Tamil Literature

Tamil literature

For our purposes, the Tamil literature  may broadly be classified into:

(i) Sangam Classics

(ii) Bhakthi or Devotional Literature

(iii) Ethics, and

(iv) Modern

Literature

(i) Sangam Classics

The early Tamil literatures are called Sangam Classics. Though there are controversies over the time of the Classics, generally the period between 200 BCE and 500 CE is considered the period of Sangam. Sangam Classics are mostly descriptive. They describe nature, human feelings, love, lovers, husband-wife  relations, war,etc. Pathuppattu, an anthology of ten poems, and Ettuthokai, a collection of eight anthologies, are two major Sangam Classics.

The following are known as pathuppattu.

1. Thirumurukarruppadai

2. Porunararruppadai

3. Perumpanarruppadai

4. Sirupanarruppadai

5. Mullaippattu

6. Maduraikanchi

7. Nedunalvadai

8. Kurinchippattu  

9. Pattinappalai

10. Malaipadukadam

The following are known as Ettuthokai

1. Narrinai

2. Kurunthokai

3. Aynkurunuru

4. Pathirruppathu

5. Paripadal

6. Kalithokai

7. Agananuru

8. Purananuru 

In addition to these, there is another set of poems known as Pathinenkizhkankku  that includes the following: 

1. Naladiar

2. Nanmanikkadikai

3. Iniyavai Narpathu

4. Inna Narpathu

5. Kar Narpathu

6. Kalavazhi Narpathu

7. Thinaimozhi Aymathu

8. Thinaimalai Nurrayamathu

9. Aynthinai Aymathu

10. Aynthinai Ezhu pthu

11. Thirikadugam

12. Thirukkural

13. Asarkkovai

14. Pazhamozhi Nanuru

15. Sirupanjamulam

16. Mudumozhikkanci

17. Elathi

18. Kaynnilai 

Many of the poems in this collection seem to belong to the post-Sangham Age. It is widely accepted that among these, Thirukkuralwas composed before the second century CE. The Thirukkural consists of 1330 Kural, which are short verses of seven words. Thiruvalluvar is the author of this book. This book consists of three major divisions, namely, Arathuppal, Porutpal and Inbathupal.

Arathupal deals with family life and ascetic life, which are called Illaram and Turavaram respectively. Perhaps this could be somewhat equated with the Sanskrit division Dharma (virtue). Porutpal deals with the rulers and the ruled and all the other aspects relevant to them. Perhaps this could be equated with the Sanskrit division Artha (meaning). Inbathuppal deals with love both premarital and extramarital. This could be somewhat equated with Kama (marital love). In short, Thirukkural is a very good guide for life and an excellent literary work to enjoy. This book has been translated into many Indian and foreign languages.

 The famous Tamil work Silappathikaram belongs to the later Sangam period. Saint Ilango, a Chera prince, wrote this epic. Silappathikaram is the story of a chaste woman, Kannaki. All Tamil people know the story of Kannaki. The author, Ilango, says in the prologue that the work is based on the truth that (i) a chaste woman is worthy of worship even by great people, (ii) the Aram (Dharma) becomes the destroyerof the kings who do injustice and (iii) the fate inevitably makes one to suffer the effect of one’s own actions. There is another epic known as Manimekalai by Sathnar, a contemporary of Saint Ilango. These two epics are  known together as ’Twin  Epics’.