Gleanings Form Ancient Tamil Literature I

8/11/2019 Gleanings Form Ancient Tamil Literature I

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L7o. 46.-1895.] aNcrnNr rAurrr rrrrER,AruRE.

OI,EANINGS FROM ANCIENT TAMIL IJITEBAIURE.

By the Hon. p, Coourinaswduy.

I.-puRA\tANUBu.As a contribution to the history of the ancient Tamils and

their literature, I have prepared (I.) a lisi of the poets whoseotleg are containeil in the Pwrun6,nttru, antd, (II.) a list ofthe persons to whom the ocles were addresseil.

Ih.e Pwrcr,nd,Tp&,rw is a very interesting collection of fourhundrecl short poems

orodes

by celebrated Tamil poets ofancient times. This anthology,* tradition says, was madeb the Sangam of M l


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18 .IoURNAL, R,.A.S. (CEYr,oN). [Vor'' XIV.

were three* Sangams, known as the first, middle, ancl last'.Amongst the members of the first Sangam were Agastiya,l\{udinagarriyar of Muranjiyfr, and others" And it is saidttihave lasted 4,440 years, during the reigns of eighty-ninePri,ndiya kings, beginning rviih l*iysinavaluti and' endingin the reign of Kadunkon, rvhen the city of Maclura-notmoclern Maelura, but another in the southernmost part ofIndia-was submergecl in the sea. The number of authorsrvhose works received- tine ittT trimatwr of that Sangam was4,449, including seven Pandiya kings' The seconcl Sangamrvas established by the P6ncliya king Veldoccheliyan t atKapd,dapuram, anil ceased to exist rvhen that city, the theucapital of the Pd,ndiya kings, rn'as also submergeil in thesea during the reign of 1\IudattirutnA,ran, having lasied 3,700years, uncler fifty-nine different Pandiya kings' Amonits members were Toikzi,ppiyanir, Karunkoli, Mosi, Kirantaiand others. The works of 3,700 persons, including fiPrindiya kings, rn'ere acceptect by ihis Sangam. The onlrvork of impottance of the time of this Sangam rvhich noexists is the " Tolkripiyam," the celebrateil treatise on Tamigrammar. The thirct and last Sangam was established by thPri,ndiya king Mutlaitirumd,ran at Maclura (modern Maclurawhich was callecl Uttara (Northern) Madurai, to d'istinguiit from Southern ffaclura, which was destroyed by iheAmongst its members were Sirumed6,vi, Sentambhritan6rKilhr of Perumkunclnir, l\{arutan llandganir, Nallanduvand'rNakAirar, Para+ar, Kapilar, Iiallddar, Sitialai Sattanar,others. The works of 449 poets, including three Prindiwere accepteil by this Sangam, which existed for 1years, cluring the reigns of forty-nine Pd,ndiyas, anil enileither ln the time of Ugrapperu Valuti or some time

after,that is to say, about the first century of the Christian e

,r Cf . preface, " Yiracholiyam" ; also Nakkirar, Nachchin6rkkiniy6'r,

Asiriyappa, inp. 3, footnotb, in Chilappatikd,ram, Uraip-p6'yiram, andotlt 'Ih i given in Mr T 6t ill i' edition of Irai

No, 46.-1895.] arvcrnrvr rAMrrr rrrrERATURE. 19I am a,rvare that Dr. Caldwell says that the last days of the

thlrd Snngam, if it ever existed, should be placed in thethirteenth century.'3 But I think that those rvho have studie4the resuits of Dr. Ilultzsch's researches in South Ind"ianArchreoiogy, as well as the ancient Tamil works lvhich havebeen printed since the seconcl eilition of Dr. Caldwell'sGrammar of the Dravid"ian Languages appeared, will seeample reason to doubt the correctness of the dates assignedby Dr. Caldvell to ancient Tamil authors ancl kings. Igive. a fet instances in illustration of his erroneolsconclusiotrs.

I{arikrila, the Chola king, contemporary of Nakkirar,according to Dr. Caldwell livecl in the thirteenth century. Ihave established that Karikdta livecl prior to the secondcentury.t

Dr. Caldwell says that Jn6,na Sambanilha, Appar orTi.rniv'kkara$u, and sundara Mrirtti, the three authors of"Devd,rarn," lived inthe time of Sunilara pdrndiya, who, he saysreigned at the encl of the thirteenth century. en these threeauthors are mentioned in an inscription of the time of theChola king Rri,ja-r6ja Deva, which states ilrattheirimageswereworshipped in a ceriain temple (Sowth fndian fnscrilttions,vol. II., part II., p. 1b2), ancl Rri,ja-nija Deva's reign began in1004 of the Christian em (South fndlian fnscti1ttions, vol. I.,p. 169). Mr. P. Sund.aram pillai, m.e. ancl professor ofPhilosophy at the Mahdr5jri's Coti"g" at Trivendru*, O-,:-ho*" in his essay 6(On the Age of Jo,i.ru Sambandha,,that Jnlr,na Sambanclha's age musi be placed prior to theseventh century. But there is perhaps reason for placingit.even earlier,-earlier than the second century. Thosewtro.are familiar with Tamil literature have reacl of one:"t,j.U- miracles pelformed by Jnilna Sambanclha, viz., his;;;'#.;;,* O.. au'U*ell's introcluction to histTtlo*l."' d d " Grammar of the Dravidian


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20 JounNArr' R.A.$ (cETrroN)' [Vor" XIV'

snake-bite. This miracle is mentionecl in the('Tiruvilayadat

Purdnam,"* as also by Sekkildr in tt Periyapurinam"'writtenin the eleventh century.f It is mentionetl in two poems' the"Tiruvantiti" and t'Tiruvul6," on Jnina Sambandha' by

Nambi AncLi.r Nambi, who livedin the tenth century ;

tit is

also refeffecl to by Jn6,na sambanclha'S contemporary, Appar,

as well as by Sunclara Mrirtti, in their tt DevArams'" Nowthis identical miracle is referrecl to in the chilappatikd,ram, a

poenl of the seconcl century, by Kallaki'{ It may thereforebe that Jneina Sambandha and his contemporary' Appar'liveil prior to the seconcl anil not in the thirteenth century'

I take this opportunity to state that I think I have beenfortunate enough to iclentify the Pzindiyan king who was

reconverted into Hindriism by Jnd'na Sambandha fromJainism, ancl about whom Dr. Caldsrell'g work contains much

erroneous writing-the learnecl Bishop confouncling himwith a Sunilara P6,ndiyan, tt Marco Polo's Sender Bandi"' of

the thirteenth century. Mr. Sunilaram PiIIai has establishedthat the seventh century is tlne term'inws ad' qwem of the timeof Jnd,na Sambanclha, and I have shown above that he mayperhaps be placed prior to the second" century' Ilow then*uo ttt" king whom he converted have lived' in the thir-

teonth century ? The right name o{ this king was Nedu

* Yanniyu4L Kinarum lli4kamum Alaitta Bailalam'

f See "Age of Jn6,na Sambandha "; also Arumukha Nietlition of th"" p"or" t'Periyapur6'4am," p' 9; ancl "-South Inclian I:iioos,"

"o1.I., ip. 63, aa. I'or an account of this miracle see " Periy

,.,u*;' 1s*d6.ioappillai's edition), p. 317, v' 473 et seq'

{ See Chilappatik6ram, Vanjina M5'1ai' -T}ris poem was writtenby

n"Jtfr"" of the Chera king Ser.;kuttuvan in the second century' .A*j:

;ffi;;htp &h"1 no"*,."" ctt"ilappatikd'ramitself , as well as Ma4imekha'

ArumpaclavuraiAsiriyar, ancl Ailiy6,rkkunall6r;,Clilappat'ik6'ramj:t91Nachctinirkkiniy6r in his comdentary on Tolk6'ppiyam' For the ageKannaki,,Bee -e;a"ks on Se4kuttuvan (who built a temple l:" O:1)'.uol. XIII., R. A. S., Ceylon : "*y ?tpu" on " Chilappatikdram"' pp' 81-84'

No. 46.-1895.] eNcrnwr rAMrr, LrIERATURE. 2L

Md,ran, ancl he is still worshippecl as a saint uncler thatnape.x Nambi Andri,r Narrrbi mentions him. : " The Md,ran,conqueror of Nel'uel'i, rvho formerly impaled the Jains whom

Jnd,na Sambandha overcalne."t Sundara Mrlrtii sayrlr " f amthe servant of the d'evotee, the righteous Nedumdran, whoconquered Neluel'i'"|

The word Nedumzi,ran is convertible into Neduncheliyan,as M(iran and" Cheli,yan have the same signification, Yiz.'prindiya. Neduncheliyan was a contemporary$ of Karikd,la,and was the subject of poems by Nakkirar and M:i,gkudiMarutandr.ll The latter calls him, ('O great king, whocaptureal Nel-in'('n'."\ Nel-in-ttr means, ur Lhe countr\',,in of , nel, pacldy or rice. Neluel'i means also the country ofNel,,** and Nachchinrirkkiniyri,r says that by Nel-in-{tr ismeant Stili,ytcr.ll And there is only one Pdndiya in Tamilliterature, who is styl e cl the conquero r of N ela eli, ot N el -'in -(t r.If my conjecture, that the terms Nedumd,ran and Nedun-cheliyan denote the same Pdndiya king, be correct, thenJn6na Sambanclha must have lived about the time whenJesus was born, when the throne of the Cholas was occupiedby Karikrila, a conclusion which is supportecl by the factthat, juclging from the Tamil literature of that period, thiswas the time when the Jain religion began to lose groundin Southern Intlia.

Let us come back, however, to Puranrin(tru, Amongstseveral collections or anthologies made by the Sangam is

..]","4 uboy:. q:oi._q l, Age of Jn6,na Sambanclha.', Also periyapur6trraurlsao.asivappillai's eciition, Marlras, 1884), p. 2*6, v. g, and p. 498.f Tiruttoldar Tiruvant6,ti.I Tiruttonrlattokai,$ dfr Tamil i Chilappatik6ram"; alsonote * on page 3t, inft,a,ll Soth poets were members of the last Sangam f tn" po"^. referrecl toare Neilunalvd,daijantt Maduraikk6nji, respectiu-"ty'. -- [ Macturaikkdnji.

^4x VeLi as an affix means d/, or -country (See Winslow,s Tamil-Englishrctionary. uncler h d


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22 JouRNArr, R.A.s. (cEYr,oN). [Vor,' XIY"one known as Ettuttokai,* or '( the Eight Anthologies,"whereof Purancin(trz is one. An ancient stanza, quotedboih by Mr. Tam6tarampilleri ancl Mr. Swrimindtha lyer,tgives the names of the " eight anthologies," namely,$attri4ai, I(uruntokai, Ainkfrunriru, Padittuppattu'Paripd,dal, Kalittokai, Akand,niiru, and Purand,nriru. Of theseonly two have yet been printed : Kalittokai in 18E7 andPuran6nriru in 1E94'

ThePurand,ry(tfwlis cited by the great Tamil commentatorNachchinrl,rkkiniy;i,r in several of his commentaries. In thecommentary onTolktiptlti,yumbe cites it very often. Nachchi-nrirkkiniyar, according to the author of the Tamit Plwtct'rch,Iived. prior to the tenth century, Mr. Tam6tarampillai, tomy thinking, more correctly places him before the eighth

century. Parimelalakar, ihe commentator of the Kwral and'a contemporary of Nach chinrirkkiniyii,r, also cites llne Purand,-

2v&,rw, and so does Adiydrkkunalirir in his commentary onChilappatikaram. Swriminri,tha lyer believes ihat Adiydrk-kunalld,r liveit prior to Nachchinri,rkkiniyeir, but this is opento doubt.

Therefore the tradition that this collection Purandn'ir,rt'r'was mad,e by the Sangam of Madura is well founded.

A series of short Papers und.er the heading " Gleaningsfrom

Ancient Tamil Literature," which I shall from time to timecontribute, will,'I venture to think, convince the reader thatall the poets and princes mentioned in the Purand'ntrn'r'flourished before the end of the second century of theChristian era. The proposetl Papers will also give anaccount of whatever is known of the lives of some of thesepoets ancl. their patrons.

* d/, Kalittokai, p. 16, preface, for the names of all the collections'f Mr. C. W, Tam6tarampillai, e.4., r.1., Tamil examiner for the

University of Madras, andeditor of " Tolk6piyam," " Kalittokai''' &c. Mr'Sw6,min6,iha Iyer, Tamil Pandit at Kumbhak6nam College, eclitor of" Pu1an6nriru," '( Chint5,mapi," &o,

hi h i P 6

No. 46.-1895.] aNcrnlvr rAMrL rrrrERATURE. 23It will be observed that amongst the names of the poets

sl-Lown in the annexed. Iists are included twelve princes anclgix poetesses, one of whom was a queen of Maclura ; antl that$ome of tho poets and their patrons have more than oneilame, thus creating a certain amount of confusion as toidentity, but this will disappear by a careful stucly of the4ifferent o.des, the circumstances under which they were$,ritten, and by a comparison of references in other Tamilrvorks.

Lrsr I.-Ponrs.1 Attanvennd,gand,r, of Kallitkaclai, Madura2 Arlainedun Kalliyr{r3 Arivudainambi (Pdn{iya)'}

4 AtLiraiyanir of KallilJ-r Aliyir{i Aiyyd,tichchiruvenderaiydr7 Idaikkridanir8 [rumpidarttalaiyd,rI Ilankannikkausikand,r, of Madura

10 Ilankiranar, of Poruntil11 llantirayan, the Tondaim6n12 llamponva4ikanSr, of Uraiyrir13 Ilamperuva-luti who " died in the sea " :: 1p6,ndiya)14 Ilavettan6,r, of the Yaniga caste, of Maclura15 Ilaveyini, ((the daughter of the Kuravar "

f16 llaveyini, 'i the daughter of the devil"f17 Ulochchandr18 linpotipasunkudaiyirtr9 Drumaivelijandr20 Eyitiiyandr, of Pull4trrlr2L O{aikifdr, of Turaiyur22 Orampokiydr23 Orusiraippeyarinair24 Orrittandr25 Ordrulavar.o. auvaryar

27 Katappillai, of Karuvdr28 Kataiyanka44an6,r

^*^Belonging to the royal families of the Chera, [Chola, or p6,ndiyas, someor rvtom


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24 JouRNArr, R.a.s. (cEYr,oN).29 Kandappillai S6ttan6,r, of Karuvrlr30 Ka{riyan Pfnkundran31 Kanaikkdl Irumporai (Chera)*32 Kanakkiyan6r, of l\fadura33 Ka44ampukuntr4,r6yattanar, of the 6luikku4"i34 Kaq4an5r, the son of Perunk6linr4,ykan

35 Ka4pandr, of Ti,mappal36 Ka'f+akandr37 Kapilar38 Kayamand,r39 Karunkulaldtand,r40 KalS,tialaiy6r41 Kall{dan6r42 Kalaitiu Yinaiydr43 Kivallanir44 K6,kkaip6,tiniydr Naccennaiy6,r45 K6makkarlliy6r46 Kr{vatpenilu (female guard)f47 KdrikkalrlanS,r, of Kriverippdmpattinam48 Kil6r, of Kdri49 Kil6,r of Arisil50 Kil6r, of i.lattdr51 Kilar, of Av{rr52 Kil6r, of klaikkunilrur53 Kild,r, of Perunkundrdr54 Kilir, of Kridaldr55 Kil4r, of Kovrir56 Kildrr, of M6,nkudi57 Kil6r, of Yadamotlam

58 Kild,r, of Kulunk6liydr59 Killivalavan (Chola)*'60 KiranSr, of Mosi61 Kiran6,r, the Kuttuvan .62 Kudapulaviyan6,r63 KundukalpS,liyritan

'64 Kundrrir Kil6r's son65 Kumaran6,r, of Vdmpatttr66 Kuluvaluti, the son of Andar67 Kulamp6tr6,yan6r68 Kfkaikkofiydr69 Kotamanir70 Kopporuncholan (Chola)*

No. 46.-1895.] eNcrnrr rAMrrr rrrrERATURE. 2571 Tamilkkrittandr, of Madura72 TlaYankal\iYir

.73 Tiyanka |anrir, of Ettrir74 Tirutt6,man6r75 Tumbiserkirandr?6 D6modaran6r, of Vadama Vafrlakan77 Dhmodaran6r, the medical man of

Ulaiyrir78 Nakkirar, of Madura79 Nakkiran6r, the son of Kanakk6,yan6r of Madura80 Nakkandr, of Viriyrir81 Nanmullaiyar, of All6r82 Nanndgan6r83 Nanndgan6r, '1 the writer on Purattinai "84 Nanndgan6r, of Yiricciyrir.85 Nariverrittalaiydr86 Nall6tan6r, of Kudavdyil87 Nallurittiran (Chola)':88 Nalankilli (Chola)*89 Nalliraiyan6r90 NappasaJaiydr, of Mar6kkam91 N6,gariyar, also called Sangavarunar92 Ndgand,r, of Yellaikkudi93 Niyamankild,r, of Nocci94 Neilunkaluttupparaf ar95 Neilunpalliyattan6,r96 Necluncheliyan, '. victor in the battle of Talaiydlankinam

(Prindiya)*97 Nedurlcheliyan, I(the conqueror of the Aryas ,' (pd,ndiya)f98 Nettimaiydr

99 Pakkud,ukkainankaliy6r100 Padaimangamalliy6rl0[ Paranar102 Pdndaranka+rlanr4r103 Piri's claughtersf104 Piramandr105 Pisir6ntaiy6r106 Pftappd,ndiyan .,who captured Ollaiyur', (P6,ndiya)107 Pftan6,than6,r, of the Perunsatukkam in Karuvrir108 Prii;anilan6gandr, of Madura109 Pr"rtkovalandr, of Tangal

.ll0 Pfinkanuttiravar111 Per6lav6var112 Perunkadunko, ,,the author of a poem on Pilai " (Chera),i

[Yor,. XIV"

in Maclura

+ Belonging to the royal families of the Chera, Chola, or P6ndiyas, Bei-onqinS to the royal families of the Chera Chola or p6ndiyas,


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26 JouRNAr,, R.A.s. (cEYr,oN). [Yor,. XIY-113 Perumpritand,r 'rthe author of a poem on Kodai "114 Perundevan6,r, ('the author of Bhd,ratam"115 Perunkoppenc.lu, wife of Pdtapp6,ncliyaisf116 Periya Slittan6r, of Yadamava4r.rakkan117 Perum S1rttan6,r, of Va{ava4qa-akkanI l8 Perum Sitbiranar119 Perumpadumanir120 P6reyinmuruval6.r121 Pottivir122 Ponmudiydr123 Poykaiyir124 Maduv6l6sin125 Marutanilan6ganir, of tr{ailura126 Mallan6,r, the son of Alakkavjnil6r, of Maclura127 1\I6kkrjiai (Chera ?)t3128 Mrlitimdtirattandr129 Mitpittiyd,r130 M6,clalan MaduraikkumS,ranir, of KolS,ttu Ericcalur

131 Md,rkkanileyar ,132 M6,s6ttand,r, of A{uturai133 Mfsd,ttanar, of Okk/rr134 M6,sittiy6r, of Okk6r135 Mudukalnan Sd,ttanSr, of Ulaiyirr136 Mudukfrttandr, of Uraiyfr137 Mudavandr, of Aiyirr138 Mudamosiyd,r, of Enicceri in Ulaiyrir139 Muclindgar6,yar, of Muranciyrlr140 Mrilankildr, of Avrir14l YadanedunLattan6r1 42 Yanparanar143 Vangan6r144 Vdnmfkiyar145 Viraiveliyandr146 Yennikkuyattiyr{,r1-17 Yellaimilarl{B Vellerukkilaiyrlr149 S6ttan6r '( of the big head "150 Sd,ttandr ('of the ulcered heacl "15L Sd,ttan6r, of Mosi152 Sd.ttantaiy/rr153 Siruvencleraiy6,r154 Sirukaruntumbiy6r, of Mukaiyalfr in Chola territory

* Belonging to the royal families of the Chera, Chola or P6,ndiyaq some"f b l ki

No. 46.-1895.] encrnr*n rAurr, r,rrERAruRE. 2'{

Irrsr' trf.-P,rrnous.'l Akutai2 Anii3 Antuvansd,ttan4 Antuvankiran5 Antuvan Seralirumporai (Chera)6 Arivudainambi (Pdndiya)7 Aruvantai aftias Sentan, the chief of AmbarR AtanalisiI Atanungan

l0 intai11 I'Y12 Ilankantirakkol3 Ilankumanan14 llanchetchenni, {tof Neytalanklrnal fame " (Choia)15 llanchetchenni, ((conqueror of Seruppdli " (Chola)16 Ilanchelchenni, ('of Neytalank6nal fame, conqueror

ofCher6s,

Pimuhir " (Chola)17 Ilantattan18 Iiaviccikko1 ) IlaveLimin20 lrunkovel21 Iyakkan22 Ugrapperuvaluti " conqueror

(Pd,ndiya)of the fortress K6,napp6r

23 Uruvappahrer Ifanchetchenni (Chola, father of Karikila)il{Enridi Tirukkilli1j Eiiniyitan, of Vittiru26 9lini, the AtiyamAn27 Eraikk6n28 6vvi29 Olv6t Kopperum Seral lrumporai (Chera)30 Oymin Nalliyakk6drln;31 Oym6n Nalliydiin3 Oymdn Villiydirln33 Ori34 Kadiyaneclu vettuvan35 Karlunkov iiiy6,tdn ( Chola)36. Kalrlraki, wife of Pekan

37 Kapilar38 Karikd,la39 Karumban{rrki}dn40 Karunkai olv6i Perum Peyarvaluti (P6ndiya)'11 Kriri ihe Malayam6 n


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28 .IouRNAr,, n.a.s. (cEYLoN). [Vor,. Xl\r.

43 Killivalavan44 Kirans6ttan (P6ndiya)45 Kuttuvankotai (Chera)46 Kudakko Seralirumporai (Chera)47 Kolk6nankild,n48 Kopperuncholan (ChoJa)49 Kumalan50 fantumiran51 Tarumaputtiran52 Tdman, chief of T6ndrj53 Tittan (Chola)54 Tirumudikkiri

55 Tervanmalaiyan56 Tondaimd57 T6yanm6,ran, chief of Irantrlr58 Nannan59 Nanm6ran (P6ndiya)60 Nanmd,ran (Pdndiya)

61 Nambineduncheliyan (Pindiya)62 Nalankillichelchanni (Chola)63 Nalankilli (Chola)


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No. 46.-1895.] encrnpr raMrr/ rrrrERATURE.

89 MdntaramSeralirumporai (Chera)

90 Md,ranvaluii (Pd,ndiYa)il Mivalattdn (Chola)U2 Mdvenko (Chera)93 Muilukutlumbipperuvaluti (P6ndiya)94 Muc.liitalaikkopperunatkilli (Chola)

95 Mrlvan96 Ya{imbalambanindra Pr{,ndiyan (P6ncliya)97 Vanjan (Chera)98 Yalluvan, of N6iyil99 Vichchikk6n

100 Vi44antdYan

101 VenkaimS.rpan102 Senkalldn (Chola)103 Serald,tan (Chera)104 Soliya Enddi Tirukkuttuvan105 Soliya En6di Tirukkar,rlan

29,

Gleanings Form Ancient Tamil Literature I

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