord resolves by granting the final vision.