anickka 
vizhumiyangal- 17
(A commemorative publication of 
centenary celebrations)

			Collected Papers										- 1962 
			A Study of Tamil Verbs 								- 1972	


Author
Mootharinjar Chemmal 
V.SP. Manickanar




Publisher
G. Elavazhagan


Manicka Vizhumiyangal - 17
Author
V.Sp. Manickanar
Publisher
G. Elavazhagan

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FOREWORD
Amidst all sections of different Tamil societies, Nattukootai Nagarathar Community is the leading one which protect and keep the traditional style of Tamil culture even to day. Dr.V.SP.Manickam, who did lifetime researches and put forth several valuable and clear  thoughts about the welfare of the nation, language, society, eduction and mainly Tamil literature, is the greatest son given as gift to the world  by Nagarathar Community.   
As a mark of respect and with a view to honour the great Tamil scholar Dr.V.SP. Manickam at the time of his Centenary Celebrations,  our Tamil Man Pathippagam took initiative in publishing  all his  famous writings for the benefit of the entire Tamil world. Accordingly all the renowned writings of Dr.V.SP.Manickam have been properly collected and grouped together into 18 books and published with the  name titled as  ‘MANICKA VIZHUMIYANGAL’. It is essential to mention here that all the writings and research works of Dr.V.SP.Manickam are purely in relation with Tamil concept. He only brought to the lime light the new concept in Tholkappiam as well as  the different old concepts in the writings of Bharathiar. He, being the best commentator, did several researches on commentators of Tamil literature. He did meaningful explanations for Tholkappiam and Thirukkural. 
Praising the efficient literary works of Dr.V.SP Manickam, Thiru.S.Meyyappanar of Manivasagar Pathippagam says as follows:-
“Out of the writings of Dr.V.SP.Manickam, ‘Tamil kathal’ speaks about his research efficiency, ‘Valluvam’ reveals  about his knowledgeable thoughts and ‘Kambar’ stands for his poetic genius. These books are always taken as guide for many of the Tamil researchers”.           
For the existing Tamil Research Field, to grow further in the right direction, the writings of Dr.V.SP.Manickam prove to be an exclusive area of study and operation for the researchers. The strength of belief in principles followed by  Maraimalai Adigal and the writing style with social cause established by Thiru.Vi.Ka, the combination of both have been very much seen in the writings of Dr.V.SP.Manickam, which the people who study the books of Dr.V.SP.Manickam will come to realise easily.
Our Tamil Man Pathippagam, with an aim of promoting Tamil culture in all possible ways, is in the process of publishing  Tamil books of great authors then and there for the benefit of Tamil readers and set an example in the history of publication as one of the pioneers in publishing quality books of writers. Accordingly, we, Tamil Man Pathippagam,  also feel proud for getting an opportunity towards publishing all the books of Dr.V.SP.Manickam during the period of his Centenary Celebrations, grouped together  under a single name “Manicka Vizhumiyangal”. Really by publishing the great works of Dr.V.SP.Manickam to the entire Tamil world,  we get fresh energy and new air of  spirit and on this occasion we take an undertaking that we will commit to maintain Tamil ethics in all our incoming book publications by keeping due standard for the benefit of Tamil readers. 
Our gratitude goes to:
1. The founder of Manivasagar Pathippagam Late. Thiru.S.Meyyappanar, who did so many services for Tamil language and who took initiative in publishing many of  the writings of Dr.V.SP.Manickam initially. We convey our gratitude to him in the fond remembrance of Dr.V.SP.Manickam. 
2. Pari Nilayam , Chennai and Selvi Puthaga Nilaiyam, Karaikkudi , both did the publishing works of certain  writings of Dr.V.SP.Manickam and submitted to the Tamil world. The same we recollect and convey our gratitude to them at this juncture.             
3. On the other hand all the family members of  Dr.V.SP.Manickam supported us in all possible ways in releasing the  books. To specify in particular, our thanks goes to Mrs.Thenral Alagappan and Dr. Mathari Vellayappan, daughters of Dr.V.SP.Manickam, who were the main cause for the publication of Manicka Vizhumiyangal to the Tamil world and we extend our gratitude to them for their support in fulfilling the above task.
4. Further, we also convey our regards to the Tamil Dept and the Management of M/s Ganesar Arts and Science College, Melaisivapuri, for having established the greatness of Dr.V.SP.Manickam. 
G. Elavazhagan
Tamillmann Pathippagam

Supporters for the publication of the books ‘MANICKA VIZHUMIYANGAL’
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	J. Jeyaseeli	

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group of books under the banner Manicka Vizumiyangal



PREFACE
The research papers presented and key-note addresses delivered in seminars and conferences and articles contributed to journals and souvenirs by me on different occassions are now being collected and published in the form of a book entitled collected papers. It is natural for any author to enjoy a delightful feeling when the stray flowers of his papers are strung together into a garland of book.
These seventeen papers are related to the varied aspects of Tamil Language. litereature, history and culture. It is gratifying to note that Tolkappiyam, the earliest Tamil work finds a place in many papers.
The author will feel rewarded if the discerning readers find that his views regarding the orderly and continued growth of Tamil are worthy of consideration and discussion.
My thanks are due to Thiru. C. Kathirvelu, Research Scholar, Annamalai University for going through the proof and M/s. Sivakami Printers for the neat printing and execution.
T.D.A.R. Centre							     V. Sp. MANICKAM
Karaikudi-2
15-6-1970

CONTENTS
Tamil Development
	1. 	History of the Pure Tamil Movement	7
	2. 	Renaissance of Tamil	19
	3. 	Development of Tamil Research	27
	4. 	Script Reform in Tamil	36
Linguistics
	5. 	An Introduction to the study of Tolkappiyam	45
	6. 	A phonelogical study in Tolkappiyam	51
	7. 	A psycological approach to Tamil Syntax	60
	8. 	The present tense marker	64
Literature
	9. 	The Library Heritage of the Tamils	72
	10. 	The worldliness of Tirukkural	82
	11. 	A Religious approach to Tirukkural	85
	12. 	Literature and physical exercise	91
History
	13. 	The age of Tolkappiyam	94
	14. 	Some thoughts on Pallava History	99
	15. 	The Chettiar community  - its contribution								 to religions	105
	16. 	The ancient history of the Nakarattars	108
	17. 	Dravidian Comparative Literature	142


1. HISTORY OF THE 
PURE TAMIL MOVEMENT

“Tamil can readily dispense with the greater part
or the whole of its Sanskrit and by dispensing with 
it rises to a purer and more refined style”
						- Dr. CALDWELL

Every movement has its own protagonists and antagonists. No movement in the world has been rightly interpreted by all. In the courses of the rise and growth of a movement, unconnected and irrelevant motives are imputed to it and the true objective of the movement is buried deep. There will be always scholars who view a movement objectively or subjectively. The pure Tamil movment is not execeptional.
Wrong Nation About the Movement : At the outset I wish to clear off some misconceptions about this popular movement. The pure Tamil movement is not certainly against our Sanskrit language. It is not its intention to decry the greatness of Sanskrit and its influences on Indian languages. It is not also against the study of this great language by the Tamils. It is not against the Brahmin community. It is not against the unity of India. It is not against theism.
The forerunner of this movement was Professor Vi-Ko-Suriyanarayana Sastri, a Brahmin Tamil scholar who lived in the beginning of the 20th century. He was well-versed in Sanskrit and English. In his mounumental work in Tamil, “Nataka Ilakkanam” he has explictly accepted the contribution of Sanskrit to his composition. His accidental conversation with a Sanskrit Pandit who belittled the copiousness of Tamil vocabulary stirred him up to establish the purity of Tamil. His Tamil book “A History of Tamil Language” advocated strongly the independence of Tamil. In his zeal for pure Tamil, in his last days, the Professor himself changed his Sanskrit name Suriyanarayana Sastri into a Tamil name Parithimar Kalaignan. Therefore, to say that this movement is against Sanskrit and the Brahmins is incorrect.
The father of the pure Tamil movement as Maraimalar Atikal. Like his predecessor, he also changed his Sanskrit name Vedachalam into Tamil as Maraimalai. It was this great scholar who gave a concrete form to the nebulous thoughts about pure Tamil and raised it to an agitational movement. He wrote all his books including drama and novel in pure Tamil. But it is to be well understood that Atikal was not against the study of Sanskrit and its contribution to Tamil development. He was an erudite Sanskrit scholar. He was a lover of dramas in Sanskrit. The Sakuntalam of Kalidasa has been translated inTamil by Atikal in prose and verse. You will be glad to know that His Holiness Kanchi Sankarachariya Swamigal has selected his book as the best translation in Tamil and instituted an award for the study of this Tamil work. Atikal, besides this translation, has written a critical work on this drama on modern lines. In his comparative study between Shakespeare and Kalidasa, Atikal remarks: “In the art of delineating the main and the subordinate characters that appear in this drama, Kalidasa is not in any way inferior to Shakespeare but to a remarkable degree is his equal”. The reason that forced him to make a comparative study of the dramatic art of these two poets is, Atikal recalls. the sweeping remark of a Brahmin English Lecturer that “Kalidasa was sadly wanting in his delineation of a character and is therefore no peer of Shakespeare, the prince of the dramatists”. Atikal has quoted a number of references from Vedas, Upanishads and other Sanskrit works. He has unambiguously stated in his articles on this movement that this agitation is neither against Sanskrit nor against the Brahmins.
Mahamahopadhaya Pandithamani Kathiresan Chettiar a reputed scholar both in Tamil and Sanskrit has translated Sukraniti, Kautilyam, Mrichakatikam, Utayanacaritam and sulochanai in chaste Tamil. Tiru Vi-Ka, a great Tamil Scholar and a notable leader of Indian labour movement has many works to his credit and all of them are in pure and elegant Tamil. The above facts will certainly impress upon the readers that the allegation that the lovers of pure Tamil movement are the enemies of Sanskrit and the Brahmins is baseless and that such unfounded propaganda should not be encouraged.
Domination and Safeguard : Nobody will find fault with a man who tries to becomw pure in his heart. His endeavour to attain purity will not be misconstrued as directed against anybody’s progress. Do we not impose heavy custom duties on foreign products and ban import of foreign goods for the sake of developments of our industry and trade? This safeguard does not mean that we are at enmity with other nations. Likewise languages should be allowed to grow on their own distinct lines. Foreign linguistic elements should not be allowed to dominate in a laguage disproportionately. The endeavour of a language to adopt its natural path is in no way blameable. Therefore I always welcome the movement of purity for any language. This kind of movement will put an end to the artificial growth of a language and give protection to its natural beauty and basic linguistic materials. The more a language is pure and simple, the better will it be understood by the people of the soil. Artificiality in a developing language is the result of the impact of the urban civilisation. Its unwarrented predominance, if not checked, will strike at the nourishing roots of the languages.
Historical Background : You have now understood that the pure Tamil movement is a movement with noble objectives and that it is not in any way inimical to other languages including Sanskrit I Impressed by the good intentions of the sponsors of this language movement, You may be anxious to know the background and the period of gestation. It is a long, long history, traceable from the age of Tolkappiyam, ie. before the 3rd century, B.C.
I presume that Sanskrit was the only language which at first came into close contact with Tamil in the pre-historic times. Tolkappiyam has significant references to this relationship. It enunciates the phonemic principles for Tamilisation of Sanskrit works, even though their use was little in his time. I have reason to think. Sanskrit words were employed only in poetical compositions, This means that he is for the use of Sanskrit words, but at the same time he is not for adoption of them as such. Here we find the beginning of the preservation of Tamil with purity. Notwithstanding these principles in Tolkappiyam, Cankam poets have rarely used Sanskrit words. While referring to the proper names in Sanskrit, their mention was only descriptive.
The Growing Influence of Sanskrit : Because of the impact of religions and sects the Middle Ages witnessed continuous inflow of Sanskrit words in all Tamil works - devotional hymns, Kavyas, Puranas and Prabandas. But one feature of this period is worth mentioning. In spite of liberal borrowings, the phonetic structure of Tamil was scrupulously preserved as in the Cankam age. Pavananti, the author of Nannul of the 13th century has elaborately given the rules for the employ of Sanskrit words in Tamil. This somewhat arrested the terrible onset of Sanskrit on Tamil language. In the later period we have to admit plainly that in the musical work like Tiruppukal Sanskrit words freely borrowed in violation of the Tamil language structure, In the so called Tamil commentaries on Divya Prabhandam of Vaishnavite Alwars, sounds peculiar to Sanskrit were written in Granta scripts. This style was called manipravalam. Yet in the great epics like Ramayanam of Kampan, Paratham of Villi and Periyapuranam of Sekkilar, in the puranas like Kantapuranam, Kanchipuranam and Tiru-vilaiyatarpuranam and in the popular devotional songs, Tevaram and Divya Prabhadam, In spiteof admixture of plenty of Sanskrit words, rules of phonetic changes were strictly followed.
Tamil Scholars of Middle ages who studied Sanskrit in large number did not confine themselves to borrow Sanskrit words. They were attracted by the Sanskrit forms and norms of literature and grammar. Puttamitiranar, the author of viracolium belonging to the 11th century has openly stated that his grammar would include Sanskrit norms also. Some of the chapters in his work bear Sanskrit terminologies, like Sandhippatalam, Tattitappatalam, Taduppatalam, Kiriyapata ppaalam. Such came to be the attraction and influence of Sanskrit in a wider field.
Independent Status of Tamil : The admixture of Sanskrit vocabulary and terminologies and the adoption of literary and grammatical conventions of Sanskrit were the outcome of orderly and gradual development spread over above three thousand years. It is to be remembered that in this long period, the Tamil Pandits were conscious of the fact that Tamil and Sanskrit were two independent languages and that their phonological, morphological and syntactical aspects were different and distinct. In spite of inroad and inrush of Sanskrit idioms, this fundamental aspect and the independent status of Tamil were never forgotten. In the fourfold classification of words Sanskrit or Vatacol has a separate category. Deivaccilaiyar, one of the commentators of Tolkappiyam has pointed  out in several places the syntactical differences between these two ancient languages. Pandits and commentators of Middle ages have referred to Sanskrit ideas only for comparison and exposition. They never dreamt of reducing or effacing the independent linguistic status of Tamil language and literature. Even Puttamitiranar a grammarian of revolutionary type has not said anything against the independent position of Tamil.
Borrowing among languages is natural and to some extent inevitable. Speaking analogically, independent nation are getting loans and financial assistance with or without interest from richer countries. We know this does not affect the sovereignity of the borrowing countries. The Governments have the power and authority to develop their nations according to their laws and the will of the people. Till the 17th century nothing was said and written to impair the separate entity of the Tamil language. Borrowing of Sanskrit words and norms was on intellectual background.
Sanskrit Origin for Tamil-Two Schools : This salient and healthy background in relation to Tamil and Sanskrit was unfortunately marred by some thoughtless and haughty grammarians of the 18th century. Subramaniya Diksitar, the author of pirayokavivekam made a radical change in the pattern of Tamil grammar and thoroughly made use of Sanskrit terminologies for all grammatical aspects of Tamil to establish his new and cherished theory that Tamil is not different from Sanskrit. The purpose of his work, he claims, is to prove the sameness of grammar for these two languages. He derives “Tamil” the name of the language from “Tiramilam”. He has given Sanskrit terms Karakappatalam, Samasappatalam, Tattitappatalam and Tigngnuppatalam for all the chapters in his work.
Following Subramaniya Diksitar, Swaninatha Desikar, the author of Illakanakkottu has gone to the extent of saying that Tamil is not at all a language and that the wise, like him, will be ashamed of recognising Tamil as a language since it has only five sounds of its own. Like Diksitar, he has also propagated the erroneous theory that the grammar is one and the same for Sanskrit and Tamil, thereby meaning that Tamil has no independent grammatical theories. Regarding this kind of development, M. Srinivasa Aiyangar in his “Tamil Studies” remarks: “When Sanskrit puranas and other Sanskrit religious literature were introduced, the views of Tamil Scholars began to change. Most of them were acquianted with both Tamil and Sanskrit: yet they had greater love for the latter, as their Vedas and Puranas and Agamas were written in that language and this partiality or rather a sentiment verging on odium theologicum induced them to trace Tamil from Sanskrit.”
I should like to point out that the twin grammarians Diksitar and Desikar who composed their works on pet and fancied theories and started a movement to extinguish the separate entity of Tamil language were responsible for the birth of the pure Tamil movement, the subject of my paper. Of these two grammarians, Swaminatha Desikar not only undermined the traditional reputations of Tamil language in unpolished words but also questioned the purity of Tamil literature vehemently. It was he who pronounced that Tamil did not exist and cannot exist independently. This derision naturally wounded many scholars who, in their turn vigorously attempted to establish the independent nature of Tamil and its equal rank with Sanskrit.
Sivagnana Munivar, a versatile genius and a peerless savant in Tamil and Sanskrit emphatically brought out the special grammatical features of Tamil as distinct from Sanskrit in his prose work “Suttira virutti”. He stressed that Tamil is no less divine than Sanskrit since both have their origin from the Supreme Being, Siva. Thus in the 18th century we come across two schools of thought, one publicly advocating the supremacy of Sanskrit at the expense of the independence of Tamil and the other openly repudiating the view of that school and raising the status of Tamil on a par with Sanskrit. It may be rightly said that this century sowed the seed for the pure Tamil movement. As a result, emotion, prejudice and bitterness crept into the relationship between Tamil and Sanskrit. Intellectual outlook which prevailed for a long time was superseded by cultural, social and sometimes political motives.
The birth of pure Tamil movement: The school which sought the origin of Tamil from Sanskrit became weak in the later part of the 19th century when Dr. Caldwell and other Western philogists, on comparative study, set aside the theory of Sanskrit origin not only for Tamil but for Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam as well and pur forth a laudable theory that these Southern languages are entitled to be called as Dravidian tongues. In a pointed reference to Tamil, Dr. Caldwell supports the independent nature of Tamil in clear terms. “Tamil, the most highly cultivated ab infra of all Dravidian idioms can dispense with its Sanskrit altogether, if need be, and not only stand alone but flourish without its aid”. He does not confine himself to this pronouncement. In the midst of several views regarding the close relationship between Sanskrit and Dravidian languages he has expressed a new thought that a large number of words of Dravidian origin have found their way into Sanskrit vocabulaties. This and the like statements by the greatest of the Draividian philologists encouraged the lovers of pure Tamil to start a new movement to achieve their harmless and faultless but rightful claim.
Principles of Purity: What is meant by “purity” in a language? We use this word here figuratively. Purity does not mean total ban on the entry of words of other languages. Neither is it possible nor is it desirable. Do we not add a little water to the pure milk when it is boiled? A living and progressive language should always keep its door open for the incoming of foreign words to express certain ideas and thoughts clearly and truly. I do not subscribe to the view that any kind of any amount of borrowing should not be admitted in Tamil. At the same time I wish to emphasize that borrowing should be done on strict and definite principles. Borrowed words should not exceed 5% in a language. I shall give you briefly the three principles followed by the Tamil purists in their language movement.
1. Words of other languages, if borrowed, should be so changed as to get the appearance of the native forms in Tamil. Their forms should not disclose that they are alien.
2. The existing stock of Tamil vocabulary, literary and colloquial, should be fully used. Most of the unused words are not obsolete or dead. For many centuries, they are not given any opportunity for currency.
3. New words in Tamil should be coined to express modern ideas and things. Tamil is a language of agglutinative type. It has copious and varied morphemes. It is possible to form any number of new words if the scholars are earnest and faithful to the language.
These principles are not exclusively for Tamil. They are general. They may be adopted by all languages for purpose of purity. Love of language means love of preserving and safeguarding the fundamental structure and basic materials of the language.
A Powerful Movement: What is the present progress of this movement? What is its influence on writers and speakers? Has it attracted the youths and the common people? What will be its future? Answering these pertinent question I shall conclude my speech.
At the beginning this movement fought against the use of Sanskrit words. Now there is no great need for it. At present the target is against the use of English words. Though this purity movement is half a century old, it is gaining ground in governmental, administrative, educational and religious spheres. Text books for schools are written in simple and chaste Tamil. The Tamilnadu Text books Committee has translated more than 600 books on Science and Arts. Thousands of words have been coined for this purpose. Thanks to the introduction of Tamil as official language and court language, the movement is becoming powerful. On platforms only the speakers who command chaste and literary Tamil are attracting the mob. Theatres and cinemas are greatly influenced by this movement. Short and sweet Tamil words are chosen for the names of the plays. Youths display their love of purity in the essay writing and oratorical competitions. That Tamil is capable of expressing any idea of modernity has now become an acceptable fact. Yet some notable novelists and short story writers are wantonly introducing long sentences in English under the garb that speeches should reflect the characters. This may be said to be a modern style of manipravalam. This artificial style will not long last. The literary works written on this mixed style will not be understood by posterity. You will be surprised to know that under the auspices of the Madras University, the manipravala commentaries of Nalayira Divya Prabandam were translated into chaste Tamil test they might go into oblivion. Therefore I advise, with all sincerity, the Tamil writers not to fall in love with a new manipravala style using English words and sentences in Tamil letters.
The pure Tamil movement is not against the study of any language. Most of the purists are polyglots. The sole aim of this movement is to develop Tamil, one of the world classical languages on its own lines. Why should we sacrifice the purity and independence of a language, when that language possesses enormous resources and rich materials for its growth and development?
2. RENAISSANCE OF TAMIL
I take this rare and pleasant opportunity to congratulate Dr. Agesthialingom, Director of the Centre of Advanced Study in Linguistics and his learned colleagues for their new venture of holding a seminar of inter disciplinary studies in Dravidology. I welcome a seminar of this kind for the study of ancient Cankam classics also where we find many a reference to history, sociology, sexology, musicology, fine arts, fauna and flora, astrology, astronomy, economics, agriculture, religion, ethics and so on. What Tolkappiyar enumerates as seed topics (karupporul) as part of poetry contain several things belonging to different Arts and Sciences. We feel shy of our poor resource of knowledge when we begin to study the epic Cilappathikaram which is a repository of valuable information on many subjects.
Period of  Cankan age
It is not my intention to present a paper surveying the growth and development of Tamil Literature from the beginning, as it will appear to be a brief history of Tamil literature with books listed as in a catalogue. I therefore wish to restrict myself to the study of one period of Tamil History i.e. the Cankam age, introduce the readers to the researches done in the recent past and the research activities which are going on and point out many problems which stand in the way of doing research in the Cankarm classics scientifically and ariving at any conclusion precisely. My purpose of taking up the period of the ancient Cankam Literature for today’s speech is to enlighten the promising young scholars who are labouring under the impression that all fields relating to the Cankam works have already been covered by research scholars and that there is nothing left for further study. I am one of those who wholeheartedly welcome doing research on modern works like novels, short stories, dramas etc., as I hold the view that any pursuit of knowledge in any kind of Tamil literature will result in the enrichment of Tamil. At the same time I strongly feel that but for the devoted and continuous study of Cankam classics the research fields in ‘the kingdom of Tamil Literature’ will not be fertile and resourceful but will become barren and fruitless in the long run.
First renaissance
In the checkered History of Tamil Literature, we come across revival of the Cankam classics thrice. In the third century A.D. there was a nationwide movement to search for the poems of Akam and Puram found scattered throughout the length and breadth of Tamil Nadu, with a view to collecting and preserving them for the posterity. Under the patronage of kings. great scholars undertook this tremendous and laborious work and collected them in eight anthologies, like Akananuru, Purananuru, Narrinai Nanuru etc. each having its own principles of collection. The name of the poet, the situation in which the poem was composed and other particulars were briegly added to the text of every poem. Short commentaries were also written on them. This may be called the first renaissance of the Cankam classics. These collections were arranged and grouped on the basis of the number of feet each verse possessed the number of poems available, the subject treated and the like, with the purpose of the people remembering them easier. But I may be permitted to point out that the poems in these anthologies excepting those in Patirruppattu require redaction for purpose of research study.
Second Renaissance
The second renaissance of the Cankam works commenced from the eleventh century in the middle ages with new zeal and hard work. They study, elucidation and spread of Tolkappiyam were considered as indispensable for the upkeep of tradition in the educational sphere of Tamil. A band of devoted and sincere commentators such as Ilampuranar, Nacchinarkkiniyar, Senavaraiyar, Perasiriyar, Kallatar and Teyvaccilaiyar brought home to the students of the day the inestimable value of Tolkappiyam by their excellent commentaries and expositions adapted to the society of the middle periods. Grammatical works like Venpamalai by Aiyanarithanar, Akapporul by Nampi and Nannul by Pavananthi were written to make Tolkappiyam easier for the young.
As Tolkappiyam and the Cankam classics are related to each other almost in all respects, commentaries were also brought forth on Cankam Literature. The contribution of Naccinarkkiniyar in the mission of the propagation of Tolkappiyam and the Cankam Poetry will be ever gratefully remembered by the posterity. Minor poetical works in the forms of Kovai, Parani, Tootu/Toothu etc., composed by the poets of the middle ages helped to popularise the ancient classics which are broadly based on the twofold divisions of Akam and Puram. This revival did not last long and the study of the ancient literature once again went into oblivion on account of the onset of the minor poetical and highly religious works and of the obsession of the scholars theirin.
Third renaissance
It was at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth due to the indefatigable and tenacious efforts of the great scholars and lovers of Tamil, Tolkappiyam and the Cankam classics and the commentaries thereon were ‘reborn’. Dr. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer the uncrowned monarch in the world of editors is rightly called as the father of Tamil for his life-long service to this language.
The language-study of the Cankam classics was undertaken by the Department of Linguistics of the Annamalai University and the Tamil Department of the Kerala University. The immensely valuable editions of Dr. Swaminatha Iyer, the handy edition arranged in the alphapetical order of the poets published under the supervision of Professor Vaiyapuri Pillai, the index of the Ancient Tamil Literature in three volumes published by the French Institute of Pondicherry have been acknowledged as basic works for furthering higher studies in Tamil. Naccinarkkiniyar’s commentaries on Cankam classics have not fully revealed the meaning of the texts in several places, since he used to twist the texts so as to suit his view. The style of some other commentaries written in the earlier centuries was also considered too difficult to be comprehended by the Tamils of the present century. Hence Maraimalai Atikal, Mahavidwan Raghava Iyengar, Dr. Swaminatha Iyer, Venkatasamy Nattar, Pinnattur Narayanasamy Iyer, Avvai Duraisamy Pillai and Perumalaippulavar Somasundaram wrote commentaries on the Cankam Anthologies with elaborate explanation and illustrations. The Saiva Siddhanta Kazhagam arranged a series of popular lectures in all words of Tamil Literature and published them also for the benefit of the public.
Research scholars who were awarded the M.Litt. and Ph.D. degrees have elaborately dealt with the literary, historical, social, religious and cultural aspects and the aspects of the fauna and flora, the art and architecture, love and warfare, the religion and the people as revealed in the Cankam classics. If the theses many of which were written in English have the good fortune of being published, the world will get the golden opportunity to know of the philosophy of life enunciated in these Tamil classics. In this connection, I should like to say that while we attempt to do more research and produce more books on the ancient classics, we should not allow the valuable books ably written by the earliest scholars to go our of print. The History of Tamils by P.T. Srinivasa Iyengar, the Tamil India by M.S. Puranalingam Pillai and similar works need reprint.
The study of the Cankam classics means the inclusion of the study of Tolkappiyam also. It is not taken for granted that a deep and analytical study of this earliest grammatical work and its commentaries is a must for a student of Tamil whatever his area of research may be. Tolkappiyam in prose by K. Vellaivaranam, Tolkappiyam with elaborate introduction by Dr. Ilakkuvanar, the new commentary on Akattinai Iyal by M. Arunachalam Pillai and several articles on Tolkappiyam read in various seminars have contributed to the spread of Tolkappiyam among the students.
Need of a Chronological edition
The myriad of publications and research activities, though praiseworthy, is not upto my expectation because of the imperfect nature of the result of these works.
As I said earlier, the method adopted in the compilation of Cankam anthologies was meant for the preservation of the ancient poems. There ends its service. To base one’s research on one individual anthology like Kuruntokai, Narrinai etc. is not correct since the finding will be inconclusive. We know that the poems of many Cankam poets are scattered in almost all the anthologies and that some kings were patrons as well as poets. To arrive at any satisfactory conclusion on any problem, literary, linguistic, cultural and social, the need for a chronological approach is keenly felt. For this purpose a new edition of all the 2381 poems in 8 anthologies arranged in a chronological order is wanted. In this new edition the poems of the individual poets like Kapilar, Paranar, Avvaiyar and the like also should be arranged chronologically. I therefore hold the opinion that many statements made so far in various research fields will require reconsideration and reexamination after the outcome of a chronological edition of Cankam classics. I am an optimist and I hope a monumental work of this nature will see its birth in a decade or two.
A speical study of Porulatikaram
Tolkappiyam has three parts and the third part Porulatikaram which contains a wealth of information needs years of study and labour by a band of scholars. The commentators of the middle ages consciously or unconsciously passed the new ideas of their age as the ideas of Tolkappiyam. The real meanings of the essential technical terms Akam, Kaikkilai, Aintinai, Peruntinai etc. are not still understood. It will be interesting to know that one commentator has stated that Tolkappiyar wrote his book to point out the futility of the sexual pleasure and to advocate the idea of renunciation. A student of Tamil literature will know the strong influence and impact of the Akam forms in one way or other on the literary works of subsequent periods. To write an authentic commentary on Porulatikaram, a detailed and comparative study of Cankam classics, Tirukkural and Cilappatikaram will be required. To pay exclusive attention to the development of research in various aspects of Tolkappiyam and Cankam classics, it is hoped that a chair will be instituted by the Government in one of the universities of Tamilnadu as has been done for Tirukkural.

Modern interpretation of Cankam Classics
India believes in democracy, secularism, socialism, casteless society and sex equality. We know that Tolkappiyam and Cankam poems were composed in an age when all these noble ideals were prevalent in the Tamil community. The rich people considered themselves as trustees of welath and protected the poor with food and clothing and shelter. It seems that there was also family planning. Pari had only two daughters and Kopperun Cholan only two sons. The Akam Literature refers to only one son when it describes the love quarrel between the lovers. Therefore I think that Cankam classics represent the society we like to establish today in India. I also think that there is no harm in studying Tolkappiyam and the Cankam classics from the modern point of view, as they are works of permanent value composed by noble scholars.
3. DEVELOPMENT OF 
TAMIL RESEARCH

The All India University Tamil Teachers’ Association has had the unique objective of stimulating, developing and spreading research activities in Tamil among the Tamil scholars all over India for the last eighty years. It does not pass any resolution expressing the grievances of Tamil teachers and making demands for their monetary benefit. The members meet annually in the different parts of the country, present their research papers and discuss them with open-mindedness. Because of its intellect-conscious and research-oriented objective, the Association does not give any opportunity for strife and conflict and has planted the seed of cooperation and progress. This is crystal clear from the fact that it is able to hold the conference continuously from its inception. The growing strength of the delegates and the increasing number of papers presented will testify to the popularity and usefulnes of the conference. The publication of the research papers at the commencement of the conference has added to the interest of the researchers and made the discussion in the conference hall easier. Nearly 750 papers relating to all fields of Tamil have been presented in these seminars. This is no mean achievement in the field of research. The Association may hold legitimate pride in its contribution to the real and substantial growth of Tamil. It has justified its existence and necessity by its achievement.
We should be very thankful to the Universities in Tamil nadu for relaxing regulations for registration for the Ph.D. degree thus giving equal opportunity to all the College teachers to engage themselves in higher research. The acceptance of the theses written in Tamil, against the age long custom of writing them in English, has removed the handicap felt by the research scholars. A special allowance of Rs.100/- announced by the Governemnt for teachers with the Ph.D. degree has become an incentive to those who are moving slowly towards the path of research. Thus we see a pleasant climate of research coming into existence for Tamil teachers and also a large number of teachers attempting to avail themselves of this opportunity-an opportunity denied to the previous generations of scholars.
Thanks to its hoary antiquity among the languages of the world and to its possession of a rich, varied and perennial and beautiful and realistic art and architecture, Tamil offers immeasurable scope for research activities and intellectual adventure. Its literature is of an inter-disciplinary nature. As pointed out by Tolkappiam/ Karupporul or seed-things form a major structure of a poem. Karupporul includes history/ economics, culture, nature, art, labour, religion and anything that goes into the making of a fuller and happier life. Looking at Tamil Literature merely as a literature containing the so called literary aspects like imagination, emotion, form etc., will not reveal its entire picture and useful purpose. We should realise, of course, we have realised to a certain extent, that our works like Tolkappiam, Cankam classics, Tirukkural, Cilappatikaram, Manimekalai, Perunkatai, Cintamani, Ramayanam, Periyapuranam, Devotional songs, Puranas, Minor literature, Paarati’s work etc. can each produce many a Ph.D. since they are the repository of incalculable information. It is wrong to hold the opinion, as some do, that Tamil had no proper and new developments in the middle and post-middle ages for lack of patronage and imagination. This view is not correct. Its line and field of growth have been different in every century. Each century has created a new kind of literature and fulfilled the need of the day. The literature reflects the trend of the society and the poets compose songs on topics which are current. In the middle and post-middle ages people were extremely religious-minded;; hence the production of the literature of this period was of a highly religious nature. Inscriptional Tamil, prose development in the commentaries, philosophical literature and the like belong to these ages. The eight volumes of the History of Tamil Literature systematically arranged and ably presented by Thiru M. Arunachalam will show the uninterrupted growth of Tamil in new vistas in every century. The works of Arunakirinathar, Thayumanavar, Sivagnanamunivar, Sivaprakasar, Kumarakuruparar, Remalingar reveal that every century has given birth to one or two great Tamil scholars to its credit. The growth of Tamil in the 20th century is entirely on a different line. Prose form has become prominent. New kinds of literature like novels, short stories, dramas, children’s literature, travelogues etc. are written by modern writers to satisfy the expectations of the society. Students of literature should understand that the literature of any age never dies or loses its literary values. The topics may not be current;; the style and diction may be different;; the form also may be outmoded. Yet literature in its nature has a permanent universal value and appel. Do we hold the opinion that Paarati’s emotional songs on the freedom movement of India became lifeless after the attainment of Independence? Some scholars do propagate the view that Puranas, minor works like Thoothu, Pilaittamil, Parani, Ula, etc. have become obsolete and that they need not be taught to the students. I differ from them. Literary men should not have the outlook of the businessmen who always attach importance to the current value of the commodities. Our approach should be out and out literary. By ‘literary outlook’ I mean, we should develop broad and noble and impersonal outlook in the critical study of literature without bias to any particular society, religion, region, age, form etc. If you develop this literary outlook, you will certainly come round to my view that Tamil has had constant and continual literary growth in all periods, every period confining to the development of a new genre of literature. I therefore advise the research scholars not to neglect the literature of any period for doing research.
An analytical study of the topics taken by the candidates will be interesting and fruitful. Earlier research students were fond of doing research on Cankam classics on subjects like nature, culture, civilisation, historical references, love and war etc. Cankam poems were collected as eight anthologies on the basis of the number of metrical feet, form and matter. The Anthologies as such do not provide sufficient ground for scientific research. The age, the literary merit and the grammatical features of each Anthology cannot be determined without reference to other Anthologies. Therefore the conclusions arrived at on the basis of individual Anthology will naturally become incomplete, Research works on particular region like Kurincittinal, Palaithinai, Patantinai etc. on the basis of the collection of all poems relating to a tinai in all Anthologies have been rbought out satisfactorily. Tirukkural, Cilappatikaram and Ramayanam, because of their high literary value and unparallel popularity, have attracted a number of scholarly writers with the result that now we are in a position to do supra research on the research so far done on these three monumental classics. It is pleasing to note that modern creative works like novels, short stories, dramas and folklore have formed a major part of the research theses and it shows that out universities give due recognition to the authors who intend developing Tamil to the international standard. In this connection a note of warning is necessary;; careful attention should be devoted to the choice of the subject for research. The works of the living authors should not be taken for research as a rule. When the authors in question are still writing books how can a researcher say anything final on his earlier works? His thesis will be ineffective and inconclusive. Someties it is found that the living authors are chosen for research to please them and to get some benefit from them. It is also found that the living author’s reputation or unpopularity will affect the candidate’s approach to the topics. Therefore I feel that a healthy tradition in the domain of Tamil research should be built up by excluding the works of the living authors from being brought into the scene of research.
The standard of research hitherto made in Tamil, though commendable, does not come upto our expectation. The research theses reflect the hard work of the candidates by way of collecting materials and preparing charts and appendices; but most of the theses do not deal with problems and views of different schools. The onerous task of collecting materials for some years by the candidates which is a mechanical one blunts the intellectual sharpness of the young scholars. It is the chief duty of the guide to develop the research faculty of the candidates who have registered enthusiastically for the Ph.D. and to ask them to understand the unsolved problems in their subjects and to find out solutions for them.
Ph.D. research theses form only a small percentage of research activities in a language like Tamil. They are unconnected and piecemeal. They are submitted with a view to getting degrees. The Universities in Tamilnadu have awarded so far about 100 Ph.Ds, That does not mean that Tamil has been much enriched by these works. What timeans is that the Universities, have produced a band of scholars well equipped for the task of valuable research projects when such projects are undertaken. The Tamil savants for the last four decades spent much of their energy and time and money to popularise our literature, particularly Cankam classics which were unearthed after many centuries. Manuscripts and palm leaves were searched out and printed Cheap editions were reprinted with spliting of the stanzas. The contents of the ancient and mediaeval literature were reproduced in prose. A movement was enthusiastically started to make the Tamil public aware of their literary heritage and to love their mother tongue. There are hundreds of prose books in Tamil. But they do not exceed more than 150 pages each. They were written only to be prescribed as text books in colleges and high schools. As they are marketable, private publishers gladly come forward to publish and sell them. These works no doubt served their useful purpose viz, the popularisation of Tamil literature among the common people; but they do not increase the wealth of the Tamil Muse. Now what we need is research programmes, research projects and reference books. The Tamil Encyclopaedia by Tamil Development Academy, the Cankam classics aranged in the alphabetical order of poets by Samajam, the collection of various commentaries of Tirukkural by Mahavidwan Dandapani Desikar, the collection of commentaries on Tolkappiyam Collatikaram by Dr. V.I. Subramaniam, the Index of Cilappatikaram by Dr. S.V. Subramaniam, the 16 volumes of Kampa Ramayanam with variant readings by the Annamalai University are some noteworthy publications for reference. The research institutions of Tamilnadu should be ashamed of not having many reference works of Tolkappiyam, the extant first work in Tamil. An Index of Ainkurunuru, An Index of Akananuru, An Index of Purananuru etc. based on individual anthology need rearrangement for proper reference. An Index of Tholkappiyam, An Index of Perunkatai, An Index of Manimekalai, An Index of Cintamani which have been prepared with great labour by the research students should be published with texts. All works big and small should be published with elaborate introduction and complete index and concordance. A series of editions like anthology of Ulas, anthology of Thoothu, anthology of Parani, anthology of Kalampakam, anthology of Pallu and so on in the chronological order should be brought out for easy reference to scholars. It is too much to expect that every researcher should collect the materials from all books concerned. It is a waste of time. Unless voluminous editions and reference works are made easily available to the scholars, real progress in the field of Tamil research will only be a dream. The State Government, the Central Government and the U.G.C. should deem it their duty to invest huge amounts in the research projects as they do in the projects of economic developments.
At the end of my keynote address. I may be permitted to express my view on the prose of modern writers, however unpalatable it may be to a few. Most of the novelists, playwrights, and writers of short stories pay more attention to the themes and treatment of themes. We would welcome it. But I am sorry to state they they do not care for the language. Whether they really write in Tamil of non-Tamil, is a matter of doubt. It is said, and of course we should admit, that Tamil should be developmed to express scientific ideas and thoughts. But nobody will dare to say that novels, short stories etc. Great scholars like Parithimarkalaignan and Maraimalai Atikal vehemently fought against the use of foreign words in Tamil. Now what we find is that some great novelists and short story writers purposely mix paras of foreign words and sentences in their popular writings. I hold the doubt whether Tamil is incapable of expressing their thoughts or they are incapable of expressing their thoughts in Tamil. Occasionally use of foriegn words is always admissible in all languages. To use foreign words in the place of local words and to mix long sentences and long paras of foreign words will reveal that the writer does not have the capacity to write in a particular language according to the genius of that language. A book will nto be permanent, because of its theme and treatment and form alone; permanency rests mostly upon the language also. The history of Tamil has shown that the books written in mixed language have very few readers in course of time and that they need pure Tamil translations as the Vyakkiyanam of Nalayira Diviya prabandams. Hence I appeal to the writers of novels, short stories etc. to pay more attention to the language side also. If possible, I request them to revise the language of their works in reprint. Otherwise most of the modern literature, solely for want of language purity, will not last long. After a great deal of thought, I make this appeal to the writers who are really enriching ancient Tamil with new forms and thoughts.
4. SCRIPT REFORM IN TAMIL
I am extremely happy to present before this enlightened audience my constructive and pragmatic views on a problem which is agitating the minds of the young scholars who are eager to reform the Tamil scripts scientifically and rationally. They think that the present forms of Tamil letters are not suited to typing and printing; they are difficult for the children and the foreigners to learn and write and that the modernisation of Tamil scripts will give a fillip to the general spread of Tamil far and wide.
The movement of script reform is not confined to Tamil alone. After the introduction of printing and linotyping all Indian Languages have been subjected to their impact. While in India the script reform is towards the modification of old forms to the requirement of type board, the reform in western countries, particularly in America is to have a close relation between the graphemes and the phonemes. Thus the reform in script has become a world feature.
Three views
Different scholars advocate different kinds of script reforms. They may be classified under three heads:
a) One section of scholars is in favour of complete Romanisation of Tamil language. They contend that by this change-over, Tamil language will develop internationally and be easily read by the foreigners. Another advantage of it is that most of our children who are learning English in Roman scripts may easily pick up Tamil also without undergoing the trouble of learning another script. These scholars recommend adoption of Roman scripts for other Indian languages also.
b) Another section of scholars is in favour of completely adopting the Devanagiri script for the Indian languages including Tamil whose script is different. They hold that this universal adoption will strengthen the solidarity and integration of our nation and pave the way for the understanding of different Indian languages and culture by all Indians.
c) The third section of scholars intends reforming the Tamil scripts themselves. They want regularity in the forms of vowels, consonants and syllabic letters. My paper is concerned only with this reform.
What defects do we find in Tamil alphabets? What kind of reform do we need to set right the irregular diacritics? What are the methods to be adopted? The movement for this cause began in the early part of this century. Individual scholars, private organisations and committees sponsored by the Government have time and again suggested ways and means for this purpose. Before the analysis of the problem, I shall give you in a nutshell the defects that are pointed out and the reforms that are contemplated by various scholars.
1. Short and Long vowels
The short vowels are m, ï, c, v, x.  The corresponding long vowels are M, <, C, V, X Thus altogether we are having 10 signs for 10 vowels. There are two ways of reducing them either to 6 or 5. If a common sign like ‘h’ for the long vowel is adopted the number will be only six mh, ïh, ch, vh, Xh.  If the sign of the same vowel is juxtaposed to indicate the elongation like mm, ïï, cc, vv, xx 5 letters will be sufficient for 10 vowels. This is not a new suggestion. Do we not adopt the letters of short vowels to represent the further lengthening of the long vowels, what is called alapetai (Mm, <ï, Cc, Vv, Xx)?
2. al and au
The enumeration of I and xs along with the vowels has been a subject of controversy even in the middle period. Linguists who give much importance to the spoken tongue support the removal of them from the Tamil alphabet. These two diphthongs may be easily replaced by mŒ and m› respectively.
Be bidding good-bye to the so called diphthongs and doubling the signs of short vowels even for long ones, Tamil may eliminate the existing seven signs from its vowel alphabet table.
3. Velar nasal and dental nasal
Velar nasal (‡) has not much phonemic value. It is used only morpo phonemically. There is no contrast between dental nasal (e) and the alveolar nasal (d). Therefore it is suggested that these two consonants (‡ and e) are not worth preserving in the Tamil alphabet.
4. Vowel sings in ‘uyirmey’
a) There are three irregular syllabi letters         in 
‘M’ combination. They may be easily written as like zh, wh, dh other consonants, by adding ‘kal’ form. Yet it may be noticed that there is some regularity among these three forms,         ‚,ƒ,„ since it becomes easy to draw the curve from z, w, d.
b) There are four (irregular syllabic letters,  ˜z, ˜y, ˜s, ˜d in I combination. By adopting i sign we may write them as iz, iy, is, id in consonance with other consonants. Yet it may be noticed that there is some regularity among these four forms since they have loops at the beginning of the sign. In printing and typing it is possible to adopt these forms iz, iy, is, id without confusion. But in handwriting nobody could be expected to count the loops before or after writing. There will be five loops for iz and four loops for id. To avoid this inconvenience the ‘ai’ sign is raised over the consonantal sign. Because of this easiness no reform attempted in these letters was successful. This should be noted by the enthusiasts of the reform.
c) Diverse irregularities are found in the syllabic combinations of c and C. In c there are three varieties F, ò, E in C five varietie T, õ, N, ú, L If there is any reform immediately needed in the field of Tamil scripts it is to be adopted in these two vowels. Recently, the Kerala Governement boldly introduced one new sign for  short c and one new sign for long C, thus eliminating a number of cumbersome signs in these series. For Tamil some scholars have suggested to adopt the Grantha form & for short c& for long C.
5. The vowel signs in the syllabic letters are suffixed or prefixed in some cases and are done in both ways in some other cases.
	a)   fh, », F, T 	- 	suffixed
	b)   bf, nf, if	- 	prefixed
	c)   bfh, nfh, bfs	- 	prefixed and suffixed
In the combination of vowel-consonant (uyirmei) the sound of the consonant is uttered first and that of the vowel comes next. Accordingly vowel sign or allograph in the syllabic writing should follow the consonantal sign. This principle is followed only in the case of fh, », F, T. It is curious to note that x, X, xs  having two vowel allographs each and that they also stand split in the order of syllabic letters. Reform loving persons want to rectify this anamoly by adopting only one allograph for each phoneme and placing it after it.
6. The present trend of some modern writers is to use aytam a kind of fricative phonema to represent foreign phonemes like ‘t’. Therefore you find new forms of words such as: ~igš, ~òS, ~ng‹, ~ã‹y©£, ~ãš, ~ignyáah  in newspapers, advertisements etc.
7. A revolutionary view of the script reform needs mentioning as the last item. According to this, Tamil will have only 28 phonemes and 23 graphemes.
short vowels	long vowels	consonants
	m			mm		f‡rPlz
	ï			ïï		jegkau 
	c			cc		ytHswd 
	v			vv 
	x			xx
m©©mm«mšmŒ¥ ¥mš¡mšmŒ¡ ¡mœm¡m« «xœïŒïŒmš ¤cwmŒ¥ ¥m© ï¡mŸ ›mŸm®¡m
(m©zhkiy¥ gšfi¡fHf« bkhÊÆaš Jiw¥gÂfŸ ts®f)
It is held that there is no need to have separate scripts for long vowels since the doubling of the signs of the short vowels themselves will serve the purpose. Then 23 scripts may be used to write the 28 phonemes. This number will be very handy in composing and typing. The complete elimination of separate allographs in the combination of Uyirmei and the juxtaposition of vowel symbols after the consonantal signs are two important principles involved in this view. Though this view seems to be very radical and revolutionary it is not new to us who are familar with English.
In the foregoing pages I have given the several views put forth by different schools in the matter of script reform from time to time. I request you not to identify me with them. To say plainly, I am not subscribing to many of them since they do not take into consideration the genius of the Tamil language, its historical development and its sound pattern. For any change, in so far as Tamil script is concerned, the following points need deep consideration.
Points for Consideration:
1. The scripts of Tamil have been historically and basically divided into three classes, as vowel, consonant and vowel consonant. This is evident from the earliest extant Tamil grammar, Tolkappiyam and the grammatical works of later period. This is part of the nature of Tamil scripts. Beschi points out this nature thus. “The Tamilians do not, after the excellant plan of europeans, place the vowel after the consonants to form syllables, but of the consonant and vowel united they form a third figure”.
b. Linguists have praised Tamil for its having graphemes for each and every phoneme. This fundamental relation should be maintained.
c. In English and other Western languages spelling and pronunciation are two different aspects. Tamil has no such distinction. What we spell we pronounce. What we pronounce we spell. This charactor should not be altered. The use of aytam to represent English ‘f’ phoneme strikes at the root of this basic principle.
d. There should be no difference in the scripts between typing and printng on the one hand and writing on the other. Tamil scripts should be common to both as at present.
e. When compared with other cultivated Dravidian languages and Indo-Aryan languages, Tamil has not many phonemes in the consonantal series. There are no voiced sounds, aspirates and sibilants in Tamil.
f. Similarity as well as dissimilarity are a part of nature and beauty. There is no harm in the attempt to bring unanimity wherever possible. To think that there should be no dissimilarity and that all dissimilarities should be removed may be logical but unnatural and unpracticable. Not only in phonology but in morphology and syntax also every language disclose dissimilar features.
g. It was possible for Beschi in the 17th century to introduce few changes in the vowel scripts when the printing was just on the field. For the past two hundred years we have published many of the Tamil works that were once in the palmyra leaves. Now change of scripts makes them sealed books even to the educated. The following is the warning of Professor T.P. Meenakshisundaram. “Any remedy will be only worse than the disease, because there is the great danger of making the handful of our literates in Tamil, illiterate by introducing revolutionary changes. It is this overpowering consideration that stands on the threshold of our enquiry preventing the acceptance of the Roman alphabet”. We know that Vidutalai, a Tamil Daily, is presistently and consistently using i sign for all consonants and that Swadesamitran, another well known daily sincerely brought out some editions with new scripts but of no use. Any reform movement in Tamil scripts has not so far attracted ths cholars and the public for many reasons well known to all.

It should not be misunderstood when I say that no script change in Tamil is necessary that I am not for it. What I feel is that after the numberless productions and publications for the last one hundred years, any artificial change in script will do more harm than good to the normal growth of Tamil and will result in the extinction of a large number of printed books, for want of reprint in the new scripts they come into use. This fear looms large in many a mind. If any script reform unconsciously creeps in, I hope we may welcome it.

Reference:
1. 		Beschi C.J. - Grammar of the common dialect of the 			Tamil.
2. 		Meenakshisundaram T.P. - Collected papers - The 				Tamil Script Reform.
3. 		Manickam V. SP. - Chintanaikkalankal - Putiya Aytam.
4. 		Shanmugapprakatham Kotumuti - Ayyukkovai VII-				Vol.2 - Eluttenpa.
5. 		Sundar E.J. Ayvukkotai VII-Vol. 2-Tiruttuvom Tamil 				Eluttukkalai.
6. 		Tamilakappulavar Academy - Proceedings.
7. 		Tamil Development Council - Proceedings.
8. 		Andronov M-A Standard Grammar of Modern and 				Classical Tamil.
9. 		Konku - A monthly journal.
10. 	Ramachandran K - Tamilarum Tamilum.
5. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF TOLKAPPIYAM
Tolkappiyam, the earliest work now extant in Tamil, is generally assigned to about the third century B.C. It deserves a comparative and comprehensive study at the international level of research by eminent scholars here and aborad, in view of its treatment of universal themes like love and war, government and society, married life and renunciation, language and literature, and culture, and civilisation of a people living in the southern part of India whose hoary past has been accepted by historians. A Tamil work Purapporul Venpamalai embalms the oral tradition that the heroic Tamil race was born on the peaks of mountains when the rest of the land was still immersed in the ocean waters. It is to be observed that Tamil alone is reputed as the international Indian language spoken in different Asian countries with the status of one of the State languages. The time is also now ripe for starting international pursuit of research study of Tolkappiyam since we have already held three World Tamil Conferences and the Government of Tamil Nadu with the aid of the UNESCO has founded the International Institute of Tamil Studies.
Tolkappiyam from its birth has greatly influenced Tamil literature and grammar throughout the ages. It has to its credit many commentaries writen in different periods by erudite scholars well-versed also in Sanskrit. But for these commentaries, survival of this old work against the odd vicissitudes which caused the loss of hundreds of works in the middle ages would be doubtful. Therefore any study of Tolkappiyam cannot but include the glosses thereon. It is gratifying to note that Tolkappiyam which was unfortunately a sealed book for Western Orientalists for centuries is now rapidly gaining ground at least in the field of linguistics.
Researchers on Tolkappiyam must, at the outset, give up the wrong notion hitherto held that it is a grammatical treatise and that its main concern only the Tamil language and its various phenomena such as phenemes and phonology, morphemes and morphology and syntax. No doubt it is a work on grammar. But grammar of what sort? Nowadays the word ‘grammar’ has often a very restrictive sense and sometimes a degrading sense too. One who enters into the portals of Tolkappiyam must realise the varied and vast subjects treated in it directly and indirectly. Only this realisation will throw new light and open new vistas for the furtherance of research about this work.
Tolkappiyam in its first two parts systematically brings out the phonetic, phonemic, morphemic and syntactical nature of the Tamil language. But more than that, even these two parts abound in interesting and pointed references to the customs and manners of the Tamil people and the Tamil Nadu. Proper names, names of measures, names of fauna and flora etc. are profuse in the aphorisms. Social impact has pervaded the first two parts also. No language can be divorced from society as its very existence depends upon the social intercourse of the community. Linguists are expected to understand this mode of treatment adopted by Tolkappiyar even in the field of language. So far, no attempt has been made to discover the unique methods employed by this author in writing his magnum opus. We are content with simply applying modern methods to the study of this ancient work while analysing the production of articulate sounds. It is customary for writers on linguistics to arrange phonemes from the labials to the velars. Tolkappiyam in the third chapter Pirappiyal enumerates consonants beginning from the ‘k’ stop which is produced by the complete closure of the soft palate. This natural order of sounds is worth noting.
The third part of Tolkappiyam is entitled Porulathi karam. The work ‘porul’ has several meanings. The appropriate meaning in this connection will be subject matter of theme of compositions. In Akam chapters, principles evolved from love literature technically called Akam are minutely described. What scholars have missed is to bring out into prominence the universal and independent approach of Tolkappiyar to sexual Iive with no historical colour. The anonymity of the characters in the drama of Akam is an unassailable evidence to prove its universal outlook. The unqualified declaration that, notwithstanding their social and economic status, all should receive equal treatment in Akam literature in the matter of purity of love is noteworthy.
The Puram chapter has not been taken up so far for serious consideration. I accept that the art of war portrayed in Tolkappiyam is a thing of the remote past. But this portrayal is only secondary. The purport of puram is not to describe the actual activities going on in the war front but to unearth and reveal the energetic human tendencies leading one always to entertain mistrust, provocation and hostility. According to Tolkappiyar’s analysis, power struggle for the establishment of one’s supremacy over others by all means and at all costs is the eternal motive for waging war. This mentality is termed as ‘tumpai’. It should be remembered that importance is not given in Tolkappiyam to wars undertaken to annex the land of belligerent states and thus enlarge one’s own domain.
In vetchi theme of Puram chapter, protection to civilian people and innocent livestock is emphasised as the first duty of the aggressor before resorting to actual fighting. In Kanchi theme, seeds for religion and spiritualism are sown by pointing out the horrors of war, mass annihilation of human lives and devastation of individual and national properties and by exhorting some people to do service to the community at large. In Vakai theme, the competitive spirit in all walks of life, like education, administration, business, profession, sports and pastimes is activated by rousing one’s eagerness to win fame, reward and recognition before the public. It will be clearly seen from the ‘cuttirams’ of Vakaittipai that Puram subjects are varied and related to all strata of society. The last theme ‘patan’ asserts that Puram division does not confine its treatment to political conflicts and war compaigns but holds under its purview treatment of social and national services an individual could render according to one’s capacity. The readers will be convinced now that a work treating of such subjects, as referred to above, should not be called a mere grammar book in the ordinary sense of the word.
In the third part there is a chapter Ceyyuliyal wherein lies an ocean of information about Tamil culture and civilisation and Tamil literature. This is the largest and greatest among the 27 chapters in Tolkappiyam but it is also the least studied one. Scholars have turned a blind eye to this section as its study requires sufficient equipment in several disciplines. In order to draw the attention of the pandits to this valuable but untraversed section, a lover of Tolkappiyam announced an award of one thousand rupees for those who were able to identify the correct readings of two cuttirams relating to alliterations and rhymes.
What is meant by Ceyyul? Tolkappiyam, as the Prologue puts it, has treated all themes on two fundamental grounds - Usage (valakku) and composition (ceyyul). By usage we mean the practice which was in vogue at the time of the author. Composition means any form composed with literary merit with a view to preserving something. It need not necessarily be in writing; it may be in speech also, as is evident from the inclusion of proverb as one of the compositions in Tolkappiyam. Be it in writing or in oral form, anything concise and poetical and couched in the choicest words is a composition. Cey means to cultivate. Land reclaimed for ploughing is called cey in Tamil. In chapter Verrumai Iyal under Part II, a composition is beautifully defined as ‘terintu molic ceyil’.
This chapter has given expression to the existence in olden times of seven kinds of composition in poetry or in prose or in ordinary speech. It mentions 34 constituents making up compositions. To study each of these will involve a laborious but fruitful research. As it needs a detailed study of the three commentaries now available on this section and a comparative study of the later works on prosody like Yapparunkalam together with a flood of literature, this chapter along will claim life-long devotion from an ardent student.
I should like to conclude that vastness of subjects, orderly and analytical treatment, social background universal outlook, principles of composition, relation between forms and contents, are some of the guidelines to be borne in mind while framing schemes for the study of Tolkappiyam.
6. A PHONOLOGICAL
 STUDY OF TOLKAPPIYAM

1. Tolkappiyam is the earliest Tamil grammar. Its age is generally placed in the third Century B.C. All the available literature now are only of the post Tolkappiyam period. No work contemporaneous with Tolkappiyam has reached us. It is calculated that there must be an interval of two centuries between the age of Tolkappiyam and that of Sangam classics. Tolkappiyam, though very ancient, has come down to us more or less intact. It has been studied by scholars at all times. To understand the principles of Aham and Puram, the well known classification of literature in Tamil, we have still to rely on this treatise. In the thirteenth century which may be styled as the “Renaissance of Grammar”, there appeared a flood of commentaries on this monumental work, to make it easy to understand. New grammatical works also emerged, based on Tolkappiyam.
2. From the beginning of the twentieth century, Tolkappiyam is being studied by scholars in different branches both in India and aborad. There is immense scope in this ancient work for research in the fields of Sociology, Anthropology, History, Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Military Science, Politics and Linguistics. That Tolkappiyam has become popular is evident from the publication of critical dissertations and explanatory books on it by many writers. It is heartening to note, that even students of Tamil studying in high schools, apart from under-graduates and graduates and research students, know something about the greatness and contents of this book of their ancestors. Translations of Tolkappiyam as a whole or in parts are also forthcoming, Like Tirukkural, I Hope Tolkappiyam too will be translated in many world languages so that scholars will find it a repository of valuable material for the study of the successive and continuous thought-current of the human race. The more ancient a book is, more is the value of its material for research.
3. Linguistics is the latest addition to the domain of science. Language is subjected now to scientific treatment Philologists of nineteenth century did research in language on hypothetical basis in unknown regions. They concentrated their attention mainly on the origin of language and the relation between the word and its meaning. But, linguists of modern thought try to unravel the exact nature of a language synchronically at first. Synchornic linguistics or Descriptive linguistics has become the order of the day. For Linguistic scholars, Tolkappiyam is an infallible guide. Though old, fortunatel, it deals with a language which is still alive and growing. It has really described the features of the utterance of the speech-community of its times and also brought out the grammatical core of the language. For the study of phylogeny or historical linguistics also, we may derive a good deal of help from Tolkappiyam.
4. Tolkappiyam has three parts. The first part called Eluttatikaram deals with all features of phonetics such as phonemes, allophones, phonemic structure, phonetic symbols, phonemic symbols, morpho-phonemics, alternations, juncture, phonetic changes and canonical forms. The second part called Collatikaram explains all features of morphology and syntax, free morphemes, bound morphemes, substitutes, derivatives, compounds, morphological processes, inflection, syntactical constructions, congruence etc., The third and last part called Porulatikaram, bigger than the other two parts combined, treats elaborately of the culture of the Tamils in regard to love, heroism, philosophy, customs and manners, various kinds of literature, prosody etc., Though the third part does not deal directly with any lingusitics aspect, it offers a good deal of material for linguistic analysis, being a repository of a lot of morphemes and morphological and syntactical constructions. The growth of any language in modern times is artificial and it is by leaps and bounds. It is nurtured by rapid means of communication. Its quick development may be compared to the yield in land supplied with artificial manure. The impact of modern culture on any pattern of language in these days cannot be easily conceived by us. Only future linguists can ascertain the mode of changes correctly. But in the days of Tolkappiyam the language grew naturally, steadily and peacefully. Nothing was done specially and rapidly for this sake of language. Therefore the description of Tamil as found in Tolkappiyam may be accepted as true for all times.

5. In this paper I shall confine myself to the phonemic analysis of Tamil as represented in this ancient work Panamparanar in his Preface to Tolkappiyam eulogises the author as one who has elicited the phonemic features with no disorder (“mayanka marapin eluthu muraikatti”). This gives us encouragement to hold Tolkappiyam as an authoritative and authentic treatise in the field of phonetic study. True to this praise, Tolkappiyam commences with the enumeration of thirty phonemes in Tamil. That they are along phonemes and no more is emphatically said in the beginning of the sentence “eluttenap patuva”. The next Suttiram enumerates three more, Kurriyalikaram, Kurriyalukaram and Aytam and they are called phoneme-like, ‘eluttoranna’. This means that these three have not the value of a phoneme; but only the semblance of it. What is meant by this is that they have no phonemic value and they are only non-distinctive sounds. They have no independent articulation. For their expression they are dependent on the sequence of phonemes either in a morpheme or in a word or in syntax “carntu varal marapu”. Linguists call these three as allophones in modern terminology. Really these three are problematic. There are thiry phonemes in Tamil. Are we going to say that only three have allophnes and all the other twentyseven phonemes have none? Of the three, two namely Kurriyalikaram and Kurriyalukaram belong to the category of the vowels. Aytam is said to be the allophone representing the three phonemes 1,  j and v. It may be noted that the so called three allophones are diminutive in quantity as clearly revealed in the descriptive nomenclature given to them.
6. According to quantity or mattirai Tamil phonemes may be classified as threefold, vowel phonemes (7) having two mattirai; vowel phonemes (5) having one mattirai and consonantal phonemes (18) having half mattirai each. This classification if based on the Suttirams 3, 4, 11 in Tolkappiyam. All these thirty phonemes are distinctive and are called base or primary sounds. Thre is no phoneme or distinctive element of sound in Tamil having three mattirais. It does not mean that we should not employ three mattirais in Tamil. What the author wishes to point out is that it has no phonemic value and it has also no single symbol. These aspects of a sound having three mattriais and more are brought out in the following two continuous Suttirams.
			“Muvala picaittal orelut tinre” 		(Tol: 5)
			“Nittam ventin avvaja putaiya
			kutti eluutal enmanar pulavar”		 (Tol: 6)
This kind of lengthening of quantity in vowels is called Alapetai. To indicate the lengthening usually signs of short vowels will be placed along with the signs of long vowels. In like manner, dots are employed by Tolkapppiyar as diacritical marks to denote only diminution of mattirai. The placing of a dot on the world miya or natiyatu will show that there is only a phonetic change but of no phonemic value. In this connection a note of explanation is necessary in regard to the symbol of aytam. It is traditionally held by Tamil Scholars that aytam will have three dots like the three heads of a hearth or like the mathematical symbol ... for the word ‘therefore’. The phrase “mupparpulli” in the second suttiram has misled scholars to hold the above view. “mupparappulli” does not denote Aytam alone. It denotes all the three ‘phoneme-like’ in that suttiram. The new discovery by me that Aytam too will have only one dot is clear from the following suttiram which describes its occurrences in the sequence of phonemes.
			“Kuriyatan munnar aytap pulli
			uyirotu punarnta vallaran micaitte”	 	(Tol. 38)
Aytappulli, the dot representing in writing for Aytam will come after a short vowel and before a stop. While pointing out this occurrence the author has used the finite singular verb “micaitta”. If more that one dot should represent Aytam, the finite verb ought to be in plural as ‘micaya’
7. The first International Conferrence of Tamil Studies now at Kula Lumpur must evolve a scientific transcription of Tamil Phonemes to be adopted by all Dravidologist in future as the International Phonetic Association did in 1912. I have so far explained that Tolkappiyar has employed phonemic transcriptions and phonetic transciptions. Now we are using more or less phonetic signs used in Tamil Lexicon of the University of Madras. Certain changes in symbols are being made by individual writers sporadically to suit typing and composing. Any use of linguistic symbols should reflect to a great extent the true phonemic nature of a language. To indicate long Vowel phonemic geminates or diagraphs like paari, Aaytam have come in vogue. The phonemic system will not allow the juxta-position of two vowel without any prevention of hiatus as in Fox. The sequence of vowels within a morph or word is phonemically impossible. The insertion of a semi-vowel when two vowels occur as in Avan, Aval, Ayan is necessary. The method of doubling the ordinary symbol of short vowel phoneme to indicate the long one will be misconstrued that Tamil has no long vowel phonemes. Moreover we use the regular symbol of short vowels in Alapetai with no prevention of hiatus. This absence will show that the geminates have no phonemic value.
The use of Aytam by some modern writers needs careful study. Aytam has no independent production. In writing the name of the country “France”, Aytam commences the word. It is elevated as a phoneme and as an initial contrast. I hope this conference will pay some attention to the enunciation of a uniform policy in regard to symbols and use of Tamil phonemes.
8. Modern Linguists have defined vowel as a sound for whose production the oral passage is unobstructed. Conversely, consonant is a sound for the production of which the air current is occulted in the oral passage at various levels and degrees. This physiological definition is understood by Tolkappiyar. The terms Uyir (vowels) and Mei (Consonant) have been philosophically interpreted by mant commentators and scholars. They expound that Uyir like the soul has an independent movement and Mei a metaphorical and not linguistic interpretation. Tamil grammarians have always taken both Uyir and Mei as primary sounds, ‘mutal eluttu’. No inferiority in phonemic value is assigned to the consonants. When Tolkappiyar says that the twelve vowels will be produced by the air expelled from the throat (“mitarrup piranta valiyin icaikkum”) he has definitely known the unobstructed production of vowels. The terms Mei and 0rru reveal on the face of them that consonants will be produced by the touch of various organs in the mouth cavity. This is evidenced by the use of verbal participle ‘0rra’. According to Tolkappiyam suttiram 86 there is some tinge of touch even in the birth of certain vowels like i, i, e, e, ai (“Mutal na vilimpural utaiya”) Therefore in the first general suttiram of Chapter Pirappiyal (production of phonemes), he has mentioned the touch of organs “uruppurru amaiya” as a feature common to vowels and consonant. This is a point to be considered by phoneticians.
9. Tolkappiyar sets apart two thirds of the first part for the study of morpho-phoenmics. Rules in relation to phonemically conditioned alternations and morphemically condtitioned alternations are framed. That the phonetic change will be such, if such and such phoneme is followed by such and such phoneme, is brought out systematically in the order of phonemes. The rules relating to phoenemically conditioned alternations have uniform application. In regard to the morphemes ‘se’ ‘puji’ ‘ekin’ etc. special rules are framed to bring out their semantic aspects. If ‘puji’ means a kind of tree, the syntactical construction will be pujiyankotu, puliyampalam. If ‘puji’ means acidity the construction will be pujinkari, puliccaru. It is said by Bloch and Trager that juncture phenomena have as yer been little studied. In two suttirams this Tamil grammarian speaks of not only the feature of juncture in sequence of phonemes but also their breaking up to know the meaning of the speaker.

10. The study of the principles of modern linguistics enables us to understand the scientific treatment of Tolkappiyam. It also makes us realize that the ancient Tamil grammarian has left nothing unsaid in the description of the features of Tamil, phonetically, phonemically, morpho logically, syntactically, and last but not the least semantically. The study of Tolkappiyam by scholars of linguistics will, in my humble opinion, lead to the discovery of new features of language yet to be studied. Tolkappiyam will certainly help and not deter the development of linguistic science.
7. PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO TAMIL SYNTAX
1. In modern lingusitics, the study of the various features relating to syntax, like sentence-types and relation between syntax and semantics has not yet been seriously taken up. Linguistics are now deeply interested in the analysis of phonetics and morphology. The sentence alone is the organic and living form of a language. For the sake of research-study we dissect it into morphemes, and again into phonemes. The importance of the formation of sentences had been well realised by Tamil grammarians. In almost all grammatical rules in Eluttatikaram and Collatikaram, this aspect is revealed. From this point of view Tamil grammar should be examined.
2. Language is a human instrument. Anything related to human beings cannot be divorced from the study of psychology. Language is the medium of communication in the society, and emotion is the background and impulse of all utterances. Changes, developments and commissions and omissions in a language are the result of the ever-changing process of the human mind. Grammatical works at first try to lay down a uniform rule for every linguistic feature, but exceptions are growing in abundance. And these exceptions become part of the general rule in course of time and new exceptions spring up. Linguistic developments cannot be arrested as the source for these develomentss, i.e., the mind is always changing and changeable.
3. How the mind has influenced many exceptional rules which are called ‘Valuvamaiti’ (tGtikâ) by Tamil grammarians, will be illustrated in this article. In the structure of a Tamil sentence seven kinds of congruence are expected: 1. class, 2. gender, 3. person, 4. tense, 5. question, 6. answer and 7. convention.
			Tinaiya palitam polutu vinavirai
			marapam elum maya  im valuve  	          (Nan. 375)
The violation of concord is condoned, when it is actuated by love, passion, happiness, eulogy, emotions etc. When one comes across a snake, he cries ‘snake, snake’. This is called a sentence of repetition (mL¡F¤bjhl®). There is no predicate in the sentence. Language does not require a full sentence when the emotion is high. But there is also a limit to this repetition in haste or in fear.
			‘viraicol atukke munru varapakum’  	           (Tol. 907)
Sometimes in a mood of joy or pleasure, recurrence of a word four times is also allowed. What is the reason for allowing repetition thrice in the cast of fear, and extending it to four times in the case of joy? A frightened man cries because he needs some one’s help to kill the snake. He cannot speak continuously and his utterance will be abrupt. If he goes on repeating the word ‘snake’ many times, the word will become devoid of emotion, and will lose reaction in the hearer, as in the story of a boy who frequently cried “Tiger, Tiger”. In case of joy, no feeling will interrupt his speech. Joy is of a personal nature. Without a hearer one may express one’s feeling or ecstasy.
4. In Bhapters kilaviyakkam and Ecchaviyal of Tolkappiyam and Potuviyal of Nannul, condonation of grammatical errors in sentences is elaborately dealt with. Nouns of high class (ca®âiz) and nouns of non-hight class (m~¿iz) should be governed by the finite verbs of the same class, This is the general rule.
		vinayir tonrum palari kilaviyum
		peyarin tonrum palari kilaviyum
		mayankal kuta tammera pinava   	       (Tol. 494)
Cut even poets of high repute like Thiruvalluvar, Ilanko, and Kampar purposely transgress ordinary grammatical rules, in order to identify themselves with the feelings of the characters. In the example “Away ran John”, the adverbial expression commences the sentence. Upsetting of the normal structure is one of the devices adopted for the purpose of emphatic expression.
	“j«Kila j©zËí« jhK«j« kh‹njU«
	v«ik ÃidahJ É£lhnuh É£lfšf”
						(áy¥ : fhdštÇ) 
	“jÅikí« jhDk¤ ijaY« MÆdh‹ ”
						(ïuhk. ghy. Äâiy) 
	The finite verbs ‘vittaro; and ayinan’ have become the predicates of different classes, genders and numbers. To bring home the oneness of lovers, the poets have employed one predicate at the expense of grammar.
			evavum ceykalan tanteran avvuyir
			poom alavumor noy   			(Kural 848)
Tiruvalluvar says that he who has neither the capacity of doing things on command, nor the power of understanding by himself is an anathema till his death. He despises the existence of such a person, and his contempt is revealed by the expression ‘m›îÆ®’ Avvaiyar also uses similar contemptuous expression about the rich people who leave this world having never done charity. ‘<ahJ åí« cÆ®jt¥gynt’ (òw«. 235) 
			uvappinum uyarvinum cirappinum ceralinum
			ilippinum paltinai ilukkinum iyalpe   (Nan. 379)
In this suttiram, feelings of diversity and contrast are pointed out for the violation of rules, The author, it should be noted, does not think that such transgressions are exceptional, but considers them as natural or conventional. ‘ïG¡»D« ïašng’
8. THE PRESENT TENSE 
MARKER “A:NINRU”

Historical sense is necessary not only for the entire language but also for individual words for the correct exposition of literature and grammar. The earliest commentators of Tolkappiyam have amply shown their historical awareness in interpreting the suttirams of Tolkappiyam in many places. In the Introductory verse it is said by Panamparanar that Tamilnadu had Venkatam and Kumari as its northern and southern boundaries respectively. About this reference, Ilampuranar historically explains that the mention of Kumari as the southern limit was necessitated because of the existnece of other countries beyond that southern limit in the days of Tolkappiyar. Yet I may be permitted to say that there are many shortcomings in the commentarries disclosing their lack of historical perspective due to the preponderant influence of their Age.
We undoubtedly know that “a:ninru” the present tense sign came into vogue after the Cankam period though it preceded kinru and kiru the other two suffixes. Inspite of its later original all the commentators have given unna:ninran. unna:ninra:l, unna:ninra:r, etc. as examples for all the finite verbs of the present tense in Tolkappiyam [S. 488-492]. Deivaccilaiyar, in addition to the use of a:ninru, has instanced unkiruranan, etc. with kinru tense sign. To give examples with a:ninru and kinru for the expression of present tense in Tolkappiyam is against the historical fact. This anachronism is also noted by Dr. Israel in his research work ‘The Treatment of Morphoilogy in Tolkappiyam’ [p. 231]
Use of a:ninru
The sign a:ninru is the earliest of the three present tense suffixes of the Middle Ages. It is interesting to find this chronological order adopted in suttiram ‘a:nintu Kinru Kiru mu:vitattin’ [142] by Pavanantiyar.
	Turaivan turantamai turrakol munkai
	Irai irava:ninra valai 		(kural: 1157)
For the first time in the domain of Tamil liereature Thirkkural uses a:ninra in the relative participle. Whether it is used in the present tense or the preterite is a matter of interpretation. It may mean bracelets which are loosening or which loosened. Whether it is right to hold here that the particle denoting time sense is a:ninra is also a matter for consideration.
	Colla:ta:l colla:la ninra:l annankaikku
	colla:tum colla:tum ta:n 		(Cilap. XVIII)
In the finite verb ‘colla:ta: ninra:l’, we may persume that a:ninru is made use of. Again I doubt about its tense and form. Atiyarkkunallar, the commentator of Cilappaikaram has not taken Colla:ta:ninra:l as one phrase and finited verb. According to him, Colla:ta: is a verbal participle of Ceyya: pattern, meaning ‘having said’ and ninra:l as a participial noun meaning ‘she who stood’. This has another reading as colla:ta:l ninra:l in which case it is clear that there is no possibility of the use of a:ninru here.
Special features 
The past tense markers  t  t  r  and in and the future tense markers p and v are by themselves bound morphemes. They do not show any grammatical forms, They are allomorphs. But in the case of the three present tense markers, a:ninru and kinru bear the forms of verbal participle, Kinru and kiru are allomorphs. a:ninru has no relation with the other two. They have no complementary distribution. They occur in all verbs. The presence of r an allomorph of t expressing past time in these three signs is a problem. We know that a:ninru is now used only poetically and that too rarely. It is not used in spoken language. I doubt whether it was ever used in common speech. These peculiarities should be borne in mind in the study of the above three present tense markers. However, in this paper I shall confine myself to bring out the grammatical and linguistic nuances of a:ninru since its origin and disuse need a detailed scrutiny.
Semblance of a:ninru
‘nikalu:u ninra pa:Ivarai kilavi’ is a line occurring in Tol. S. 658. Here Hampuranar and Senavaraiyar say ‘nikalu:u ninra’ means nikala: r:inra, pointing out a semblance of a:ninru. This shows their presumption that u: ending may be changed into a: ending. According to Deivaccilaiyar, nikalu:u ninra is a relative participle. All the commentators think alike that nikaly:u ninra denotes present time, even though ninra the second component of the phrase usually expresses past tense, like cenra, konra, venra. Thus we happily come across a probable clue in the commentaries of Tolkappiyam for the beginning stage of the so called a:ninru. But it shoyld be clearly understood that these commentators never said that a:ninru is the present tense-denoting particle, Though there are references to tense signs in his work. Tolkappiyar has not enumerated these signs as he did in the case of detailing and analysing the tense signs goes first to Senavaraiyar and subsequently to Naccinarkkiniyar among the commentators of Tolkappiyam. It will be rewarding to make a special investigation of these parts in these commentaries to get a historical background for the development of tense markers.
nil and a:ninru
It is the view of Senavaraiyar that unna:ninra:n should be split as unna : + nil + r + a:n and that nil signifies present time. Naccinarkkiniyar also agrees with him. Whether these commentators hold nil as the tense suffix like the suffixes of other tenses or as a verb itself needs further investigation. Anyhow it may be presumed that splitting up unna:ninra:n into un+a:ninru+an will not be agreeable to them.
Puttamittranar, the author of Viracoliyam who is credited with the adoption of a new method in the segmentation of the components of a word holds a:ninra as the pratyayam of present tense. Pavanantiyar, a later grammarian who is generally opposed to Puttamittiranar in many respects, has I think, unconsciously followed him in mentioning a ninru, kinru and kiru as present tense particles.
Let us now closely examine the present tense verbs like va:ra:ninr:n. po:ka:ninra:n. I think va:ra:nil and po:ka:nil should be taken as the verbal bases. Of course va:na:nil consists of two verbs like eluntiru and patutiru. the first member being the main verb and second the auxiliary one. As Senavaraiyar rightly pointed out, nil is a suitable verb for denoting present time.
	neri nira:r ni:tu va:lva:r  		[kural: 7]
	va:ninru ulakam valanki     		[do  11]
	ninra oliyo:tu olukappatum  		[do   698]
	ninratu mannavan ko : l    		[do  543]
In these instances ‘nil’ neither indicates the physical posture of standing nor past time. The verbal theme irrespective of the time markers that followed, will suffice to bring out the sense of continuity of an action. The significance of present time will in no way be affected even if it is followed by r the supposed past tense marker like ninra, ninru. Caldwell himself has admitted that the use of d the ordinary sign of the preperiter in all the dialects was not originally restricted to that tense so absolutely as it is now (Dravidian Comparative Grammar, p. 491). Tamil grammarians call the occurrence of some sounds like t,r between the root and the ending as eluttuppe:ru (sound occurrence) thereby meaning that they have no time value.
ceyya : pattern
Having explained the position of ‘nil’ in the forms like va:ra:ninra:n, po:ka:ninra:n, I now proceed to expound the first part i.e., va:ra:, po:ka:. My view is that va:ra: is a verbal participle of Ceyya: pattern (Tol. 223). There are more than 16 kinds of verbal participles. Their difference in meaning and structure is subtle and minute. Ceyya: is mentioned as one of the four past verbal participles and it should be used to denote a simultaneous action.
	mukaipurai viralin kappi:r tutaiya: 	[puram. 144]
	nilam kilaiya na:ni ninro:l 		[Akam. 16]
	meyve:l pariya: nakum 		[kural 774]
	I:lam oruka:l mitiya: Varume: 		[Muttoi. 26]
	makkalai mun ka:na: manam 
		natunka : veytuyira : 	[Nala. 390]
In these quotations tutaiya:, kilaiya:, pariya: etc. the actions denoted by ceyya: verbal participles and the actions followed are occurring at the same time. This special feature is made mention of in senavaraiyar’s commentary. He equates Ceyya: verbal participle with Ceyyu : [col.228]
Viracoliyam does not say that a: is a part of ceyya: verbal participle. But it adds some more points for our consideration. According to it, a: is not a part of a:niru. It is a separate particle without whose addition ninru cannot function. It further explains that though poka:ninra:n appears to be juxtaposition of two verbs, it should not be considered as tvantam, since po: the first verb alone has a doer and ninra:n does the function of pratiyayam. It is gratifying to note that Viraccoliyam also finds out inseparable action in the instances po:ka:ninra:n, unna:viruna:n. unna:kitanta:g [S. 74]. It is the view of Dr. Caldwell that a: was a representative a:gi [Dravidian comparative Grammar, p. 192]. Thus here two points are clear: [1] a: is not an integral part of a :ninru [2] po:ka:ninra:n implies simultaneous action.
The Tamil grammarians of Middle Ages have found it easy to say that a:ninru is the particle of present tense because of its uniform occurrence in the formation of compounds like va:ra:ninra:n/ po:ka:ninra:n and cella:ninra:n. They do not realize that this kind of segmentation does not reveal the genuine origin of the compound. They also do not realize that a:ninru the grammatical form of past verbal participle is not suitable for being a particle in consonance with the suffixes of past and future tenses. The main points I should like to emphasize in this paper are that [1] po:ka:ninra:n has to be traced to ceyya: verbal participle [2] a: is a part of this particle signifying simultaneity and [3] ‘nil’ is a verb expressing present time.
disuse of a:ninru
Even now we say Va:ra:mal nirkira:n po:ka:mal nirkira:n But the use of old forms va:ra:ninra:n po:ka ninra:n in the present tense have been completely dropped in poetry as well as in elegant prose writing. The reason for it is simple and understandable. With the passage of time their usage came to connote negative sense. The old Ceyya: verbal affirmative participle gave way to its counterpart -- negative verbal participle.
Substitute
As pointed out before, Ceyya: pattern had a subtle meaning. It served the purpose of expressing a simultaneous action in a sentence. The form of expression may come and go; but the content certainly needs another form, should the earlier one fall into disuse. What is the present form which has taken the place of Ceyya?
	a) 	kanni:r tutaiya: aluta:l - Kanni:r tutaittukkonde: 							aluta:1
	b) 	viral kilaiya: ninra:l - viral kilaittukkonde: ninra:l
	c) 	o:ta: varum - o: tikkonde: varum
	d) 	natava: patikkum - natantukkonde: patikkum
The meaning conveyed by one word Ceyya: in the ancient days is now expressed by the pattern ceytukonde: though of course in uneconomical and perpheral way. Grammarians who generally know the historical linguistic process of a living language will not regret the loss or change in it. They will take it as the manifestation of a growing language.
9. LITERARY HERITAGE OF THE TAMILS FROM B.C. TO 1000 A.D.
There is no need to discuss the antiquity of Tamil literature. That Tamil literature is as old as and as rich as Greek. Sanskrit and Chinese literature is a proven fact. Even the pessimists who question fixing the beginnings of Tamil literature in the pre-historic times are not willing to assign its date to the post-Christian era.
Sources: What is the exact date of the origin of Tamil literature even in the pre-Christian era? Is it possible to say anything exact in this matter? What are the works belonging to that period that are still available? What are the sources which may be relied upon for writing a history of ancient Tamil literature? At first these questions may appear as insoluble for those who view age long traditions and literary evidences as fictitious and unreliable. It is not wise to reject these sources as totally unfounded: for, other sources such as inscriptional references and authentic written records are developments only in the historical period. Therefore there is no escape for historians except to depend upon oral traditions and literary references. Of course, I agree with those who suggest that these sources should not be taken as such and they may be accepted only after very careful investigation. It should be noted that there are some traditions which are still orally transmitted from generation to generation with variations and there are others which had the good fortune of being written down in black and white centruries ago, thereby giving  no room for variation. Whether a tradition is oral or written, the historian should consider the spirit underlying it.
Earliest Works: The Tamils may be said to be very fortunate and lucky in having Tolkappiam and Cankam classics which are the extant old Tamil literature truly representing the bulk of ancient Tamil works lost for ever. Tolkappiyam whose age is generally placed in the 5th century B.C. gives us a lot of information for tracing the heritage of the Tamils. This treatise, though old, should not be misconstrued as the first composition in Tamil. Comparatively speaking, it is the latest one in the order of ancient Tamil works. Tolkappiyam being a grammatical work, must neessarily have been preceded by a wealth of literary and poetical composition for the codification of Akam and Puram principles. It should be remembered that Tolkappiyam is not also the first grammatical work in Tamil. The prologue by Panamparanar points out that Tolkappiyar studied previous works in grammar (KªJüš f©L) in order to make his writing perfect and precise. The world ‘nul’ denoted work on grammar in the age of Tolkappiyar. As there was a number of grammatical treatises, Panamparanar refers to them in general. About the ancient Tamil works, P.T. Srinivasa Iyengar in his “History of the Tamils-from the earliest times to 600 A.D.” remarks: “Numerous poets must have flourished before the age of Agattiyanar; for he could not have composed a grammar of literary Tamil and its literature without having previously studied innumerable poems. But the existence of these poets is not even hinted at by the commentator on Iraiyanar Agapporul.” (p. 233)
Any casual reader of Tolkappiyam will easily understand that this work would not be the outcome of the literary growth of a few centuries in a language and that the pattern and plan, method and mode adopted by Tolkappiyar reflect the time-honoured tradition held in the various schools of thought. It is wrong to hold, as some do that there were only two kinds of literature Akam and Puram in ancient days. Ceyyuliyal, the best and biggest in Tolkappiyam provides us with ample material for constructing the history of Tamil literature before the 5th century B.C. In pre-Tolkappiyam period, there were epics, minor literature, devltional hymns, folklore, proverbs, prose etc. The kinds of literature as revealed in Ceyyuliyal are more than 30, It is no exaggeration to say that the kinds of Tamil literature we come across in the medieval and modern periods were mostly in existence in pre-Tolkappiyam age also, perhaps with some difference. There is a saying that history repeats itself. Why should we not coin another saying that literature repeats itself?
Legend and Truth: The commentary on Iraiyanar Akapporul has embedded the tradition of founding of three Tamil Cankams, giving in detail the duration and venue of each Cankam, the number of poets, the number of patrons, the works, etc. There is no doubt that this contains historical and quasi-historical truths. However, it is the duty of the historians to find out the element of truth in the legend and make use of it profitably. Dr. K.K. Pillai in his voluminous work “A social history of the Tamils” aptly states: “On the whole the legend, as it appears in any of the versions available at present, is unacceptable to the student of history. Nevertheless, the entire tradition concerning the Academy could not have arisen normally without any basis. Secondly certain kings and poets mentioned in the traditional acounts, figure in more than one classic in the Sangam Age which fact strengthens the historicity of these personalities. Perhaps fact and fiction have not mixed up in the various versions now available to us.” (p. 98) Writers on Tamil or Indian history should adopt the spirit evinced by Dr. K.K. Pillai in the interpretation of traditional accounts in India.
First Millennium B.C.: The commentary totals 9990 years as the duration of the three Tamil Academies. It is natural for a historian to consider them as false figures. Yet we have to ponder over some points in the origin, growth and development of a literature. Today writing has become professional and commercial. Thanks to the printing press and new developments in modern societies books are manufactured at great speed in large numbers like goods. In the distant far off days writing was a normal but slow process. For hundreds of years the society remained unchanged and unaffected. The pace and degree of transition was, if any, invisible. A stretch of 10000 years in olden days could not have witnessed so many tremedous and astounding changes which we find in a small period of two or three decades of our time. This difference should be taken into account when we attempt to write the literary histories of earlier days.
To produce grammatical treatises like Tolkappiyam and the previous works on which it was based and the huge literary works which were the sources for these works, a long period of hundreds of thousands of years was normally required. These basic works could not have been produced in quick succession. In the light of this explanation, we should view the long duration of the three Cankams as the period of the orderly growth of ancient Tamil literature. One millennium is not too long for the history of a classical language like Tamil. Therefore I may not be wrong in concluding that the humble and ordinary beginnings of the Tamil literature may be traced prior to ten thousand years before Christ.
The Age of Tolkappiyam: According to the plan of the Seminar my paper should cover the longest period of the history of Tamil literature-from B.C. to 1000 A.D. It will be insipid and ineffective if my paper catalogues the names of the poets and gives a summary of the contents of their works as in a text book or students’ notes. You will certainly not expect a paper of that sort in this research-oriented seminar. Therefore I wish to restrict myself the presentation of the distinctive literary trends and norms that may be singled out as belonging to the period under investigation.
Tolkappiyam, one of the greatest works that the world has every produced is the oldest extant treatise in Tamil. Its solitary surival against old vicissitudes is a wonder. Books literary and grammatical prior to it were completely lost. No works have reached us for three centuries subsequent to Tolkappiyam. We notice a big interregnum between Tolkappiyam and the Cankam literature. The influence of Tolkappiyam is felt on all the periods of Tamil literary history in various degrees. Earlier a work, greater is its impact.
Tolkappiyar consciously or unconsciously gave unusual importance to two kinds of literature Akam and Puram as if there were no other forms of literature in Tamil. In his Ceyyuliyal references are to be found to 30 kinds of compositions only with outline. Unlike them, Akam and Puram are elaborately treated in several chapters. This predilection on the part of Tolkappiyar resulted, I presume, in the loss of old treasures of Tamil and in the new compositions of the so called Cankam classics. Because of the aristocratic influence of Tolkappiyam, scholars were obsessed by it and they let the other works dealing with the subjects other than Akam and Puram go into oblivion unnoticed and unhonoured. This may one of the powerful factors for the ancient works being forgotten.
Poets in the post-Tolkappiyam period who revered Tolkappiyam as a beacon light followed its codes faithfully and as a rule, treated mainly the twin themes Tolkappiyar was fond of. Tolkappiyam was definitely against the composition of a long treatise and the method of weaving the Akam incidents into a long web in the epic form. Because of this principle. Cankam poets were inclined to compose unconnected and isolated poems in the post-Tolkappiyam era. Tolkappiyar is not blameable for this trend. It is the scholars’ love of Tolkappiyam and the new line of thinking born of that love that limited the progress of the literary activities.
The Age of Cankam Classics:
In the footsteps of Tolkappiyam, Cankam celebreties vied with each other to compose single and individual poems on Akam and Puram themes. They treated the Akam themes with universal outlook on the background of the fauna and flora of Tamil country. They were realists and naturalists. They wanted to train the youth in sexual discipline. Abnormal, abominable and obscene themes were purposely avoided by them in the description of love.
Cankam poets are not of a revolutionary type. They approached every problem with humanism. They were pious and theistic. Yet Gods and Devas were not allowed to take part in the love affairs and war activities of the people. That they had sound historical sense is evident from the innumerable references to political events of the day. Patirruppattu is a work on history of the Cheras written in literary style.
Most of the Cankam poems were composed in Akaval metre, the simplest of all verses. In pre-Tolkappiyam age, Kali metre seems to be more prominent. To compose Kali is very difficult since it needs some kind of melody in its structure. Therefore Cankam poets who were brought up in the democratic and social way of thinking adopted simple and short Akaval verse so that the common people could understand them easily.
We are now in the making of a new world. Our vision is to treat the world as a household and the entire humanity as a family. We are anxious to obliterate unnecessary differences and distinctions among the people. To achieve this noble aim, Cankam classics which are free from any kind of dominations will be of immense help to the modernists. I hope the world thinkers will acknowledge the Cankam classics as the classics of the new world and make use of them for achieving their triple objectives of socialism, equality and liberty. It is the duty of the Tamils also to make strenuous efforts for the spread of Cankam works by translating them into every language of the world.
The Age of Tirukkural: The later development of Tamil literature after the Christian era, needs to be studied from one important point, i.e. the inevitable and inescapable impact of three fundamental works, Tolkappiyam, Cankam classics and Tirukkural.
In the history of Tamil, Tolkappiyam is the first big work consisting of 1610 suttirams and composed by a single author. The second big work with 1330 couplets written by an individual author is Tirukkural. We know the Cankam classics which arose in between these two big works are only collections of isolated poems composed by more than 400 poets.
Tiruvalluvar who is also a follower of Tolkappiyam made a new approach to Ceyyuliyal and gave a concrete shape to some of the ideas contained in that chapter in Tolkappiyam.
	Annilai marunkin aram mutalakiya
	Mummutar porutkum uriya enpa 	       (Tol. 1363)
This suttiram captured his mind and he produced Tirukkural, the greatest of ethical literature for the benefit of the world at large. The Cankam poets treated mostly of Akam themes, giving only the second place to Puram subject. Tiruvalluvar has given equal importance to both subjects cherished by Tolkappiyar. Like Cankam poets he also adopted a simple and small kural verse in his immortal work in order to make it easily understandable to the people.
The Age of Cilappatikaram: The third biggest work in old Tamil is Cilappatikaram. It is also an embodiment of the ideas of the earlier three great works. In writing this magnus opus, Ilanko was greatly influenced by all the chapters of Porulatikaram in Tolkappiyam. Cilappatikaram may be credited as a true literary Tamil epic incorporating all the literary canons codified by Tolkappiyar. For the right interpretations of Suttirams in Tolkappiyam, a comprehensive and minute study of this epic is indispensable.
It should be admitted that Cilappatikaram, inspite of its high literary values, faultless structure and employment of diverse verses has note exercised much influence on the Tamil epics of later days. The reason is that the epoch of true and pure Tamil civilisation, culture, political institutions, educational methods, subjects of study and the like came to an end in the fourth century A.D. Cilappatikaram may be said to be the last product of this era. Therefore it is no wonder that it failed to influence the epics of the Middle Ages which were subjected to foreign influences born of different religions and sects, myths and legends and new dynasties of kings.
The Age of Tamilised Epics: Cintamani, Perunkatai, Culamani and Ramayanam have not their roots in Tamilnadu. They are adopted Kavyas from Sanskrit. The exposition and propagation of religions and their gods through literary medium are the chief objectives of these works. In the true Tamil epoch, characters in literature are not described as belonging to any faith. Religions did not play the least role in the ancient literature proper. But on the second epic period, heroes and heroines and other minor characters are shown as the devoted followers of certain religious faiths by birth. This significant difference between the Tamil literature that came into existence after the 4th century A.D. and the Tamil literature existing before that century should be borne in mind when we study the circumstances which are responsible for the many-sided developments in Tamil History.
10. THE WORLDLINESS 
OF TIRUKKURAL

It is my duty to welcome the delegates representing all the National languages of India for their interest in the study of Tirukkural and its propagation throughout the length and breadth of India.
The Annamalai University is one of the three centres of Tirukkural studies which came into existence as a result of the Second World Tamil Conference. As the Head of the Department of Tamil of the Annamalai University, it is my duty to place in brief before this scholarly audience the work the Annamalai University is doing in the field of Tirukkural Research. The big five Kappiyams and the five small Kappiyams have quoted Tirukkural in the various situations of the epics. In quoting Tirukkural, the authors of these Tamil Epics have given new interpretations and explanations to many a couplet of Tirukkural. Therefore, the poetical works in Tamil which followed Tirukkural may be estimated as commentaries in verse on Tirukkural. We have collected the ideas  and the contribution of the authors of these works to the study of Tirukkural by way of new interpretations and expositions to hundreds of Kurals in verse form.
The Annamalai University has also prepared a subject index of Tirukkural. Though Tirukkural has 133 chapters on 133 different subjects a subject is not confined to one particular chapter alone. For instance, to know the concept of virtue (mw«) God (ïiw) Bliss (ï‹g«) Wisdom (m¿î) Love (fhjš) we have to make a comparative and detailed study of the various chapters in all the three sections. I am happy to note that the two works ‘Tirukkural and Ten Kappiyams’ and ‘the subject Index of Tirukkural’ will be released shortly.
To the delegates and the participants in the Seminar, I have to say a few words regarding translations of and commentaries on Tirukkural. In Tamil there are nearly 20 commentaries and still Tamil scholars are anxious to bring out more commentaries according to their tastes and inclinations. It is only in English that we have more translations of Tirukkural both in prose and in poetry. After the achievement of the independence of India, in the name of National integration, classical works of every Indian language are being translated into the other languages of India. I mention all this to stress one point. Are we really reading in these works, the ideas of the commentators and translators or the ideas of Tiruvalluvar? in my humble opinion, these commentaries etc. have misled and are still misleading not only the people of Tamil Nadu but also the readers of other States and countries who regard there works of translation as faithful to the original. The Seminar of All India character of this type, will, I hope, take note of this warning in the propagation of Tirukkural the systematic, scientific and moral work the world has ever produced.
Speakers on Tirukkural usually compare it with Vedas. Githa, Koran, Bible etc. Basically this is a wrong approach. Tirukkural is called ‘Tamil Vedam’ or ‘Uthara Vedam’. The world ‘Vedam’ should not be added to Tirukkural as the word has more or less the sense of religion. Tirukkural should be regarded as a work whose aim is to make the people live with all prosperity in this world. As Dr. Albert Schweitzer in his ‘Indian thought and its Development’ emphasised, its main accent is on life affirmation. When we compare Tirukkural with the scriptures of various religions we are doing a disservice to Tiruvalluvar himself by not giving importance to his worldly approach to the human welfare. His orderly treatment of politics in about 70 chapters and love in 25 chapters will suffice for a clear understanding of his main difference from the prophets and their teachings. It should be noted that unlike the founders and prophets of religions, Tiruvalluvar had no followers and he neither instituted any organisation nor headed any movement to spread and enforce his teachings;
I trust the Tirukkural Seminar will try at first to under stand the real nature of Tirukkural and its individuality from other great works of the world, by giving unqualified prominence to the happy life of the people and to the order of society in this world.
11. RELIGIOUS APPRAOCH 
TO TIRUKKURAL

Tirukkural is acclaimed as one of the greatest ethical works in the world. It has been translated into many classical and modern languages. This is the only book in Tamil known to the international community for the past two hundred years. Recently its popularity is on the increase in the national and international forums. In Tamil Nadu, Tirukkural, since its birth in the 2nd century A.D. has greatly influenced the literary world. It has been profusely quoted in all kinds of Tamil literature. There is no poet or scholar or speaker who is not indebted to Tirukkural for his beautiful expression and noble thoughts. It is no exaggeration to say that any Tamil work which has not borrowed something from Tirukkural will not receive the imprimatur of the Tamil people. It has become customary for a critic on any literary work in Tamil to point out the occurrence of words or ideas or similes of Tirukkural in that work in order to being out the scholarship of the author. Tirukkural has many commentaries and expositions to its credit. Even now new interpretation is pouring over several couplets. The establishment of three Tirukkural Chairs in three Universities of Tamil Nadu at the time of the Second World Tamil Conference in 1968 accelerated the study of this great work in different aspects. The installation of statue for Tiruvalluvar, not only in important places in Tamil Nadu but at Delhi, the capital of India, shows his growing popularity all over the country. It is worth mentioning that Tirukkural from the days of its composition has captured the minds of the different denominations of the world at large without any special movements or organisations for its propagation.
The fact that the world is giving due and deserved recognition to Tirukkural, an encyclopaedia on all aspects of morality, is no doubt a good thing to be welcomed; but at the same time whether the true and distinct merit of Tirukkural is rightly understood, I am sorry to state, is very much doubtful. Its basic structure and unique treatment of morals were hardly comprehended by the commentators of the middle ages and writers of the present day. It is very unfortunate that in the enthusiastic attempt to heighten the greatness of this work, scholars have not only failed to know its fundamental difference in the selection and arrangement of morals and in their application in life from other works of this kind but also misguided the public by attributing to it other notions to be found in other treatises. In my book ‘Valluvam’ written in Tamil in 1953 an attempt was made for the first time to point out the wrong conceptions traditionally held in respect of Tirukkural and to show how it should be interpreted and studied. It is gratifying to note that even though scholars are not prepared to give up the age long ideas, they have not come forward to question my views.

Tirukkural is not a collection of unconnected maxims. Well planned and arranged, it was composed by a single author with a purpose. All things relating to the individuals, the society and the Government have been systematically treated from the angle of human life. Spiritual aspects are not excluded but the stress is on spotless character and good conduct while living in this world. Valluvar is a theist. A citizen who is a devoted patriot of this country need not be a member of any political party. Similarly Thiruvalluvar is a pious worshipper of the Almighty without belonging to any religion. He is neither a preacher nor a prophet. His book is not a scripture of religious nature. It is his wish that men and women should lead a married life, enjoy conjugal pleasures, beget children, do household duties, earn money, serve the society, be good citizens of the country, practise detachment in life, worship God and so on. In 25 chapters of the third section he speaks of the enjoyment of sexual eongress between faithful lovers. A book dealing with the physical and mental aspects of love will not be regarded as scripture of holy book. The second section of Tirukkural is really a political science. The first section enumerates the kinds of morals to be followed by every individual. Among 133 chapters the first chapters alone is devoted to the description of Godship. All the rest are concerned with the mundane and spiritual life of the human being as an individual and a member of the society and the State.
The subjects spoken of in 133 chapters and the author’s approach to them bring home to our mind that the dominant note in Tirukkural is a happy, pleasant and prosperous life in this world with all good qualities and character. His book is out and out a treatise dealing with the behaviour of the human beings during their life time. No chapter has the subject of any religion within its fold. It is not its intention to refer to religions and their philosophical tenets, and point out the commonness in their doctrines. The author has nowhere attempted to effect a compromise between religions by saying that all religions should be treated as equal and good, as we do at present. Truly speaking in the days of Tiruvalluvar, religions had not exerted any significant influence on the individuals, society or Government. In the second section on Politics there is no reference to the religion to which the king and the subjects belong. Therefore I hold that to name Tirukkural as (bghJkiw) common Veda or Bible thereby attributing religious background to it is not wholly acceptable. Because of the faulty approach we failed to understand the worldly backgound on which this great book is based.
Tiruvalluvamalai, a garland of poems on the greatness of Tiruvalluvar, frequently compares Tirukkural with the four Vedas of Sanskrit and speaks highly of Valluvar for his ingenuity in explaining the four purushatas under three heads-virtue politics and pleasure (4, 8, 15, 19, 23, 24, 33, 37, 42, 43).
	x‹nw bghUbs‹Å‹ ntbw‹g ntbw‹Å‹
	m‹bw‹g MW rka¤jh®-e‹bw‹d
	v¥gh ytU« ïiagnt tŸStdh®
	K¥ghš bkhÊªj bkhÊ			       (â. khiy.9)
Kallatanar says that the followers of the six religions who always differ with one another on the doctrine of Godhead will accept unanimously the religious concept put forth by valluvar. This statement clearly shows that Tirukkural was considered as a religious work, acceptable to the various sects which were at loggerheads.
	njt® FwS« âUeh‹ kiwKoî«
	_t® jÄG« KÅbkhÊí«--nfhit
	âUth rfK« âU_y® brhšY«
	xUth rfbk‹ Wz®			(eštÊ. 10)
In this stanza of Avvaiyar who is supposed to have lived in the 12th century, Tirukkural is placed in the series of Saiva canonical literature.
What I wish to emphasise is that the religious approach to Tirukkural is fundamentally wrong, since religion is not at all its theme. The scholars of the middle ages, when religions and religious feuds were the order of the day, were ignorant of the milieu of the earlier age which gave birth to Tirukkural. Instead of rejecting the wrong expositions coming down from the middle period, we are still following their footsteps and giving the unjust title (bghJkiw) ‘common veda’ to Tirukkural. No argument is necessary for the statement that all mixims and morals will naturally be common to humanity. Ethical works are different from religious scriptures. Once this distinction is understood we will not commit again the same mistake our forefathers did in respect of Tirukkural whose main theme is the ordinary and orderly life of the people in this world. The highest virtue one should practise is purity of mind, the fountain head of all activities of  a man or a woman in any walk of life. The line ‘ita¤JŸ thœth§F thœgt‹’ (a man who lives as he ought to live in this world) is a clear proof of the view that Tirukkural stresses on the ways and modes a man should adopt during his life time here. Therefore to give Tirukkural the greatest ethical literature any religious colour and to call it  bghJkiw  needs to be discontinued. It is the highest moral work in Tamil written by a great thinker to be read and followed by men and women in this world.
12. TAMIL LITERATURE AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
After Independece we are very anxious to preserve our ancient culture and institutions and try to fit them in with modern developments. In every field we have a history and it is not improper to probe into our past and give our old methods a new life. In those days no physical education was imparted to the youth separately as a subject. Physical exercise was part and parcel of the daily life of all people. Women did many things needed for home like husking, winnowing, pounding etc., and men also did several kinds of manual labour like gardening, ploughing, hunting, mountaineering, swimming etc. As there were no cheap transport facilities as at present, walking to any place at any distance say 20 or 25 miles was undertaken with pleasure and east. Military training was more or less compulsory for adults even in villages. Every youth was expected to go to war if called for. The weapons used in war demanded strong limbs. Above all, girls loved only those who possesed physical stamina and proved to be heroes in the battle field. In the land of pasture called Mullai there was a custom named “subduing of bulls” in the community of shepherds. Youths who conquered the fierce bulls could conquer the hearts of the lovely maidens. A girl tells her friends that she will not consent to be married to a lad who fears the sharp horn of the bull, not merely in this birth but in any birth. We know that Desdemona loved Othello, the Moor, for his valiant acts. She loved him for the dangers he had passed through with courage. Poets never fail to describe the good physique of the heroes of their poems. The folded muscle of the masculine shoulder is likened in Tamil literature to the round shape of the pot. Compare the tendency of the present day when University diplomas have become the passport of love passage. Educated persons are in demand in the field of marriage. Mostly many of them are lean, fragile and feeble. The value of physical exercise goes down as academic education grows. A man without luggage is waiting for a bus in the evening, to go even a short distance through the distance may be covered by a pleasant walk. In ancient days all attached much value to manual labour. Their limbs were strong and beautiful. The saint poet Tirumular who lived in the 10th century has sung thus emphatically, “if the body becomes weak the soul also becomes weak and it is not possible to achieve self-realisation. I understood the rules of maintaining the health and developed not only my body but also my soul”. Shakespeare advises that “health is the vital principal bliss”. Juvenal the satirist. prays for a sound mind in a sound body. The first thing we should do nowadays is to bring home to the people of all ages the value of a robust constitution as fundamental of the art of life.
The body is the supreme machine and all the machines invented by human beings are only secondary and complementary to our body. Constant and regular exercise is now more necessary than ever, when people become machine-minded. Many educated persons prefer only office work under the non-stopping fan. Like adult education in the academic side, adult education in the subject relating to the body may be introduced.
I understand that one of the aims of the National Discipline Scheme is to revive indigenous physical activities. It is a good and laudable effort. I hope that anyone who is interested in this scheme may travel throughout India, visit the nook and corner of the remotest villages, collect information about the kinds of dances, games and sports, both indoor and outdoor and publish them with colourful pictures and details. The collection of this kind will not only be a personal pleasure but a real contribution to the development of physical education. It will also lead one to know the cultural heritage of our motherland and preserve them and pass them on to our posterity.
13. THE AGE OF TOLKAPPIYAM
1. To find out the age of Tolkappiyam does not appear to me to be so knotty a problem as many scholars think, if we are able to confine ourselves to certain infallible methods of research and unquestionable evidences, A school of thought has fixed its age at five thousand years B.C., as its upper limit; another school holds its age as the second half of the fifth century A.D. as its lower limit. Antiquity or proximity itself does not enhance or bring down the value of a book. To suppose that the more ancient a treatise is, the higher will be its value is a wrong notion. Even if we accept the supposition of the lower limit i.e., 5th century A.D. ascribed to Tolkappiyam it bespeaks its greatness.
2. In this short article it is not possible to discuss the various and different views on the subject in detail. My views regarding the period of  Tolkappiyam will be presented in a nutshell. All writers on this question have fundamentally erred in one aspect. They unnecessarily brought into play evidences and comparison from Sanskrit works like Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, Patajali’s Maha Bhashya, Berata’s Natya Sastra and Vatsyayana’s Kama Sutra. In making this comparative study, the scholars who hold Tolkappiyam as the work of Post-Sangam period have invaiably taken for granted that these Sanskrit works are anterior to Tolkappiyam. Similarly of ideas alone cannot stand as concrete evidence. Therefore, in the discussion of the date of Tolkappiyam the comparative study of common ideas should not be given more weight than it deserves.
3. In the Preface (Payiram) to Tolkappiyam the line “Aintiram niraita Tolkappiyam” has been subjected to severe criticism. Whether Aintiram (Iªâw«) is a book on grammar or religion is not yet settled, If it were a book, whether its language is Sanskrit or Tamil is to be studied further. I doubt whether Aintiram stands for a literary composition at all. The verb ‘nirainta’ (Ãiwªj) is supposed to mean “well-versed.” This meaning is not ordinarily acceptable. In the Preface, the President of the Academy, Atankottasan is praised to have been well versed in the four vedas as in the line “nanmarai murriya” (eh‹kiw K‰¿a). To denote intensive study, the verb ‘murriya’ is employed. If it were as Aintiram murriya or Aintiram payinra, the meaning will be clear. The verb followed by Aintiram in the Preface is ‘nirainta’ meanining “full of”. In Tolkappiyam (Suttirams 42 and 44) this verb is found to be used in this sense. To Quote a line which still needs clarity as evidence is not proper; I therefore desire to exclude Panamparanar’s Preface from my study.
4. In the chapter on Prosody (Seyyul), Tolkappiyar says that he is dealing with the metrical forms that are prevalent within the four directions of Tamil Nadu ruled by three kings - “t©òfœ _t® j©bghÊš tiu¥ò“. This historical allusion should be carefully examined. The historians of South India will know that, thanks to the Kalpras interregnum in the 3rd century A.D., the whole Tamilakam was in chaos and that afterwards there was no period when these three Tamil Kingdoms flourished simultaneously. In Middle ages there was the great empire of the Cholas and sometime the great empire of the Pandyas. But the kingdom of the cheras lost its entity and individuality. Therefore the reference in Tolkappiyam to the three Tamil kingdoms in glowing terms clearly indicates their existence before 2nd Century A.D. In the chapter on Purathinai also Tolkappiyam markes mention of the royal flowers of these three monarchs.
5. In the chapter on Akattinai, it is pointed out that love theme is entitled to be sung in only two form of prosody Kali and Paripattu. Thus rule enables us undeoubtedly to fix the age of Tolkappiyam prior to the existing Sangam works. Kalittokai and Paripatal which are included in Eight Anthologies are not accepted by many scholars as true Sangam works. Barring these two, all the other six anthologies contain poems of true Sangam Age. Of these six there are four Akam anthologies Ainkurunuru, Kuruntokai, Narrinai and Akananuru, having 1700 love poems. All of them are in Akaval metre. In Pattuppattu also there are four love poems of great length in Akaval meter. Should Tolkappiyar have lived after 2nd Century A.D. or after the birth of these anthologies, he would have certainly given due importance to the Akaval metre for the treatment of love theme. Therefore it may be inferred that Tolkappiyam had its birth before any of the Akam poems of the Sangam age found in the anthologies.
6. There is a view, acceptable to a certain extent, that some poems posterior to the Sangam Age have found a place in these Anthologies. But everybody will accept that Kapilar, Nakkirar and Auvvaiyar really belong to the Sangam age i.e. 2nd Century A.D.
1.	“rfl« g©l« bgÇJ bŒj‹nw”									-òw« 102-xsitah®
2.	“V‰Wty‹ caÇa vÇkUŸ mÉ®ril”
					-òw« 59 - e¡Ñu®
3.	“K‹òJuªJ rk« jh§fî«”
					-òw« 14 - fãy®
4.	“bgh‹dª â»Ç K‹ rk¤J cU£o”
					-òw« 362 - kh®¡f©nla®
5.	“rªJ ÚÉ¥ ò‹ KoªâLÄ‹”
					- kiygL - 393
6.	“gŠrhŒ¡ nfhiu gšÈ‰rt£o”
					- bgU«gh© - 217
In all these lines sung by true Sangam poets, r has occurred initiallty in a word. If Tolkappiyar had lived after these poets these occurrences could not have escaped his notice. He would have certainly postulated rules for the use of r as the initial sound commencing a word. Instead he has definetly mentioned r will not occur initially. This is an unassailable evidence that Tolkappiyam came into being before the existing Sangam stanzas. Likewise there is a large number of grammatical differences between Tolkappiyam and Sangam poems by which we may safely conclude that these linguistic differences developed later on, after Tolkappiyam. For many rules in Tolkappiyam, the existing Sangam works offer no illustrations and for many new developments in Sangan poems, Tolkappiyam has laid down no rules. This may be convincingly explained if we place Tolkappiyam in the age prior to the Sangam literature.
From this short study, I have proved that Tolkappiyam precedes all the existing Sangam works whose date is assigned to the second century A.D. This is its lower limit. Regarding its upper limit very critical study is necessary, lost it become mere guess and conjecture. I threfore confine myself now to the remark that Tolkappiyam is the oldest of all Tamil works we fortunately possess.
14. SOME THOUGHTS ON PALLAVA HISTORY
Thanks to the sincere and streanous efforts of great scholars. European and Indian, for a century and over, we have today a good and detailed account of the Histroy of the Pallavas of Kanchi. The Pallava dynasty was the first foreign dynasty which, after the glorious Tamil Sangam  age, penetrated into the northern frontiers of Tamil Nadu and established a long and peaceful sway over it. Nayanmars and Alwars who spread  Saivism and Vaishnavism respectively at the expense of Buddism and  Jainism, flourished in this period. The Pallavas were the pioneers of the Cholas and others in various cultural activities of a permanent nature. Because of its location in the northern part of the Tamil land, the Pallava Kingdom had political contacts with the Pandyas in the extreme south and with the Chalukyas of Badami and the Rashtrakutas of Malkhed in the Deccan. The Pallava sovereigns encouraged Sanskrit study, patronized Sanskrit poets and followed the Aryan thoughts and ideals in politics and religion. Mahendravarman I (615-630 A.D.) was the greatest of the Pallava monarchs. He waw an original thinker and a versatile scholar. His idea of changing the material for temple building from brick to stone opened new vistas for the rapid and charming growth of art and architecture in Tamilakam. His change of faith from Jainism to Saivism was a landmark in the religious annals of South India. All these features were thoroughly brought to light by a minute study of different sources-epigraphy, monument, numismatics and literature.
Notwithstanding such continuous and ardent penetration into the subject, a student of Pallava history still needs clarification and elucidation of many aspects. One of them is about the builder of the Adivaraha temple at Mallallapuram. Who was its excavator, Simhavishnu, the father of Mahendravarman, or Mahendravarman himself? This monograph purports to answer the question, after examining all doubtful points.
Several historians held the view that the cave at Mandakappattu was the first of its kind excavated by Mahendravarman. Father Heras says emphatically that “the Mandakappattu cave is undoubtedly the first cave carved by Mahendravarman, and incidentally the first cave temple ever carved in the Tamil Nadu, after the speciments seen in the valley of  Krishna. (Studies in Pallava History, p-80). This view is based on the inscription found in the cave itself. The English translation of it runs as follows :- ‘This is the temple caused to be constructed by the (king) Vichitra chitta a title of Mahendravarman) for Brahma, Isvara and Vishnu, without bricks, without timber, without metals and without mortar.” Inspite of this inscription whose interpretaion is, in my opinion, totally wrong, the earliest origin attributed to Mandakappattu cave is hardly acceptable.
It is a face accepted by all substantiated on many grounds that the cave temple at Sittannavasal was excavated by Mahendravarman I. In the early period of his reign, he was a staunch Jian. He supported the jains of Pataluputra a renowned Jaina seat of learning in the seventh century A,D, and acting on their advice, persecuted Appar for his desertion of Jainisam and conversion to Saivism. In fine, we see Mahendravarman too being proselytised to Saiva religion by Saint Appar and the Jaun monastery being demolished by the preselyte. The Periyapuranam narrates that the Pallava monarch built a temple to Siva at Tiruvadhikai out of the materials of the Jaina monastery. From these circumstances one may easily conclude that the Jaina cave at Sittannavasal came into existence before Mahendravarman became a zealot of Saivism. It was characteristic of this Pallava king to throw himself heart and soul into his religion. When he was a Jain he was pleased to dedicate the first rock-cut cave for Tirthankaras and decorate the entire cave with colourful pictures. He also graced the cave by allowing his figure and that of his queen to be portrayed on one of its pillars. As it was the first creation of his architectual genius, Mahendravarman, even after his conversion, left the Jaina cave with all its beauty intact; otherwise it would have received the same fate as the monastery of Pataliputra. This shows Mahendravarman’s love of art transcending his faith. The first cave hewn out of rock, at the instance of the Pallava king, without brick, timber and mortar must certainly be the Sittannavasal cave.

Let us revert to the Mandakappttu cave. This cave was consecrated to the Hindu trinity by Mahendravarman. He might have done so only after he embraced Saivism. Even then I do not hold the Mandakappttu cave as the first temple built by the king. It is natural to expect a convert to make his first dedication to the Supreme God of his new faith. I am of opinion that the first cave built by Mahendravarman after his conversion to Saivism, was the ont at Tiruchirapally. It was dedicated by him to Siva. One of the verses engraved in this temple refers to his conversion to Siva religion and his worship of Linga. The Tamil scholar, historian Mayilai Seeni Venkatasamy opines on inscriptional evidence that the figure of Mahendravarman once existed by the side of Linga in that cave Mahendravarman (P. 53 P.55). When in later days he developed catholicity for all sects of Hinduism, temples for other gods of the Hindu pantheon, i.e. Vishnu and Brahma, were built by him. In the light of the above explanation we have to interpret the stone inscription at Mandakappattu. We know that Mahendravarman built and dedicated several cave temples dispensing with brick, timber and mortar, to Siva and Vishnu separately, but only one to the trinity in common and that is at Mandakappattu. The emphasis in the inscription is not on the kind of the material of building but on the nature of dedication. The wording of the inscription clearly conveys this idea.
Now it is time for us to take the question about the builder of the Adivaraha cave at Mamallapuram. Its construction was attributed to Simhavishnu. If it were true, the honour for introducing stone building and rock carving would then go to Simha Vishnu. All historians agree in the view that Mahendravarman was the pioneer of this new system in Tamil Nadu. Unless Adivaraha temple is said to have been built by Mahendravarman, this view cannot hold good. I agree with the statement of Reverend Heras that Mahendravarman was the builder of the Adivaraha Temple.It was built by the king. I think, in memory of his father Simhavishnu whom the Udayendiram plates of Nandivarman II praise as “Bhakti Aradhita Vishnu Simhavishnu.” In this temple there are two carvings, one representing Simhavishnu with his consorts and the other Mahendravarman with his consorts. The difference in the posture of these figures unfortunately escaped the notice of the research workers. Simhavishnu is sitting on a pedestal, his wives standing on each side of him. This posture means that Simhavishnu was deified. On the other hand Mahendravarman is in a standing position. His wives are also standing behind him. This posture means that they are alive at the time of its construction. Moreover, Mahendravarman is represented as pointing his finger towards his father. The implication of this gesture is that the cave-temple is mainly constructed as a memorial of Simhavishnu. Another point to be noticed in this connection is the painted bust of Mahendravarman on the pillar of the Jaina cave at Sittannavasal. In this figure he is shown along with only one wife. But in the Adivaraha temple, Mahendravarman stands along with two wives. How are we to reconvile this position? One may also notice the youthfulness in the face of Mahendravarman’s figure at Sittannavasal as against his figure at Mamallapuram which shows his being older. These sculptural evidences lead us to decide that Sittannavasal cave was excavated by Mahendravarman when he was young and had only one wift and that the Adivaraha temple came into existence long after he empraced Saivism and was advanced in age.
15. THE CHETTIAR COMMUNITY - ITS CONTRIBUTION 
TO RELIGION

Tolkappiyar the ancient Tamil Socialogist has prophetically said that merchants are next in rank to kings in society. It is a historical fact that the cultural and religious institutions of Tamil Nadu would have been starved but for the incessant patronage of Nattukottai Chettiar community called “Thana Vanikar”, after the fall of the great Cholas and the pious Nayakas. The perfect maintenance of the sacred monuments in the Tamil country and the gradual spread of Saivism in the Far East are the chief contribution of this community to the preservation and development of Hinduism. This contribution is still going on and willbe ever going on.
Religious charity is the inborn characteristic of the Chettiar family. Whenever a business was started, a Chettiar would set apart a certain amount as fund in the name of the Almighty. There would be a separate account for the fund and a separate business also would be started out of this fund in order to multiply it. It is no exaggeration to say that a Chettiar is as much interested in the business conducted in the name of God as in his own business. His religious ambition is always broad and to put into practice his big scheme, a large fund is needed. He has therefore to do this two-fold business simultaneously. This is evident from the earliest inscriptional records called “Nakarattar Arappattayankal” edited by me with the help of Thiru K.PL.S.PL. Subramaniyam Chettiar of Nerkuppai. The oldest record belonging to the 16th century gives a detailed account of a devoted Chettiar Kumarappa, a salt trader, his allotment of a certain percentage of income in the name of Velayuthaswami of Palani as “makamai”, his salt business for God and for himself etc.
The contribution of the Chettiar community to Hinduism is varied and manifold. The big and small temples and kopurams built by the several dynasties of different periods were renovated by the Chettiars all over the country. New temples were also erected by them wherever necessary. Nakarattar temples of nine divisions are also magnificient structures. In every Nakarattar village one will find huge temples with many-sided activities. Anything needed for the temple service invariably attracts the attention of the Chettiars. Flowers and milk are two important things for worship in temple from morning till night. Freshness and purity cannot be assured if we purchase them. Therefore Nanthavanams (flower gardens) and Pasumadams (Cow-houses) are maintained by the Chettiars in the vicinity of the temples at great expense with good care. Patasalais for Vedas and Thevarams are conducted as a part of temple administration in order to chant and sing hymns during daily worship. In evey temple there are nathaswaram players and drum beaters. For all the employees, there are free quarters around the temple. Temples under the management of the Chettiars are self-sufficient in every respect.
It should be clearly borne in mind that temple renovation, temple construction, building of employees quarters and maintenance of other connected things were done by the chettiars from their own funds, individually or collectively. No government support had ever been sought. No supervisor was appointed to look after these contructions. The Chettiar would camp at the site and pay his personal attention to all matters, leaving his business in the hands of an agent. To make his contruction permanent is always a Chettiar’s cherished aim.
It may be humbly estimated that the religious contribution of the Chettiar community, in Tamil Nadu, in other parts of India and overseas countries like Burma, Ceylon, Malaya, Saigon would be more than Rupees fifty crores. In spite of this sincere and systematic service, the Chettiar community has never thought of fame and name. One can hardly find any inscription or any statue of the Chettiar-donor in the temples. self-effacement is the highest lesson of religion. The attainment of salvation lies not in earning a name but in doing one’s duty simply and selflessly. The sacrifice of the Chettiar community reveals their realisation of this essential doctrine of religion.
16. THE ANCIENT HISTROY OF THE NAGARATTARS
(FROM B.C. 2898 TO A.D. 1800)

PART I
(B.C. 2898 - A.D. 1565)
The first part of this article attempts to give a short account of the origin, spread and settlements of the Nagarattar or Nattukottai Chettiar community from the earliest times upto A.D. 1565. As the inscription of Poonkonrai Velankudi also known as Cundakkadu Velankudi in Ramanathapuram District which is the main and authentic record for writing this history covers the period mentioned above, this chapter confines itself to that period for the present. This inscription of great significance no doubt contains many a reference to the religious life of the Nagarattars and their social customs and manners. As these aspects need elaborate treatment separately this chapter intends only to summarise, analyse and explain the historical portions of it. The exact date of the inscription is yet to be studied on grounds of palaeography and linguistics; but considering the fact that the inscription gives the events only upto A.D. 1565, its date may be roughly fixed in and around the 16th century.
Four periods :
The history of the Nagarattar may be conveniently divided into four parts:
1. Prehistoric age :
upto B.C. 2898; Santiyapuri of Naganadu in Campuddivu - The original home.
2. Ancient period
B. C 2897 to B.C. 790 (2107 years); Emigration from Santiyapuri to Kancheepuram in Tondai Mandalam.
3. Early period :
B.C. 789 to A.D. 706 (1495 years); Emigration from Tondaimandalam to Kaviripoompattinam, Cholanadu.
4. Middle period :
A.D. 707 to A.D. 1565 (858 years); Emigration from Cholanadu to Pandianadu.
1. Pre-historic age upto B.C. 2898-Santiyapuri of Naganadu - the home of Nagarattar.
History :
The beginning of the Velankudi inscription says that the Vaisiyas of lunar gotra lived originally in the city of Santiyapuri of Naganadu in Campuddivu in the sea-girt world. They got the darsan of Gopatheesvaraswami, received dikshi from Sadasiva Peetam. worshipped Vinayaga made of emerald, dealt in precious stones and lived a wealthy and prosperous life. They received royal presents and royal honours. They embraced Siddanta Saivism, studied Sivagamas and Puranas, adorned themselves with sacred ashes and rudra beads and were doing charities of Siva dharma till kali 203 (B.C. 2898)
Explanations :
From the above inscriptional evidence we come to know that the original settlement of the Vaisiyas was Santiyapuri of Naganadu and their origin dates back to B.C. 3000. As no mention is made of the period of their occupation in Santiyapuri, it is to be taken for granted that Naganadu was their original home. No writer on the History of Nagarattars has ever placed their origin outside India. Campuddivu or Navalam tanpo lil, in Tamil generally means India.1 In some context it is used to denote only South India. Therefore the mention of Campuddivu in the inscription is a clear proof of the native origin of Nagarattar in India. To identify Naganadu is a problem. The cul of the Nagas had once spread throughout India, Ceylon, China and South East Asia. In Tamil Literature there are innumerable references to the Nagas and their culture. One of the Cankam poets who is supposed to have lived during the great war of Paratam is called Multinagarayar2 Manimekali (Circa A.D. 300) one of the five Tamil epics has many references about Naganadu, the Nagas and their customs and their relationship with Tamilnadu. This epic seems to have mentioned four Naga countries.3 From their description we come to know that three Naga countries mentioned in Kathais 8, 16, and 24 were surrounded by the waters and that the Naga country referred to in Kathai 9 was a land of 499 yojanas in the Dekkan area of Campuddivu, south of Tamilnadu. The lines run thus.4
	‘Tinkani naval onkumit tivitai
	inrel nalil irunila makkal
	ninrunatuk keita ninila venta
	poomi natukkurum poltat tinnakar
	nakanan nattu nanuru yosanai
	viyanpa talattu vilntuke teytum’
	‘Ô§fÅ ehtš X§FÄ¤ ÔÉil’
	ï‹nwœ ehËš ïUÃy kh¡fŸ
	Ã‹WeL¡ bfŒj ÚÂy ntªnj
	óÄ eL¡Fùc« nghœj¤ âªef®
	ehf e‹dh£L eh} ¿nahrid
	Éa‹gh jy¤J åœªJnf blŒJ«’
When we compare these lines in Manimekalai with the line ‘Camputtivatinkan atiyil nakanattile’ (r«ò¤Ôt¤â‹ f© MâÆš ehfeh£ony) in the Velankudi inscriptions, I am of opinion that 5000 years ago, the original home of the Nagrattar might have been in the submerged part of Naganadu in the Dekkan territory. Thus theory does not go against the traditional view that the Nagarattars were Tamilians. For, according to the Dravidian Linguists, the Dravidian tongues were spoken in many parts of India in those distant days. Therefore I cannot subscribe to the view held by A. Seshadri Sarma that Naganadu mentioned in the Velankudi inscription was nothing but Aruvalar nadu adjacent to Tondaimandalam in the north.5 Another view that the original home of the Nagarattars weas Kaverippumpattinam6 is also not acceptable for want of recorded evidence.
Proper names like Nagappan and Nagammai are still in vogue in Nagarattar community. In some Chettiar families secluded roomsa re kept for the movement of snakes and they are worshipped as deities. When snakes are dead, milk is poured into their mouths as obsequies. These customs in this community reveal their erstwhile relationship with Naga cult.
Yet another view that Nagarattars were the descendants of a Muhammandan man and a Kalla woman 7 is ridiculous. The birth of Islam was in the seventh century. A.D. whereas the origin of Nagarattar goes back to 5th millennium B.C. Again all the literture relating to this community unmistakably points to the fact that Nagarattars were staunch Saivites in all periods and that proselytisation is therefore out of question in their religious bent. Some other views quoted by Edgar Thurston regarding the origin of this community8 need not be discussed here as they are not worth discussing.
The worship of Maragatha Vinayakar is an important point to be remembered in the history of Nagarattar, since the preservation of this idol at all costs and continuation of its worship in all their new settlements are mentioned throughout the Velankudi inscription. The advent of Vinayaga in Tamilnadu is fixed in the seventh century A.D. after the victory of the Pallava Narashimhavaram I over Pulikesi II at Vatapi in A.D. 6429; but the Velankudi inscription mentions the worship of Vinayaga by the Vaisiyas even before B.C. 2896 in Naganadu. I, therefore, presume the existence of Vinayaga deity in Naganadu itself, north of Telugu country 5000 years ago.
The mention that the idol of Vinayaga was made of emerald shows that the Vaisiyas of those days were traders in all kinds of gems and that they were in affluent position.
As the Vaisiyas were rich, industrious, pious and charitable they expected royal honour (k‹Åiz kÇahij) and equal rank with the rulers. They never bargained their high status for profits. The preservation of their self-respect has been brought out in all events of the community. Cilappatikaram, the earliest Tamil epic which treats of the life of Kovalan and Kannaki, who are supposed to belong to Nagarattar class, mentions that Masattuvan, the father of Kovalan was given the status of being equal to the Chola king who ruled the extensive land10.
	perunila mulutalum perumakan talaivaitta
	orutanik kutikalotu yarntonku selvattan
	bgUÃy KGjhS« bgUkf‹ jiyit¤j
	xUjÅ¡ Fofnsh La®ªnjh§F bršt¤jh‹	
2. 	Ancient period B.C. 2897 to B.C. 790 (2107 years); 		Emigration from Santiyapuri to Kanchipuram in 			Tondaimantalam.
Histroy :
Due to the cruelty of the king of Naganadu, the Vaisiyas migrated to Kanchipuram in Tondaimandalam in Kali 204. The ruler of Kanchi, knowing their arrival, called for them and inquired of their antecedants. He asked them to reside there, bestowed royal honours on them and granted lands for temples and mutts. He permitted them to receive religious orders from ARunagiri Sivasankarachariyar. Accordingly, they lived in Kanchipuram, performed the puja of  Maragatha Vinayaga and continued their trade in precious stones. They lived very happily till kali 2311.
Explanations :
Neither the kind of cruelty nor the name of the king of Naga nadu who did it was specifically mentioned. Thus shows the honesty of the inscriber of the Velankudi stones, Because of the long interval he could not give more details.
The Vaisiyas in their new country led a respectable life for 2109 years till they tasted the highhandedness of Prataparasan in B.C. 790. The continuation of the same Vinayaga worship and the same trade should be noted.

3. 	Early period B.C. 789 to A.D. 706 (1495 years)
	Emigration from Tondaimandalam to 				Kaverippumpattinam in Choladesa.
History :
(a)   Due to the unjust and heavy punishments and fines imposed upon the Vaisiyas by Pradaparasan of Kanchi, they migrated to Choldadesa in Kali 2312 (B.C. 789). Manunidhi Cholan who was ruling that country called for them and enquired them of their history. In reply, they told the king all their past history and expressed their wish to go to Dakshinadesa (southern Country). On hearing them, the king said: “All of you may live in my country. We will bestow all royal honours upon you. We regard you as pradana Vaisiyas and you will be given the rare honour of placing the crown on us, thereby you will be called as Makuta Vaisiyas: you may reside in the east, west and south streets in Kaverippumpattinam, as the north street has residences for different vanikas. Thus the kind provided them with residential quarters gave them the lion flag, permitted them to display golden “tupi” on their buildings and to receive religious orders from Isanya Sivachariyar of Patanjali Kshetra in Chidambaram. Accordingly 8000 families lived there for a long time with loyalty to the king. They were called Rathinatanamakutavaisiyas (vaisiyas dealing in precious stones possessing great wealth and crowning the Cholas). They continued the worship of Vinayaka deity, followed the path of Saivism and erected Siva temples with Gopuram and tanks.
b)   As Poovanti Cholan who was the king of Chola nadu in Sali 596, Kali 3775 (A.D. 674) seized the Vaisiya women wockedly and imprisoned them. 8000 Vaisiya families, after entrusting only their male children to the care of their teacher Atmanatha Sastri and all their properties to him in order to bring up their children and perform the puja of Marakata Vinayaka, sacrificed their lives to save their honour, 1502 male children consisting of 600 children of 6 lines in the west street, 400 children of 4 lines in the south street and 502 children of seven lines in the east street were thus living under the guardianship of Atmanatha Sastri.
In Sali 605, Kali 3784 (A.D. 683) Poovanthi Cholan who was very aged, wished to celebrate the coronation of his son Rajabushana Cholan. For that he invited the Vaisiya sons who were brought up under the care of Atmanatha Sastri and requested them to crown his son according to the custom. The Vaisiya sons said, “O king! Thanks to your unrighteousness all our elders gave up their lives for honour. There are no women in our caste. Are we, the unmarried, entitled to place the crown?”.
Thereupon the king consulted Isanasivacharya, the Guru of Vaisiyas and other elders. They informed him that Dharma Sastra enjoined that Brahmins can marry women of Kshatriya caste, Kshatriyas can marry women of Vaisiya caste and the Vaisiyas can marry women of Vellala caste. The king then invited the Vellalas and their Gurus and explained to them the position.

The Vellalas were prepared to agree to his request on condition that this kind of marriage alliance should continue for ever and should be mutual also. The Vaisiya sons told decisively that they would marry the Vellala girls and not give their girls in marriage to them. At last the king and the Gurus who felt that the contention of the Vaisiya sons was ‘sastric’ made the Vallalas consent to their proposal. The Vellala chiefs finally agreed to it and requested that their girls should be permitted to receive Diksha from their Mutt Gurus. This was accepted.
c) 600 sons of six lines in the west street wedded the girls of Karkatta Vellalas. Tirunavukkarasu Gurukkal of Tiruvarur became the Diksha Guru for these girls. 400 sons of four lines in the south street married the girls of Kaniyala Vellalas. Sivagnanakkurukkal of Kumbakonam was appointed the Diksha Guru for these girls. 502 sons of seven lines in the east street married the girls of Soliya Vellalas. Nirampa Alakiya Kurukkal of Sri Vanjiyam was the Diksha Guru for these girls. After these marriages and appointments of Gurus, all the Vaisiyas placed the crown on Rajabhushana Cholan and received equal royal honours.
d) It was agreed between the Vaisiyas and the Vellalas that Vellalas would give Sridanam and other presents, female servants (Vellatti) would be provided to help the women, the Vellala uncle would have no right to do any rites, the uncles of two lines had the right of performing ceremonies and none but them would do any rite, auspicious or inauspicious. After this marriage alliance, the Vaisiyas came to be called as ‘Upayakula poopala Vaisiyas’, Rathina dana makuta poopala Varsiyas and chandra ganagakula Vaisiyas’. They enjoyed fame in the king’s court. They followed all Saiva practices and Sivadharmas and lived in happiness.
e) In Sali 622, Kali 3799 (A.D. 700) there arose a dispute between the Vaisiyas and the Vellalas about the order of preference in receiving sacred ashes etc. because of only one Guru for both the girls of the Vaisiyas and the Vellalas. Thereupon it was decided to appoint the eldest sons of the three Gurusthanas as the Gurus for the girls of the Vaisiyas for purpose of getting Dikshi and the like.
Explanation :
The third stage in the history of Nagarattar is very important in many respects. It is mentioned that at the time of their emigration to Cholanadu from Thondaimandalam i.e. in B.C. 789, Manunidhi Raja was the king of the Chola country. He was highly praised in the Tamil Literature and in the legend as an unparalled righteous ruler in the Chola country. His date is genrally assigned to the pre-historic times. When enquired about their history, the Vaisiyas told the king that they intended going to Dakshinadesam. This implies that they came to Kaveripoompattinam from the north direction i.e. Thondaimandalam. From the assignment of three streets for their occupation in the city, it may be presumed that the population of Nagarattar in B.C. 789 was considerable. This inscription specifically mentions for the first time that the community consisted of 8000 families. Three great honours, namely, crowning the king, the right of having a separate flag and the adorning thier houses with golden “tupis” were bestowed upon them by Manunithi Cholan. This shows their considerable influence on the political affairs of the State and their fabulous wealth earned by way of trade. The lion flag represents their bold adventures in the world of business and the golden domes on top of the bungalow indicate their affluent position. That the custom of placing the crown on the prince by some respectable families was not new to the Tamil culture is evident from the statment of Kampar that the sage Vashishta received the crown from the forefather of Sadaiyappar during the coronotion of Sri Rama.
From the chronological reference in the Velangudi inscription, we may calculate that the Nagarattar resided in Cholanadu altogether for 1495 years from B.c. 789 to A.D. 706. Thier life there went on happily without any interference from the successors of Manunithi Chola for 1462 years till A.D. 673. It seems that throughout this long period the Vaisiyas enjoyed all the previleges including the placing of crown at the time of coronation.
An irretrievable catastrophe fell on the Vaisiya community in A.D. 674 when Poovanti Cholan imprisioned all the Vaisiya women. The inscriptiom does not mention clearly the circumstances which forced the king to take the entire women folk including even infants as captives. Further, the inscription is silent on the question whether the king killed all the women or the males of the community did so on the ground of prestige when the ladies were freed by the king. That the male community of the Nagarattar was always hard and strict in the matter of the character of their women being involved is evident from the later portions of the inscription also. I therefore think that the total annihilation of the women community was done by the horrible act, all men of this community except those who were underaged, gave up their lives. At the time of migration to Cholanadu in B.C. 789, there were 8000 Nagarattar families pointing to a population of 32000 approximately. In A.D. 674 when the community lost the entire women folk and a majority of men on account of the atrocity committed by Poovanti Cholan there were only 1502 male children belonging to 17 lines.
Poovanti Cholan though aged was still alive. He might have repented for his unkind act. He did not want to deviate from the age-long custom during the coronotion of his son Rajabushana Cholan. Therefore he requested the living male children and their Guru and the Vellalas and their Gurus to consent to a new marriage alliance. What ever demerit of Poovanti Cholan the survival of the Nagarattar community to this day speaks of the good act of that king in his last days.
The Cholanadu was under the rule of the Pallavas for 3 centuries from 600 A.D. to 880 A.D. The Chola kings during these days were paying tributes to the Pallavas. Poovanti Cholan and Rajabushana Cholan may be supposed to belong to the insignificant periods in the Chola history of the middle ages, One of the Gurus appointed for Vellala girls is called Tirunavukkarasu. The reputed Saiva Saint Tirunavukkarasu Nayanar lived in the early part of the seventh Century A.D. Therefore the reference in this inscription to the Gurukkal of the same name in the later half of that century is historically acceptable.
The appointment of new Guru peetams separately for Vaisiya wives of the three Vellala castes is elaborately described in this period. It shows the consciousness of the women folk of their former vellala castes and their independent spirit in religious matters.
4. 	Middle period A.D. 707 to A.D. 1565 (858 years)
	Emigration from Cholanadu to Pandianadu
History :
a) Soundra Pandiyan of Pandiya country went to Cholanadu, met Rajabhushana Cholan and said; “During the rule of Kirtibhusana Pandiyan, our country was submerged upto Tiruppovanum due to deluge. The country suffered much during the rule of 18 Pandiyas. Because of the immigration of good citizens from different places, the land is becoming prosperous. Kindly give us some more good citizens and Vaisiya merchants. On hearing his request, the Chola gave hims some good citizens. He called for the Rathinadana makuta poopola Vaisiyas and asked some of them to go to Pandiyadesam to which they answered thus; “We living in three streets will be united wherever we are. There is no point in some of us being here and some of us being there’. Thereupon the Chola king told all of them to go to Pandiyanadu. They consented to go there, should the Pandiyan King promise in the presence of the Chola king to treat them with royal respect and protect them with kindness. The Pandian King assured a better treatment and agreed to provide them with residences in a contiguous area, to build temples and mutts for their gurus and to give them the right to maintain them. The Pandiyan took leave of Rajabhushana Chola and came to the village Omkarakkudi in his country along with Vaisiyas in Sali 629, Kali 3808 (A.D. 707).
b) As promised, Soundra Pandiyan allotted the territory west of the sea, north of river Vaikai, east of mountain Piranmalai and south of river Vellaru for the occupation of the three kinds of Vaisiya since that part was the living place of Vellalas. He granted Ariyur city and Piranmalai temple, Sundarappattinam and its temple and mutts for their gurus. After paying respect to them and blessing them he left for Madurai city.
c) As the Vaisiyas took their wives from different Vellala families, they found it difficult to be united in the long run. Ariyur city and Piranmalai temple were entirely allotted to the Vaisiyas of six lines. Sundarappattanam and its temple to the Vaisiyas of four lines and llaiyarrankudi Nagaram and its temple to the Vaisiyas of seven lines. It was decided to build a temple for Maragata Vinayagar - the deity common to the three Vaisiyas in the west street of Ariyur to perform all pujas there and to bear the expenditure in common. It was also decided to receive religious orders from the Achariya and Pandinadu as and when they liked, according to the direction of Isanya Sivachariyar.
After their advent to Pandiyadesam, the six lines Vaisiya were called Ariyurar, the four line Vaisiyas Sundarattar and the seven line Vaisiyas Ilaiyarrankudi  Nagarattar. Because of the situation of Ilaiyarrankudi Nagaram in the centre of the Nadu they alone came to be known as Nattukkottai Nagarattar.
(d) The three branches agreed that they would settle the disputes among themselves, they would worship only mothers, fathers, gurus, deities, vaithikas and other greatmen and that they never do obeisance to the rulers, the Brahmins who are employed and others. Soundarapandiyan promised them not to decree unjust punishment on them.
(e) Thus the seven line Vaisiyas of the Nattukkottai Nagarattar of Ilaiyarrakkudi were living united for some years. There appeared signs of quarrel among them. A majority of Nagarattars divided themselves into eight groups and approached the Pandiyan to give them separate temples to which he agreed: In Kali 3813 (A.D. 712) Marrurk kovil and Vairavanpattikkovil, in kalu 3815 (A.D. 714) Iraniyurkkovil, Pillaiyarpatti, Neman kovil and illuppaikkudikkovil and in Kali 3819 (A.D. 718) Curaikkudikkovil and Velankudikovil came into existence. Those who did not approach the king took possession of Ilaiyarrakkudi kovil and its temple properties.
(f) While the nine parties were maintaining their nine temples and their properties independetly, Karunya Pandiyarajan who went for hunting saw a girl 5 years old called Muthumeenal and took her to the city in his chariot. She was the daughter of Arunachalam, son of Muthuveerappa Chetti, Ilanalamudaiyan of Nemankovil living in Manicka broad street in Velankudi of Poonkonrai nadu. The nine divisions of Nagarattar, on hearing this news, convened a meeting and decided to give punishment to the girl imprisoned, according to their custom. They met the king and asked him to hand over the girl. He told them plainly that he would not have taken her, had he known her to be their girl. He feared that they would instantly put her to death, if he freed her. Finally he handed over the girl to them saying that they would have to pay a penalty of 8 heads and 8000 sovereigns if they killed her. Unmindful of the penalty they gave capital punishment to the girl on the way to their village. They met and discussed about the fulfillment of the punishment. They could find out seven heads, as the Nagarattar of Ilaiyarrakkudi consisted of seven lines. They found it difficult to get one more head. Finally Okkurutaiyar, one of the seven divisions of Ilaiyarrakkudi came forward to give one more head on the condition that Nagarattars should agree to give first respect to Okkurutaiyar in receiving all temple honours. Thus was unanimously approved. Then they daringly met the king and sought his punishment. The king took pity and told them that he was not prepared to earn infamy by taking the lives of those eight, as he had already become responsible for taking the life of a girl. He let them off with no punishment. To atone for the sin of having killed a girl, the Vaisiyas did service to temples, dug tanks, instituted festivals and endowed lands for dharma. They left that village and settled in Marrur and other villages.
(g) In the disturbances that took place in Kali 4389 (A.D. 1288) Ariyur was completely destroyed. 64 Vaisiyas living in the west street there strayed away and reached Malayalam country (Malabar) and settled in Kottarrankarai. They built a temple for Maragata Vinayagar. They are still preforming ordinary and special pujas.
(h) While Nagarattars of seven line were living in Nattarasankottai in Kali 4644 (A.D. 1543) some of the Vaisiya women were raped in the disturbance caused by the robbers. The Vaisiyas met their Gurus and sought their permission to kill the females according the custom of their caste. The Gurus advised them not to do so as the crime was committed with no will of theirs and as these kinds of crimes were pardoned by the Dharma Sastras. On the insistance of the Nagarattars, the Gurus finally gave permission to carry out the capital punishment and went away to the Ganges for holy bath. The Guru of Pandinadu did not return for 12 years. Some of the nine Nagarattars received Dikshas from the Guru at Tiruppunavayil. Some others waited for some more time till the return of their Guru. The expected Guru came back from Kasi to Kalamatam after 21 years in Kali 4665 (A.D. 1564). The Naarattars who were afraid of their transgression met the Guru of Pandinadu along with Ramanathaswami of Tiruppunavayil and told him that because of his long absence they received Diksai from Ramanathaswami and that they would obey his direction in future. Then the Guru allowed those who got Dikshs from Ramanatha Swami to continue so for ever. Accordingly, some families of Ratna tana makuta poopala vaisiyas were allotted to this Gurusthana in Kali 4666 (A.D. 1565). Mutts and other properties in Illanceri pattanam also called Kanakapuram were earmarked for it. From those days Kalamutt and Patharakkudi mutt known as Illancerippattanam have become Gurusthanas for males and Tulavur mutt exclusively for women.
Explanation
The final part of the Velankudi inscription actually deals with the present settlement of the Nagarattars from A.D. 707, the development of nine divisions from three and the establishment of three religious mutts. The inscription does mention the quarrels among the Vaisiyas of the three branches after their advent to Pandinadu  which resulted in the partition of temples and temple properties and in founding three mutts. That the women of Nagarattars who originally belonged to the Vellala castes continued to maintain their independence in the matters of religious orders from A.D. 683 is evident from their having a separate mutt in Tulavar to this day.
Three migrations are referred to in this record. The first two i.e. from Naganadu to Tondaimandalam and from Tondaimandalam to Cholanadu were caused by the cruelties of the rulers. During these two adverse circumstances, Vaisiyas migrated to other places along with their women. It is to be noted that when they felt humiliation at the hand of Poovanti Cholan who rudely imprisoned their wives, they did not wish to go to some other countries along with the women discredited but decided to give up their lives en mass.
The third emigration from Cholanadu to Pandinadu was due to the kind invitation from the Pandiyan King. The reason why the Chola king was willing to permit the Vaisiyas who were an asset to the country and whose hands crowned him at the coronation, to go away is not understandable. One may conjecture that the growing problems between the Vaisiyas and the Vellalas might have induced the former to leave Kavirippumpattinam where their wives were born. During the early three periods the inscription employs names such Vaisiyas, Rathinatana makuta Vaisiyas, Poopala Vaisiyas and so on. Only in the last period, the word ‘Nagarattar’ is used. From this record we clearly understand that ‘Nagarattar’ at first meant only the residents of Ilayarrakkudi nakaram. The phrase ‘Nattukkottai Nagarattar’ also meant in the beginning the residents of the same place. For the first time here we come across the usage of ‘Chetti’ as caste name.
In the description of the Nagarattar history the inscription names seven kings (1) Prataparasan of Tondaimandalam (2) Manunithirasan of Choladesam (3) Poovanti Cholan (4) Rajabushana Cholan (5) Soundarapandiyan (6) Kirtibhushana Pandiyan and (7) Karunyarajan. It also refers to some occurrences (1) the destruction of Tiruppoovanam by flood, (2) the destruction of Ariyurppattam in a disturbance in Kali 4389 (A.D. 1288) and 93) the disturbance caused by robbers at Nattarasankottai in Kali 4644 (A.D. 1563). Some villages and cities associated with the names of kings are found in this record. Onkarakkudi the first village of the sojourn of the Vaisiyas on their arrival in Pandinadu is yet to be identified. To identify it with Karaikkudi is not convincing. All these references need further study and elucidation.
This record points out one more migration of a group of 64 Vaisiyas to Malaiyalam in Kali 4389 (A.D. 1288) due to a local disturbance and it reminds us of the possession of Marakata Vinayakar by them. This indicates that the history of the Nagarattars will not end with the history of the Chettiars residing in Tamil nadu. It would be worthwhile to study the history of these people who are now in and around Nagerkoil. It will be interesting to know that “Talaimuraikal” a novel written by Neela Padmanapan depicts fully the life of Iraniyal Chettiar now residing in the border of the Kerala State.
PART II
(From A.D. 1565 to A.D. 1800)
In Part I have narrated the history of the Nagarattars from B.C. 2898 upto A.D. 1565 on the basis of the traditional record known as Poonkonrai Velankudi inscription. Three migrations (1) from Santiyapuri to Tondaimandalam (2) from Tondai mandalam to cholanadu and (3) from Cholanadu to Pandianadu, the founding of nine temples and the establishment of three mutts were chronologically delat with in that article. The eight Nagarattar records or pattayams of Palani were published by me with necessary introduction in 1961 when I did not attach much importance to them. Now I am surprised to find that they offer ample data to continue writing of the Nagarattar history from the period where the Velankudi inscription left.
The eight Palani records are:
1. 	Nirampa Alakiya DesikarPattayam 		A.D. 	1627
2. 	Palani Temple Current Table 		A.D. 	1670
3. 	Seven Nakarattar Dharmasasanam 		A.D. 	1680
4. 	                      do. 		A.D. 	1766	
5. 	                      do. 		A.D. 	1788
6. 	Piranmalai Adeenam Current Table 	A.D. 	1800
7. 	Adeenam Pattapiseka Table 		A.D. 	1802
8. 	Matavalaya Dharmasasanam 		A.D. 	1805

In these pattayams, the Salivahana era, Kali era and Tamil era are mentioned. In pattayams Nos 6 and 7 there is no mention of any era. (Salivahana era + 78-Christian era. Kali era-3101-Christian era).
The style of the Velankudi inscription is mostly in literary Tamil whereas these Palani pattayams are written in spoken tongue. The former purports to cover the longest period (about 4450 years) of the history of the community in four different countries a Naganadu (b) Tondaimandalam c) Chola nadu and d) Pandi nadu. The prehistoric portion of that inscription is dark and obscure. On the other hand the Palani Pattayams give only an account of the two centuries (A.D. 17th and 18th) in Palani proper. It is to be noted that the Nayaks of Madurai and the two Maruthu Pandiyas of Sivaganga actually ruled this part of the country. These records frequently refer to the names of the rulers. A resume of the records is given below:
1. Nirampa Alakiya Desikar pattayam narrates (a) the event in the presence of Chola king which led to the establishment to a separate mutt (Tulavur) in Pandi nadu for the vellala girls who married the males of the Nagarattars (b) the contribution (makamai) given by Kumarappan of Nemankoil and his wife Velatti Cittal from the profit of the salt trade and (c) the first respect shown to him in Kunrakudi as in Palani. It is to be remembered that the Velankudi inscription ends with the mention of three mutts, two for males and one for girls and that this pattayam points to the maintenance of the Tulavur mutt for girls with the help of Kumarappan. Hence the continuity.
2. Palani Temple Current Table eleborately states the humble beginning of salt trade by one Kumarappan, sone of Kuppanchetty of Nemankoil Ilanala division in Palani, the help he received at the hands of Deivanayaka Pandaram and his wife Parvathi, makamai contribution to Velayuta swami, salt business followed by Chettiars of other temples, the ways through which kavati was taken, the cure of chronis stomachache of the wife of Nattalinkama Nayaka by Kumarappan, her going to his house to express her gratefulness, the grant of two spears by the Nayak and the order of temple respect to Kumarappan and others.
The Kavati starts from Kandavarayanpatti though Maruthu Toppu, Singampitari, Sevakapperumal koil, Campatti, Kovilpatti, Dindukkal and reaches Palani. The names of these places are still in vogue.
Three Nayaks, Visayakiri velayutha cinnappa Nayak, Nattalingama Nayak and Mittalingappa Nayak are mentioned. In the history of Madurai we do not come across these names. They might have been local officials. This pattayam reveals that the Guru Desikar of Isanya mutt wore margosa garland and held fish banner to show that he was the religious Guru of Pandiya Maharaja.
3-5. Seven Nagarattar Darmasasanas begin with an account of the cosmogony in the puranic way. New references to the greatness and wealth of the community are given. It is said that Nagarattars weighed the elephant with gold and stopped the Kaveri flood by the gunnies of cotton. Offer of golden anklet to the poetess Avvai for her sweet Tamil, her blessing in gratitude with the words ‘maticcelai peruka’ (may the money purse overflow), the golden covering of the Kampanar temple, coral pillar at the marriage entrance, golden rope for ordinary well-rope, crowning the three kings in Chola nadu, holding lion flag etc. are referred to in these Sasanas. One of them corroborates the two incidents mentioned in the Velankudi inscription i.e. (1) the atrocity of the Chola king towards a girl of this community which resulted in the emigration to Ilayattankudi and (2) the offer of one more head by Okkurutaiyan to fulfil the punishment of the king and the first respect shown to that kovil.
These sasanas elaborately deal with the expanding salt trade begun by Kumarappan of Nemankoil, his spiritual feats, his contribution to the welfare of the religious mutts, his everlasting gratefulness to Deivanayaka Pandaram and his progeny and manifold respects he and one Kuttaiyan received from the Gurus and other Nagarattars.
The fourth sasana contains many historical references. It enumerates several kings of Vijayanagar empire such as Krishna Rayar, Sadasiva Rayar, Saluva Rayar and so on and the rulers of the Nayaks of Madurai beginning from Viswanatha Nayak the founder of this kingdom upto Tirumalai Nayak and Maruthur Pandiyans junior and senior.
The two great Pandiya warriors who fought vehemently against the British are said to have put some political questions to one Kuttaiyan who was posessed by the grace of Muruga and received satisfactory reply from him. It seems that Nayaks and Maruthu Pandiyas directed the Nagarattars at Palani to come to an agreement in matters of getting temple respect.
	6. 	Piranmalai Adeenam Current Table.
	7. 	Adeenam Pattapiseka Table.
The sixth sasana points out the duty enjoined on the guru Pandaram, Kumarappan and Nagarattars and the respect given to Kuttaiyan of Iranikkoil. The seventh sasana mentions the objection raised by Annamalai, son of Arunachalam Chetty of Pattanasami division of Iilaiyattankudi to the special respect shown to one individual Kumarappan against the age-long custom of bestowing that respect to Nagarattar in general. After the explanation from the Guru in regard to the continuous and selfless services of Kumarappan and his spiritual attainment. Annamalai, like 21 Gotras, accepted the new proposal in the matter of rank and order.
8. Matavalaya Dharma sasanam registers an agreement made between Kulandaivelu Pandaram and Seven Nagarattars for the purchase of a plot to construct a 31 pillared stone mandapam. This sasana refers to the visit of Tondaiman, king of Pudukkottai, to the house of Muttappan of Sivappatti, on hearing of his spiritual grace and his grant of a copper spear to Muthappan’s Temple house.
It is pleasant to note that the four families relating to the four great spiritual men honoured by the Gurus, the Nagarattars and the kings as narrated in these sasanas are still living at Nerkuppai, Kandanoor, Karaikkudi and Melasivarppatti respectively and that they are going to Palani every year to worship Velayutasamy with religious fervour.
Some noteworthy points in these sasanas:
1. Pulli is an important term in the Nagarattar community life. For the first time this term occurs in the second sasanas as Pulli and ‘Pullikkasu’. It clearly says that every ‘Pulli’ of Nagarattar should give some amount agreed upon for the maintenance of the religious functions at Palani. In other sasanas also this term is used in connection with the collection of contribution for that purpose. That pulli is a word equivalent to kudi is evident from the fourth sasana where the line runs . ‘ïªj go¡» Fo¡» fšahz«’.  Thus we definitely come to know that this term came into use from A.D. 1670. It is to be remembered that the great velankudi inscription does not mention this term.
2. Vellatti is another important world in this community. The Velankudi inscription refers to the marriage of the Vellala girls of the thre divisions with the Vaisiya males of the then existing three classes. In the Marriage Agreement which is known as Isaikuti manam (ïirFo khd«) a traditional line occurs thus (btŸsh£o¡F¥  gz« 30)  (30 panams to Vellatti). Some writers are of opinion that Vellatti means female servant (ntiy¡fhÇ) Pillaiyarpatti Talavaralaru by Saw Ganesan p.59. In the first sasana ‘vellatti’ clearly means wife. The wife of Kumarappan is called as ‘Vellatti Cittal’ The word Acci  (M¢á) used nowadays is not found.
3. In the Marriage Agreement referred to above, we will find the sentence like (KUf¥g br£o åu¥g®, mUzhryŠ br£o uhkehj®) and the like. Even in the ‘Moy’ account written at the time of marriage, the community uses this kind of sentence. It is not traditional to say like  KUf¥g br£o kf‹ åu¥g®, mUzhryŠ br£o kf‹ uhkehj®.  In the sasanas under reference which are dated before A.D. 17th century we find similar usage like eh¢áa¥g br£o K¤J¡fU¥g‹, K¤JtLf‹ br£o åu¥g‹  and so on.
4. Nagarattar, Chettiar, Chetty, Chettippillai are frequently employed in these sasanas unlike the Velankudi inscription in which they are mostly mentioned as vaisias.
5. In the third sasana some festivals like Deepavali, Tirukkarthikai, Pillaiyar Chaturthi, Sivan Ratri are mentioned.
6. In the fourth sasana which has many historical references Rupee (%ghŒ mŠR) coin has found a place.
7. The contribution of the Chettiar community to the growth of Tamil is known to the Tamil world. In these sasanas there are references to their love of Tirukkural (tŸSt kiw) and Tirumantiramalai (âUkªâukhiy). In three sasanas their patronage of Tamil by giving golden anklet to Avvai and by constructing Kampanar temples with golden plates is brought out.
8. The worship of Vinayakar of emerald which began ever since the community came into existence continues in this period also.
The eight Palani sasanas do not refer to the activities and kinds of trade of the Nagarattar in other places. They confine only to the salt trade started by Kumarappan at Palani and the subsequent development in religious fields at that sthala. They assert clearly the royal recognition-k‹Åid kÇahij of Velankudi inscription received by this community even in this period under reference.













STATE|MENT GIVING ALL IMORTANT INFOR
  


 1	    2	 3	  4	    5	      6		     7

Upto	upto		B.C.		Naganadu	Original
203	203		2898		Santiyapuri	home
204	204		B.C.	Pratapa	Tondaiman	First emi
			2897	rasan	dalam		gration 
					Kanchi-	due to the
					puram		curelty of
							Naganadu
							king
	2312	Viro	B.C.	Manu-	Cholanadu	Second
		thi	789	nithi	Kaverippum	emigration
				cholan	pattinam	due to the
							cruelty of
							Kanchi King
596	3775		A.D.	Poo	    do		Imprison
			674	vanti			ment of
				cholan			Vaisiya wives; 								males and
							females gave 								up their lives 								except 1502 								male children 								of 3 divisions
605	3784		A.D.	Raja	      do.	Coronation
			683	bhushana
				Cholan



17. COMPARATIVE 
DRAVIDIAN LITERATURE

My first duty is to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the organisers of the All India Oriental Conference for having elected me to preside over the Dravidic Studies Section of the 29th session and given me an opportunity to meet the scholarly Jambavans of the Dravidian family and share my views with them. I am extremely thankful to Dr. S. Shankar Raju Naidu, Professor of Hindi, University of Madras and Mr. R.N. Dandekar, the General Secretary of the Conference for their help in my election to this exalted position.
At the commencement of the session it is our duty to pay our homage to the two departed souls who had contributed much to the development and greatness of Dravidic studies.
Professor Suniti Kumar Chatterji who passed away on 29-5-1977 was the Chairman of the Sahitya Academy of India and the National Professor of Humanities. He was the President of the Dravidian Linguistics Association. He was closely connected with the activities of the linguistics Centre of the Annamalai University. His book ‘The Origin and Development of the Bengali Language’ has been a model for the linguists of India. We associate ourselves with the sentiments expressed by Professor V.I. Subramaniyam in the glowing terms: “His embracing personality and the gift of recognising merit wherever it is, found for him many young men who gratefully remember his help in their academic upliftment”.
Mahakavi G. Sankara Kurup who breached his last on 2-2-78 was the Jnanapitam awardee for his best work Oda Kuzhal in 1966. His poetry revealed the mystery and majesty of the universe. He was the President of Kerala Sahitya Academy.
Dravidic
Our section is called Dravidic section. What is meant by ‘Dravidic’? What are the frontiers of the Dravidic studies? It is generally held that the study of the Dravidian languages and culture has its jurisdiction only over the physical contours of the four southern States of India-Tamil Nadu, Keralam, Andhram and Karnatakam. No doubt the major four Dravidian languages are now spoken in these regions. But historically speaking, the roots and branches of the Dravidian Culture are to be found in many parts of India and the world. That is why Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam have conducted World Conferences and scholars of different countries participated in them. We know that Tamil is the official language not only in Tamilnadu but in Ceylon, Singapore and Malaya also and that four World Conferences were held for Tamil. Arrangement is being made to convene the fifth World Tamil Conference shortly by the Tamilnadu Government.
The growing linguistic researches have shown that Dravidian Languages had once widely spread throughout India and that the existing pockets of these languages in Northern States are a clear proof of this theory. During Dr. Caldwell’s time only six were enumerated as uncultivated languages. Now it has increased to 20. Brahui spoken by about 4 lacs of people in Pakistan, Afganistan and Iran belongs to the Dravidian family. It is gratifying to note that the Dravidian Linguistics Association D.L.A. has deputed a scholar to survey and study this language on the spot, K.C.A. Gnana Giri Nadar, a noted polyglot in his book ‘Tamil-its contribution to the European Languages’ has made a beginning showing 200 Tamil roots found in Greek and Latin words and their derivatives and cognates in the modern Western Languages. Dr. K.P. Aravanan in his recent book. “Sentamil, Senegal and Senghor” has well established the close affinity of the Dravidians and Africans on grounds of culture, language and tradition. Seizing the importance of the subject, I am glad to mention, that the Institute of Kannada Studies, Mysore has decided to offer a course in Afro-Dravidic studies and provide facilities for doing research in that area.
World Culture
Regarding the finds at Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, the Finnish scholar Dr. Asko Parpola has come to the conclusion that the Indus people was Dravidians and that their religion had prominent astral features. This view has added support from literature also. The ancient Tamil epic Cilappatikaram praises moon and sun in its invocatory verses. During his recent visit to Madras, Dr. Nikita Gurov, a Soviet Indologist who has made a special study of the Indus script has expressed the view that ancient Tamil Literature and Telugu folklore point to a wave-like emigration of cultural groups of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation to the South, that the language of the Indus Valley in which no prefixes occur, attributes precedes nouns and inflexional increments are used in the oblique cases corresponds to the Dravidian type. Thus we see foreign scholars particularly Soviet Scholars who do not believe in religions and legends are interested in deciphering the Indus hieroglyphic script and identifying its type of culture. But it is regrettable that no South Indian Universities have evinced any keen interest in the investigation of this Proto-Dravidian Culture, at least by offering a course in this subject and training some Dravidian students to interpret our literature and legends in relation to Indus valley excavations.
The above references to World conferences for Dravidian Languages, linguistic pockets in North India, Africo-Dravidian relationship, Mohenjo Daro Harappa civilisation etc. are purposely made by me to assert that Dravidian culture is a world culture embracing all directions within its fold and that the term Dravidic means a type of civilisation in any region of the globe. In the study of Dravidology a wide comprehensive outlook and approach is necessary. To attempt to treat this culture as if it were confied to the limited areas of the present four States in South India will be an injustice to the subject itself. The language Departments of the South Indian Universities should realize the ubiquity of Dravidian culture and impress upon the students of M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D.the Dravidian contribution to the ancient world culture.
The modern development of major Dravidian Language in all kinds of literature is significant and noteworthy. We, the sons of the Dravidian family feel proud to mention that all the major Dravidian languages - Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil have received Jnanapida awards and that Kannada language had the good fortune of getting the highest literary Indian award twice.
Tamil
Tamil is the first Indian Language to bring out an encyclopaedia in ten columes. The Tamil Development Council has a plan to revise and reprint them at a cost of 70 lakhs. Dr. N. Subbu Reddiyar a well known Tamil writer on modern science is now the Chief Editor of this new edition. The University of Madras which has earned the reputation of bringing out Tamil Lexicon in 1936 and English-Tamil Dictionary in 1963 has now taken up a Tamil - English Dictionary project. This is directed by Dr. C. Balasubramaniyam. The Tamil Lexicon also is in the process of revision. The Annamalai University which completed the stupendous task of publishing 16 variorum volumes of Kampa Ramayanam is engaged in editing Uttarakandam with commentary as follow up work. The first volume of this work was published. The second part of the History of Tamil Poets - another project of this University will be available shortly. The Madurai University, the youngest of the Tamilnadu Universities has published a new edition of Akattinai Iyal in Tolkappiyam with old and new commentaries. The Tamil Department of the University which has a special interest in the study of folk literature has published some old ballads.
The contribution of the Tamil Department of Kerala University to both Tamil and Malayalam is very significant. Dr. M. Ilaiyaperumal has translated Tamil grammatical works Thokappiyam, Nannool and Viracoliyam into Malayalam and Malayalam works Leelavati ahd Kerala Paniniyam into Tamil. For comparative study these translations are immensely helpful. This Department is encouraging M.A. students to publish their dissertations which are also valuable. The Department of Sri Venkateswara University has published some excellent books on Vaishnavism and seminar papers on Tirukkural, Cilappatikaram and Ramayanam.
The International Institute of Tamil Studies is serially bringing out books on Tamil Literary theories. Its publication “Dissertations on Tamilology” is a useful reference book. Dr. S.V. Subramaniam, Director of the Institute has recently edited the grammatical work Tonnul Vilakkam of Fr. Beschi. Thiru M. Arunachalam, Director, Tamil-Sanskrit and other Indian Languages has so far published 11 volumes on the History of Tamil Literature singlehanded. His monumental works are extremely useful for researchers. This Institute has undertaken ‘The Study of Campu Kavya in Tamil and Sanskrit and’ The Study of Lexicography’ in Tamil and Sanskrit.
Dr. V. Sp. Manickam, Director, Centre for Tamil Development and Advanced Research, Karaikudi has taken up the project ‘A comparative Literature of the Dravidian’. The Literary works of the ancient and medieval periods will mainly be taken for comparative study.
The All India University Tamil Teachers’ Conference has brought out 7 volumes of Ayvukkovai containing more than 800 papers on all subjects of Tamilology. Young scholars are encouraged to write articles to this publication. It is needless here to mention the output of publications of seminar papers by all educational institutions.
Publishers have always played a prominent role in the productions of books on all subjects of a language. The Saiva Siddanta Kazhagam, Parinilayam, Manivasakar Noolakam, Vanathi Pathipagam, Tamil Puthkalayam, Meenakshi Puthaka Nilayam and Poompukar Pirasuram - to mention a few - are interested not only in publishing modern works but also works of classical period as cheap editions. The Tamil Research students are really fortunate in having a well equipped library of international fame- Maraimalai Atikal Noolagam - ably managed by Saiva Siddantha Noor pathippu Kazhagam.
The present Tamil Nadu Government is creating a new climate for popularising Tamil literature and Tamil culture. Tamil Scholars are publicly honoured. Indigent Tamil Pandits are given regular monetary assistance. The State Government itself is arranging for the festivals of Tamil Poets like Tiruvalluvar and Bharatidasan. Thiru M.G. Ramachandran, the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu has instituted from this year onwards “Bharatidasan Virudhu” of Rs.10000 to be awarded annually for popular poets in Tamil. Poet Kannadasan has been appointed Poet Laureate. He will be paid a honorarium of Rs.1000/- per month. Private Charities like M.A.C. Charities are also awarding annually Rs.10000 as Tamil prizes for best writers on literature, music and Arts.
Malayalam
The Kerala State Institute of Encyclopaedic publications has planned to publish “An Encyclopaedia of Dravidian Culture” in 10 volumes. The proposed magmum opus will contain detailed information about the philosophers, saints, tourist centres and important events in South India, besides the languages spoken by the different hill tribes. The first volume of the Malayalam Encyclopaedia was released in May, 1978. We are happy to know that out Prime Minister Moraji Desai inagurated the Ulloor Research Centre and the Vallathol Birth Centenary Celebrations at Trivandrum. The Department of Malayalam of Madurai University is doing research on the Message poems in Tamil and Malayalam and the folk dances of South India. The Dravidian Linguistics Association of Trivandrum is doing yeomen service to the cause of Dravidian languages. Though its main objective is to do higher research on their linguistic aspects it has published two books on literature- “A history of Malayalam Metre” and “The commenness in the metres of the Dravidian languages”.
Kannada
The Institute of Kannada Studies, Mysore has started M.A. course in folklore. One of the subjects in the M.Phil. Course in this Institute is translation. The 10th volume of Kannada Encyclopaedia, the first volume of the Subject Encyclopaedia and the fourth volume of the History of Kannada Literature are to be published shortly. The Centre of Kannada Studies of the Bangalore University is about to start a new course - Comparative Literature in M.A. I hope literature of Dravidian Languages - cultivated and uncultivated-will be given due prominence. The annual features of this Department is to bring out the year book of Kannada Literature containing useful information for nothing the progressive development of its literature.
The Kannada Department of the Madurai University has undertaken some projects relating to comparative study. Translations of Tirukkural and Porulatikaram in Tolkappiyam into Kannada are in progress. A Tamil-Kannada bilingual Dictionary is also planned. The Department of Kannada, Madras University has published a translation of Periya Puranam (vol. 1). A comparative study of Kannada grammar Subdamanidarpana and Tamil grammar Tolkappiyam is in progress. The Department is engaged in reediting Kittel’s Kannada Dictionary.
Telugu
The Departmentof Telugu, Osmania University has published “A concordance on Srinath’s Works”. It is preparing a critical edition ofPadma Purana. The Telugu Department of Madurai University, in colloboration with Departments of Tamil and Kannada, has undertaken a project “A comparative study of the biographies of Saiva Saints. A Telugu translation of Tirukkural and a Dictionary of Tamil and Telugu are under preparation.

I have given above only a brief account of the progress of the major Dravidian languages in respect of research and publications to show that the Language Departments of the Universities have made some significant contributions to their respective fields with the limited resource available and within the framework of the Universities. It is to be remembered that these Departments are spending much of their time in teaching post-graduate classes and in guiding M.Phil and Ph.D. candidates. What they have done with the skeleton staff is commendable.
Dravidian Comparative Literature
At the conclusion of my Presidential address, I should like to point out two important things for all round development of the Dravidian literature (1) greater attention to the literature of the minor Dravidian and (2) Comparative study of Dravidian literature. The study of Dravidology has many facets. Dr. Caldwell, Kittel, Gundert, Arden Dawson, Beschi, Graeter, Hodson, Pope, Jules Block, Burrow, Emeneau, L.V. Ramasamy, Bh. Krishnamurthy, S.K. Chatterji, Venkatarajulu Reddiyar and a host of others were specially interested in the research of the linguistic aspects of the Dravidian family. Departments of Dravidian Linguistics were started in many Universities. Dravidian students received higher training in linguistics abroad.
The Centre of Advanced Study in Linguistics, Annamalai University has published several books on Dravidian languages including Toda, Kodagu, Malto, Gondi and Kolami. The Dravidian Linguistics Association, Trivandrum is actively engaged in the comparative study of the Dravidian linguistic features and has brought out some outstanding works. Because of the strenuous effort made by foreign and Indian scholars for over a century the comparative study of the Dravidian family of languages has become a world wide research subject. It may be said to the credit of these scholars that they have paid equal attention to the investigation of the uncultivated Dravidian languages and dialects also.
On the other hand, no attempt has been made on the comparative study of the Dravidian literature. No scholar has seriously thought of that kind of approach. Language Departments in the Universities are doing research only in their own sphere of literature. As things stand, they are not blameable. New institutes and centres for research in the broad field of the Dravidian Comparative Literature should be started. Classical literature of one Dravidian should be translated into the others. Now the material available for this is very scanty. When we speak of the Dravidian we are having in mind only the four major languages. This is unfortunate and unfair. For broad comparison and definite conclusion, literature mostly folklore of the uncultivated Dravidian should also be made available in all major Dravidian Languages in translation.
The Dravidian culture has its own distinctive characteristics in poetry, grammar, religion, philosophy, art etc. One world outlook, kindness to all beings, social harmony and adjustment and good conduct in life characterize this culture. Proper understanding and appreciation of the high thoughts of the Dravidian is good for India and for the world. We know that the Dravidian civilisation, one of the oldest of the world civilisations stood for test of time and that it is still a living culture. These distinct and noble ideals are preserved in their literature. Therefore a comparative study of the Dravidian literature - poetry, grammar, Kavyas, Puranas, Prabandas, hymns, drama and folklore - is to be taken up extensively and intensively, in order to rcognise it as a world literature. For this lofty cause I hope the Government of India and the four Southern States will come forward to start Centres of comparative study of Dravidian Literature. The Universities also may offer this topic as a course of study in M.A. and encourage research students to take up comparative study in Dravidian Kavyas, Dravidian Prabandas, Dravidian lyrics and so on, you will be glad to know that the Centre for Tamil Development and Advanced Research of which I am the Founder-Director has made an attempt to survey and study the new research field-Dravidian comparative Literature and that the three aspects - Dravidian Kavyas, Dravidian ethical literature and Dravidian Folklore will be at first taken up for comparison. We invoke the blessings of the Gods and deities praised in the Dravidian Literature for its preservation and glory.

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A Study of Tamil Verbs

First Edition - 1972






Published by Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, 1972


























































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