Sangam Literature, the Thirukkural and the Tamil Language — TNPSC Group I
Weightage: Prelims Unit VI opens with Sangam literature and the Thirukkural, and Mains GS Paper II, Unit III covers "Tamilian origins, manuscript traditions, arts and literature". Dating of early texts is debated, so learn the order and the divisions, not the exact years.
1. The order of Tamil literature
Learn the sequence first, because the Commission asks "which came earlier". The sequence is: Sangam texts, then the post-Sangam didactic works including the Thirukkural and the twin epics, then the Bhakti hymns, then the Chola-period epics, and finally modern writers.
2. The Sangam anthologies
Tradition speaks of three academies (Sangams) at Madurai. Historians treat the surviving corpus as the work of poets over several centuries around the early centuries CE.
- Tolkappiyam is the oldest surviving grammar, by Tolkappiyar, and covers letters, words and subject matter.
- Ettuthokai (Eight Anthologies): Natrinai, Kuruntokai, Aingurunuru, Patirruppattu, Paripadal, Kalittokai, Akananuru, Purananuru.
- Pattuppattu (Ten Idylls): long poems including Tirumurukarruppatai, Maduraikkanci, Pattinappalai and Nedunalvadai.
Poets include Avvaiyar, Kapilar, Nakkirar and Paranar. Women poets form a notable part of the corpus.
3. Akam and puram, and the five tinai
Sangam poetry divides into akam (inner life, love) and puram (outer life, war, kings, generosity).
Akam poems use five landscapes called tinai, each with a mood:
| Tinai | Landscape | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| Kurinji | Mountain | Union of lovers |
| Mullai | Forest | Patient waiting |
| Marutham | Farmland | Quarrel |
| Neithal | Seashore | Anxious longing |
| Palai | Arid land | Separation |
4. The Thirukkural
The Thirukkural is attributed to Thiruvalluvar and is dated variously from the early centuries CE to about the 6th century. It is one of the eighteen Pathinenkilkanakku (didactic minor works).
Its structure is a classic question:
- 1,330 couplets (kurals) in 133 chapters of ten each.
- Three books: Aram (virtue, 38 chapters), Porul (wealth and governance, 70 chapters), Inbam (love, 25 chapters).
The Thirukkural is secular in tone, speaks to all people and has been translated into many languages. A 133-foot statue of Thiruvalluvar stands at Kanyakumari, one foot for each chapter. The ethics of the book is taken up in a separate chapter.
5. The great epics
The Silappatikaram by Ilango Adigal tells of Kovalan, Kannagi and the city of Madurai. Manimekalai by Sattanar is a Buddhist epic. Tradition names five great epics and five minor ones; the Silappatikaram and Manimekalai are the pair to know best.
The Chola period produced Kamban's Ramayana and Sekkizhar's Periya Puranam, a work on the sixty-three Nayanars. The Bhakti hymns of the Nayanars and Alvars are covered in the history chapter.
6. Rediscovery and print
By the 19th century many palm-leaf manuscripts were forgotten. U. V. Swaminatha Iyer searched for, edited and printed the Sangam and epic texts in the late 19th century. Tamil also has an early printing record: a Tamil book printed on the western coast in the 1570s is among the earliest books in any Indian language.
7. Classical status and language policy
In 2004 Tamil became the first language in India to receive classical language status, on grounds such as long recorded history, an original literary tradition and independence from other languages. Other languages followed.
Tamil Nadu's Tamil Learning Act of 2006 makes Tamil a compulsory subject in schools. The Madras University and later the Tamil University (Thanjavur) promote research.
8. The Tamil script
The modern script grew from Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, found in caves and on pottery. The Tamil alphabet has 12 vowels, 18 consonants and one special letter (aytham), which combine into 216 consonant-vowel letters, for 247 in all.
Common traps TNPSC sets here
- Placing the Thirukkural among the Eight Anthologies. It is a Pathinenkilkanakku work.
- Giving the wrong book counts. Aram 38, Porul 70, Inbam 25.
- Saying Manimekalai is Jain or Shaiva. It is Buddhist.
- Mixing the author of the Silappatikaram. Ilango Adigal wrote it; Sattanar wrote Manimekalai.
- Dating the Thirukkural with certainty. Dates are debated, so use a range.
Memory aids
- "38, 70, 25": chapters in Aram, Porul, Inbam.
- "Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal, Palai": the five tinai in the usual order.
- "Ilango sings of Kannagi, Sattanar of Manimekalai": epic authorship.
Summary
Tamil literature begins with the Sangam grammar, anthologies and idylls, divided into akam and puram and the five tinai. The Thirukkural has 1,330 couplets in three books, and the twin epics, Bhakti hymns and Chola works follow.
Tamil received classical status in 2004, and the Tamil Learning Act of 2006 makes it compulsory in schools.
Exam protocol
- Give the sequence of periods, not exact years.
- State the Thirukkural's divisions with numbers.
- Match epic to author and religion.
