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Tradition in
| Poe
B V. CHELVA
APRIL, R: OC"
Reprinted from the UNIVERS Vol. XXIV,

Early Tamil
Y
ANAYAKAM
TOBER 1966
ITY OF CEYLON REVIEW Nos. 1 & 2

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Tradition in Ea
LTHOUGH many scholars wit As write the history of early . successful in tracing historical literary traditions in the Sangam a interested in this field of study the his periods continues to be a problem. life of a race generally indicates contin is no evidence to prove that there wa cultural history of the Tamils at any diately preceding the Pallava occupa a dark age in the political history o can assume that in literary history too until this continuity in the literary ti ment traced historically, the literary written, as it has been done in the c. countries. I wish to point out in th will have to face in reconstructing period. The difficulties will be still g cally the development of the literary
It is generally believed that the belong to the Sangam period, which is about three centuries. With the help kaaram of Tholkaappiyam which is a ri we will have to work out the growt the early centuries of the Christian e political history of the Tamils had literature, too, which had the life oft would have undergone many change , Tamils, which had its origin in the w the days of the Sangam, could not period, which, as stated above, lasted fore, its growth and the various stag worked out with the help of the wo The main task of those interested in th the anthologies but also the poems in t
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rly Tamil Poetry
hin the last fifty years have attempted Tamil literature, none has so far been ly the growth and development of und post-Sangam periods. To those tory of the Tamil poetry of these early Continuity in the social and cultural tuity in its literary history also. There is any radical change in the social and time even though the period immetion of the South is considered to be f the Tamil country. Therefore, we there would have been continuity and :adition is established and its develophis ory of the early periods cannot be ase of the literature of the European is article some of the difficulties one the literary history of the Sangam reater when one tries to trace historitradition in the post-Sangam period.
eight anthologies and the ten Idylls said to have extended over a period of of these works and of the Porulhathiepository of the early poetic traditions, h of the tradition of Tamil poetry in ra. In this period, during which the gone through many vicissitudes, the he people as its source and inspiration, s. The literary tradition of the early Torks that were produced long before have been static during the Sangam or more than three centuries. Therees of its development will have to be orks that have been preserved for us. is ficla of study is to arrange not only hese anthologies in their chronological
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order. Many a scholar has attempted has so far succeeded because every of genuine work of the Sangam period : of the work as genuine historical data
history of the Sangam period. One who depends mainly on the pathikan otherwise interesting work, The Chro study of the language and the conte would have revealed to scholars that Sangam period and that Kapilar, Para period did not compose the poems in written during a later period to eulogi; supposed to have lived during the Sa fifty words and phrases in the poems
the poems of the Sangam poets or, m poets who were supposed to have c anthology. Here are a few of them:
மஞலக் கலவை Ilala நனையமைகள் nhana நூலாக்கலிங்கம் nhuul தொறுத்த (வயல்) thotut வெய்துறவு veithu பைதிரம் paithi பத்தல் pathtl மாசிலீயர் maaci பாகுடி paaku பரிவேட்பு pariv« வழியடை vazhi மூயின muuy ஒலித்தலை olitht குலை kulai ஆநியம் aanhi இளை ilhai (பரவா) வூங்கு (para பதப்பர் patha வையாமாலையர் வசையுநர் vaiya படலம் paTal வெவ்வர் vev v கண்டி kaNT செங்குணக்கு cengl
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Y TAMIL POETRY
io do this preliminary work but none e has taken Pathittuppaththu to be a ind the details found in the pathikam or the reconstruction of the political such scholar is K. N. Sivarajapillai, of Puthittuppaththu for writing his tology of the Early Tamils. A critical its of the poems in Pathittuppaththu
it was not a genuine work of the Nar and other poets of the Sangam the work. It is definitely a work e some of the Chera kings who were ngam period. There are more than of this work which are not found in ore importantly, in the poems of the omposed some of the “tens in the
lakkalavai (Poem III) iyamaikalh ( ' 12) aakkalingkam ( , 12) htha (vayal) ( , I3) ltaVul ( , Is) a. ( , 19) hal ( , I9) liiyar ( , 2O) Ti ( , 21) :eTpu ( , 2.Ι) ya Tai ( , 22) ina ( , 22) halai ( , 22)
( , 24) yam ( , 24)
( , 28) raa) vuungku ( , 29) ppar ( , 3o) maalayar vacaiyunhar ( , 32) al ( , 39) r ( , 41) ( , 43) uNakku ( , SO)
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இரைஇய s iraii நளிந்தனை nha கட்டளை வலிப்ப kaT ஆரிறை aari குவவுக் குரை kuv முத்தை , îIllt
Even those who are not very famili will not fail to note in the poems of genuine feeling which we find in t A critical analysis of the content of clear the artificiality with which in described. The contradictory natur is a clear proof that it cannot be re reconstruction of the history of the will have to be excluded from consi political and literary history of the S
Kaliththokai, which is consider depended upon for the reconstructic period, though some useful informat growth of the aka in tradition (theme C forms in the Sangam and the Post-S this anthology are ascribed to five p( the Sangamperiod. When one mal anthology, and notes the metrical fo and cultural background in which ti agree with Nachchinaarkkiniar who composed by various poets over alc Nallanhthuvanaar, a poet who livedl a few of the pocnis appear to belong and tradition, the majority of them moved from the Sangam period. of the kali rhythm--its origin in t rhythm, its development into the uraahkali, until its disintegration later and viruththani, which came into exis period-could all be traced with the These poems which exhibit these vari been composed within the limits oft kali metre, oththaazhicaikkali appears

CEYLON REVIEW
ya ( , 52) hinhthanai ( , 52) Talhai valippa ( , 81) ai ( : 82) vukkurai ) 84 وو( hthai ( , 85)
ur with the work of the Sangam poets his work a lack of the sincerity and the he compositions of the Sangam poets. the poems in the anthology will make artial incidents and other details are : of statements found in certain poems lied upon as a source of data for the : early Tamils. Therefore, this work deration when we attempt to trace the angam period.
'd to be a Sangam work, cannot be )n of the literary history of this early ion can be gleaned from it to trace the flove) and the development of metrical angam periods. The five divisions of pets of whom at least two belonged to kes a critical study of the poems in this rms employed in them, and the social ley were produced, one is tempted to states that the poems in it (which were ng period of time) were compiled by Dng after the Sangam period. Although to the Sangam period both in language reflect the culture of a period far rehe various stages in the development he venba, its appearance as a distinct complicated form of kochchakain and into the smaller units thutai, thaazhicai, tence at the beginning of the Pallava help of the poems in this anthology. ous stages could not, therefore, have all e Sangam period. Of all the forms of
from the larg number collected into
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this anthology, to be the most popu and its simplicity of form, and in the early lyrical ballads of the West. Th poems in the order of their metrical de development of the literary traditio: be traced; it would by no means, poetry during the Sangan period.
The anthology Paripaa TTu will i the Sangam period. Like kali, it considered to be as suitable as that rh love in akan poetry. Since all the p able today, the evolution of its form it reached in its development cannot of the kali metre. However, three sta delineated with the help of the exis which it was made use of for love th on Vaikai; the second stage, during w for the expression of divine love whi communication of human love, car Murugan and Thirumaal; the third a devotional in nature, can be seen in bably have been composed at a time ning to be felt in the Tamil land in the when it reached the highest stage in as the highest form of kali. From th therefore, it had become less useful of the feeling of bhakti or devotion to saints of the Pallava period had to priate forms, viruththam and thutai, in to presunne that the genesis of the met lopment through the three stages des two centuries and that the period in closer to the Pallava period than to that this anthology too would not b literary history of the Sangam period
Let us now consider the other Kutunthoki, and Akanaanuutu to see the development of the literary trac three anthologies cxhibit a single p

LY, TAMIL POETRY
lar on account of its dramatic nature e respects it may be compared to the e arrangement of these and other kali velopment would enable the historical 1 during the Post-Sangam period ίΟ Lowever, reveal the history of Tamil
in no way reveal the literary history of developed from the venba and was ythm for the expression of themes of loems in the anthology are not availrom its beginning to the highest point be traced with certainty as in the case ges in its development can be roughly ting poems. The first stage, during hemes only, can be seen in the poems vhich it began to be used as a medium le continuing to be a medium for the be seen in some of the poems on nd last stage, during which it was fully some of the pocims which would prowhen the bhakti movement was begin6th Century. The form of paripaa TTu, its development, was as complicated le point ofview of the commonman, as a medium for the communication God. Hence the Saiva and Vaisnava 2nploy the simpler and more approheir pithikams. It would not be wrong rical form of paripoca TTu and its devecribed above would have taken at least which it developed would have been the Sangam period. It is thus clicar e of any help to us in ascertaining the
akam anthologies, namely NhattiNai, whether they are of any use in tracing litions of the Sangam period. These attern in organisation, which is that
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poems in akaval metre are grouped according to the length of the poem different scholars at different times, according to the poetic conventions which is one of the hasic rhythms developed from its simplest form to MaNimeekalai during the course of under discussion contain poems exhi lopment of this rhythm. Unlike
Akanaanuutu, the last of the three t poems that illustrate its earliest patt the I2OO poems in the three antholo were all composed at a certain perioc cular stage in the development of T hypothesis, when examined in the li given under the poems in Putanaanuu, The poems can be grouped broadly exhibiting the conventions and tradi cessive periods in the Sangam age. O one could be traced fairly accuratel that are available in Putenaanuutu an akaval anthologies referred to above.
Before going into the problem vailed during the time of this one ge be said with regard to the manner i Poems composed by more than a hun of the Tamil country have been as different scholars. Would it have l have gone to distant places in search were not many facilities for travelli poems that were suitable for their an be collected later by others who com probable that these scholars would throughout the length and breadth o poems of a certain length and left the that poems that were found in various in one place by the efforts of scholars these collections were made use of compile these anthologies. There h

CEYLON REVIEW
into four hundred in each of them s. Although they were compiled by hey all contain mainly poems written of a particular period of time. Akaval ‘mployed in early Tamil poetry, had the highly developed form it has in a few centuries. The three anthologi biting the different stages in the deveNhuttiNai and kutunthokai, however, o be compiled, does not contain any. erns. It is generally believed that all gies are of the same pattern, that these of time and that they cxhibit a partiamil poetry in the early days. This ght of the colophons and other details tu, does not appear to be quite correct. under three heads on the basis of their tions that prevailed during three sucf these three periods at least the middle y with the help of the historical data d in some of the poems of the three
of ascertaining the tradition that preneration of poets, a word will have to in which these poems were collected. dred poets who lived in different parts sembled togetherein these works by been likely that these scholars would of these poems at a time when there ng and to have collected only those thologies, leaving the other poems to piled the other anthologies? It is not have gone to distant places scattered f the Tamil country and selected only rest. Thurefore, it could be presumed places were all collected and preserved and kings interested in them and that by scholars during a later period to as been difference of opinion among
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scholars as to which akam anthology wa NhattiNai but others say it was Kutuntho the subject under consideration I do not
The details as to how the three peri historical data that are available cannot However, I wish to indicate the mainli could be worked out. We find that m. in Putanaanuutu and in the three akaval and Akanaanuutu praise the noble deec whose numbers are quite considerable. which kings, chieftains and poets were lived within a generation or two of one this could be done. Aricilkilaar, Kapila zhaar address Peekan in order to bring a and his wife Kannaki. Auvaiyaar, in pr Anjci, mentions ParaNar (in Puram 99 can conclude that Aricilkilar, Kapilar, Pa Auvaiyaar were contemporaries. No ParaNar praised the valour of the Panc should be judged as the greatest of the particulars of the poets etc. are as follow
ITaikkuntuur Kizhaar KallaaTanaar Kutungkoozhiyuur Kizhaar MaangkuTi Maruthanaar
KuTapulaviyanaar Nhakkiirar
* جزيمة
Para Nar
8. Mathurai-k-kaNakkaayanaar 9. AalankuTi VangkaNaar lo. ThaayangkaNNanaar II. Iizhaththuppuuthanhtheevanaar 12. Aalampeericaaththanaar I 3. Peeraalavaayar I4. MathuraiththaTTangkaN
Nanaar
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TAMIL POETRY
S compiled first. Some say it was kai. Since this is not relevant to wish to discuss it here.
ods could be worked out from the find a place in this short article. les along which the middle period any of the poets anthologised both anthologies NhattiNai, Kutunthokai Is of various kings and chieftains This fact may be used to ascertain Contemporaries, or which of them another. I shall indicate here how , Para Nar and Perungkuntuurkibout a reconciliation between him aising the gallantry of Athiyamaan as her contemporary. Thus we raNar, Perungkuntuurkizhaar, and less than nineteen poets including liyan ruler NheTunjcezhiyan, who kings of the Sangam Age. The
S
(Puram 76, 77, 78, 79)
( , I7, 23, 25, 371)
( 99 I7)
( , 24, 26, Mathuraikkaanci)
( , I8, I9)
(Akam 36, 56, 253, 340, 358,
NheTunalvaaTai)
( , II6, I62, Kutunhthokai
393)
(Aham 338)

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I5. Muthukuuththanaar I6. Pothumpilkizhaar
Makanaar VengkaNN I7. Vittuutu VaNNakkan TaTTanaar I8. Maruthan IlhaNhaakana I9. ITaikkali Nhaattu Nhall
Nhaththaththanaar
Most of these poets, if not all, woul of these poets praise other kings an these kings and chieftains are, mc temporary poets too. By thus gr of time or of a particular generation able in the Sangam works, we will
during the time of the great Pandiya as Paari, Peekan, Anjdi, Oori, Nh contemporaries. When we apply ti poets to grouping of Contemporary logies, we will discover that a fairly one third in fact, were composed by to a single generation in the Sanga we will be able to work out fairly a ventions of the period of Kapilar,
was more or less fixed and did not v poets of the time. There are many three anthologies, who cannot be a to the reign of any particular king. vention or tradition from those of poraries of Kapilar, ParaNar and added to the poems of the period c a few poems left which would have or after this period.
- I do not wish to go into the det time of these great poets. It is nei tradition did not originate during from the tradition which existed p formed only a particular stage in literary tradition of the Sangam pe poetry in the three anthologies, we

CEYLON REVIEW
( , І37)
iyaar (Nattinai 287)
( 99 298) 旁穷 39)
(CitupaaN 6-67)
have been his contemporaries. Some chieftains who lived at that time, and reover, praised by various other conuping the poets of a particular period on the basis of the historical data availbe able to list about so poets who lived nking NheTunjcezhiyan and rulers such annan, Kaari and others who were his his method of grouping of contemporary poems found in the three akam antholarge number of poems in them, about these poets, that is, poets who belonged m age. With the help of these poems ccurately the poetic traditions and conParaNar and Nakkiirar. The tradition ary according to the tastes of individual poets whose poems are found in these ssigned to any particular generation or But their poems do not vary in conthe group of poets who were contemNakkiirar. ... If such poems too could be if the great trio then there will be only to be assigned to a period either before
ails of the tradition that prevailed at the 'essary to point out, however, that this this period; it had, rather, developed rior to this period. As this implies, it the growth and development of the iod. When we glance through the love will not fail to observe that the subject
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matter of poetry was derived from the and that, as life changed, so did the p based on the life of a people changes: Tamil poetry as it is true of the poetry o age was not static but was changing slo was reflected in the literature of the ti distinct stages in the development of period. The first stage in the develop found in the poems written before the second stage is illustrated by the poems ParaNar. The third stage in the develo observed from the poems in Aingkutu must have been written long after the does not appear that this anthology is a different poets, as is commonly believe the poems in this work, it appears alr designed and executed by a single poe the time of Kapilar and ParaNar. By th both in the conventions and in the poe
The importance ofAlingkutunhuutu: history of early Tamil poetic traditio conventions find a place for the first t convention of a single poem in akaval gives place in it to ten verses forming is given in it to the description of natu. for the indirect-expression of modes, fel of the days of Kapilar and ParaNar. love finds a place in it for the first tim as a link between the stages reflected NhattiNai, Kutunthokai and Akanaanuu thokai and ParipaaTTu in the developi author of this important work has b form of ten stanzas forming one unit ( used by the poets of the Pallava period period. An analysis of these experime find a place in this article.
I shall conclude this article by gi akam tradition of early Tamil poetry changed in certain aspects even befor
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Y TAMI POETRY
social and cultural life of the people oetic tradition. A poetic tradition as the life changes. This is true of fany language. Life in the Sangam wly and the influence of this change me. We are able to observe three the poetic tradition of the Sangam ment of poetic tradition would be time of Kapilar and ParaNar. The produced in the days of Kapilar and pment of the akam traditions can be ahuutu, an anthology of poems that a days of Kapilar and ParaNar. It collection of verses written by five d. When we analyse the pattern of most certain that it must have been t living at a time far removed from at time great changes had taken place tic tradition.
for one who is interested intracing the in cannot be overestimated. New ime in this anthology. The earlier metre forming a unit of expression a single unit. Greater importance re and to the use of such description eling and attitudes than in the poems Kaikkilhai, the theme of one-sided e in Tamil poetry. It serves almost in the earlier anthologies namely, 'u and the later ones, namely Kalithment of early poetic tradition. The een experimenting with a metrical of expression, which was extensively and perfected only at the end of that nts is a fascinating study but it cannot
ving an example to show how the based on the life of the people had e the days of Kapilar and ParaNar.
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The love theme, which was the
aspects or divisions according to lived. Thus the theme of separat who lived in the Paalai region as
of that region, since these men ha periods at a time to earn their li divisions in akam or love originated regions, Paalai, Mullai, Kutinji, M During the time of Kapilar and I into the more fertile regions of F ment, and therefore, the theme of the new pattern of society that occu Therefore, the paalaiththinai or sep for the people of the Paalai regio time of Kapilar and Para Nar for t to distant places through the arid I This change in paalaiththiNaihado Nar. This is only an example t poetry was changing as the life oft During the Sangam period the life changing rapidly on account of th economic, religious and cultural life in the literary tradition of the pe Therefore, this change in the tra place cannot be traced historically : logies and the ten Idylls are not Until Tamil scholars take to this
early Tamil poetry cannot be trace

CEYION REVIEW
ubject matter of early poetry, had five the environment in which the people on in love was assigned to the warriors peing appropriate to the life of the men to be away from their homes for short relihood. The tradition of having five at a time when people lived in all the five arutham and Neithal in the Tamil land. araNar the people of Paalai had moved utinjci and Mullai for permanent settleseparation had to be modified to fit into pied only four of the five natural regions. aration in love, which was meant earlier 1 was considered appropriate during the he men of the hilly tracts who had to go 'aalai region in search of their livelihood. curred by the time of Kapilar and Parashow how the early tradition of love he people was changing in the early days. of the people in the Tamil country was e Aryan and European influences on the : of the people, and the consequent change ople was almost inevitable at that time. dition and the stages by which it took as long as the poems in the eight Anthoarranged in their chronological order. aspect of study seriously, the history of
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华 耳 | 5 心 Ë