The Philosophy of Tamils during the Post-Sangam

Period
N.Murugaiyan

Introduction
K. N. Sivaraja Pillai in his Chronology of Early Tamils taking a bird’s eye view
of the total scenario of Tamil literature identifies ‘three separate and clearly
well-defined strata’ , namely, the “Naturalistic, the Ethical and the
Religious”. Though the former is related to a much early period 3 rd century
B.C or even earlier, with a view to accommodating the majority opinion
avoiding controversial extreme views, it is often assigned to an era covered
by a period commencing from 2nd century B.C to 2nd century AD. The next
era of classification is often known as the Post-Sangam or Ethical period
(Sankam Maruviya Kalam) starting from the 3 rd century AD and extending up
to the 6th or 7th Century AD. The third stratum described by Sivaraja Pillai
as ‘the Religious” refers to literature that belongs to the Bakati Movement
influenced by the New Hindu Religion Which is different from the Vedic Hindu
Brahmin religion that was at pains to come to terms with the reformist or
protestant missionary religions such as Jainism and Buddhism in the ancient
as well as in medieval India. The New Hindu Religion known for its tolerance
accommodated truth and non-violence as its chief tenets. The New Hindu
religious sects Saivism and Vaishnavism, having a harmonious relation
among themselves succeeded in relegating the Jain religion to the
background in most parts of the country and getting the Buddhist religion
eliminated from most places in the country, particularly from Tamil Nadu.
Saivism led by poets like Thirumular, Karaikkal Ammaiyar and others and
Vaishnavism by Andal, Poigai Pey, Bootat Alwars flourished in Tamil Land.

The present paper aims at presenting a comprehensive view of

philosophical principles ruling the roost in the post-Sangam era with special
reference to Tirukkural that has served as a bridge between classical Tamil
literature of the Sangam Age and the religious literature nurtured in the age
of Thirugnana Sambandar, the avant-garde or forerunner of Saivism in Tamil
Nadu. The paper would reveal the continuity in existence on the one hand
between the classical Tamil literature and the eighteen minor works and on
the other hand, the ethical literary works and the twin epics, namely
Silappathikaram and Manimekalai and literature of the Bakthi movement.

The Literature of the Ethical Stratum

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The classical Tamil literature is referred to by the classificatory term
Eighteen Major works (Meerkanakku nuulkal) and the ethical Tamil literature
by the term Eighteen Minor works (Kiizhkkanakku nuulkal). The former is
known as Paattum (songs) and Tokaiyum (anthologies). As the twin epics lay
of the Anklet (Silappatikaram) and Jewelled Girdle (Manimekalai) are often
assigned to the era of the eighteen minor works. The term eighteen minor
works denote works such as Naladiyar (Four Quartains), Nanmanikkatikai
( The four-gemmed Necklace, Inna Narpatu ( The Sour Forty), Iniyavai
Narpatu (The Sweet Forty), Kar Narpatu (The Rainy Forty), The Kalvali
Narpatu ( The Battlefield Forty), Mudumolikkanji (A Girdle of Ancient
Proverbs) , Acharakkovai (An anthology of Daily Conduct), Thinaimalai
Eluvathu (The Garland of the Five-land Seventy) , Thinaimalai Aimbatu (The
Garland of the five-land fifty), Thinaimozhi aimpatu ( The Speech of the five-
land fifty), Thinaimalai Nuurraimpatu (The garland of the five-land one
hundred and fifty), Kainnilai ( What ought to be in the hands of scholars),
Elathi (A Drug prepared out of six ingredients), Tirikatukam ( Three
medicines), Palamozhi (Proverbs), Cirupanjamuulam (Five small Roots).

The eighteen minor works can be brought under a three-fold classification

namely Niithi Nuulkal, Didactic Works numbering 11, Akam (Interior) 6
works and Puram (Exterior) 1 work .Each of the six works that have ‘love’ as
their theme is a work by an individual poet. Commenting on the marked
contrast in the choice of themes for the Sangam poems and eighteen minor
works, R. Alalasundaram says,

The qualitative difference between the Sangam and the

Pathinenkilkanakku periods can be gauged from the contents
of their literature. It has been estimated that out of the 2381
verses of the Sangam literature over eighty percent (1862
verses) relate to love (aham), and only 519 to the rest
(puram). The pathinenkilkanakku works on the contrary
contain, out of a total of 3250 verses, only 420 on aham that is
less than fifteen percent. Further in the Sangam literature,
verses giving out moral advice are just 215 only, 140 in the
aham works and 5 in the pram, whereas in the
padinenkilkkanakku texts the number of such verses is as
much as 2790. Not only had the emphasis on aham almost
disappeared, but the prime of place had come to be assigned
to the didactic aspect with the passing of the Sangam age and
dawn of the age of Morals.

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Art for morals as the Predominant Philosophy of the Post-
sangam Literature

The philosophy that is dominant in post-sangam literary works is

‘didacticism’ which is nothing but education or instruction. Any work of art
or literature has two functions to perform, namely entertainment and
education. There are two schools in literature, one is known as ‘art for art’s
sake’ and the other is ‘art for moral’s sake’. The works of the
penenkilkkanakku belong to the latter school of philosophy. The movement
that is diametrically opposed to the ‘Art for Morals’ is the school of
philosophy known as ‘Art for Art’s sake’ or “l’art pour l’art”, a phrase taken
up by the writer Theophile Gautier. As this school of philosophy that took
shape only in the early 19th century France, we hardly find any work relating
to the Sangam or post sangam period fully serving as an illustration to it.
Literary critics like Mu. Varadarajan rejects it outright and concentrates on
‘art for morals’ in his evaluation of Tamil literary works. These post-sangam
works deploy the Venpa metre, whose length varies from 2-line to 6-line in
them. Thirukkural consists of kural Venpa (2-line) verses while other works of
this age are known for making use of quatrains (e.g., Naladiyar, Palamoli) or
venpas with 3 or 5 or 6 lines.
The poets probably found the ‘Venba’ metre being the most suitable poetic
device for presenting ‘Art for morals’. Describing the use of Venpas in 18-
Minor works N. Murugaiyan (2011: xiii) says,
The Kural, the shortest of Venpas, is a two-line poem and a
Venpa can be a three or a four or a five or a six-line poem. But
the four-line Venpa is the most popular of them all. There are
several types of Venpa such as Nerisai Venpa, Innisai Vanpa,
Alaviyal Venpa and Pahrotai Venpa.
The Immoral Kural as Monumental Ethical Treatise with Universal
Relevance
Thirukkural, as Alalasundaram says, has many firsts to its credit such as ‘the
earliest didactic work’, ‘ economy of expression’ and ‘terseness’,
‘completely non-sectarian message’, ‘the first book to open with an
invocation to god’ encouraging other writers to follow this practice and
above all the threefold division of its content under three captions namely
‘aram’ (virtue), ‘porul’ (wealth) and ‘inbam’ (love) corresponding to the
Sanskrit terms ‘ Dharma’, ‘Artha’, and ‘Kama’. May be it is the first to use the
‘kural venpa’ so effectively to present universal ethical themes in two lines
comprising seven cirs (Feet). It is the only book unrivalled in any part of the

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world consisting of classical Tamil aphorisms numbering one thousand three
hundred and thirty that have a relevance to humanity in third millennium.
Even though it is written in Tamil, one of the two ancient languages of India
and different from the other i.e., Sanskrit in having a continuity that is more
than two thousand five hundred years, the poet says nothing in particular
describing the Tamil land pointing its uniqueness by naming any of its
features such as hills, rivers, kings, gods etc. One remarkable feature of
Sangam lyrics often pointed to by authorities such as T.P.
Meenakshisundaram or Kamil Zvelebil is ‘non-particularization’ of characters
with whom we have the pleasure of associating ourselves as involved
readers. Individual names of the hero or the heroine is never mentioned and
they are referred to as generic terms such as ‘hero’, ‘heroine’, ‘girlfriend’,
‘mother’ ‘foster mother’ etc. This trend of non-particularization or speaking
in general terms making no attempt to depict the individual traits, follies and
foibles is continued in the post-sangam akam works such as ‘naalaithinai’
(Four five-land works) and the Bakthi movement works such as
Thirukkovaiyar by Manikkavasakar etc.
This is in consonance with the egalitarian or altruist philosophy propounded
by Kaniyan Poongunranar in an immortal line or ‘adi’ ie ‘yatum uuree.
yavarum keelir’ (Every town is my hometown and everyone is my
kinsperson). One can recognize the echo of this Sangam verse in two kural
couplets given below:
யாதனும் நாடாமால் ஊராமல் என்னொருவன்
சாந்துணையும் கல்லா தவாறு?
Thirukkural 397
yātaṉum nāṭāmāl ūrāmal eṉṉoruvaṉ
cāntuṇaiyum kallā tavāṟu
The educated have every country as theirs and every town their own.
Knowing this fully, why does one remain illiterate till death?
பிறப்பொக்கும் எல்லா உயிர்க்கும் சிறப்பொவ்வா
செய்தொழில் வேற்றுமையான்.
Tirukkural -972
piṟappokkum ellā uyirkkum ciṟappovvā
ceytoḻil vēṟṟumaiyāṉ
All creatures are equal by birth; their distinctions remain unequal
Owing to difference in occupation.

Thiru V Kalyanasundaranar in his foreword to Mu. Varatharajan’s work

Thiruvalluvar or Valkkai Vilakkam (Thiruvallur or Life-explanation) praises
Valluvar for his progressive outlook of treating the entire world as one

4
community. Quoting Thirumuular’s words ‘Onre kulam oruvanee Devan’ he
begins this foreword and goes on to say that Thiruvalluvar stands head and
shoulder above the ancient Sanskrit philosopher Manu as well as the Greek
philosopher Aristotle as Manu’s ideas mutilated leading to class division,
superstition, slavery of women and untouchables etc., on the one hand and
Aristotle’s ideas paved the way for narrow nationalism, expansionism,
jealousy, war, bloodshed etc., on the other hand.
Taking cue from the sangam classics as well as the immortal Kural,
Thirumular says in a line, elaborating in a way:
ஒன்றே குலமும் ஒருவனே தேவனும்
(Only one community as well as only one god)
– Thirumanthiram (The Sacred Mantram) 2104
This universal outlook highlighted in the sangam classics and in the immortal
Kural finds an oblique or indirect expression in the ninth century Auvaiyar’s
work Nalvali (Good way). It speaks about ‘muuvar thamizh’ ‘மூவர் தமிழும்’,
(Quatrain 15)’ (The hymns of Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar and
Sundaramurthy Nayanar) and the aintelutthu (சிவாயநம) (Quatrain 40). What
it says about the caste division in the following Venpa (Quatrain 2) provides
an interesting contrast to the references about caste made above:
சாதி இரண்டொழிய வேறில்லை சாற்றுங்கால்
நீதி வழுவா நெறிமுறையின் மேதினியில்
இட்டார் பெரியோர் இடாதார் இழிகுலத்தோர்
பட்டாங்கில் உள்ள படி.
cāti iraṇṭoḻiya vēṟillai cāṟṟuṅkāl
nīti vaḻuvā neṟimuṟaiyiṉ mētiṉiyil
iṭṭār periyōr iṭātār iḻikulattōr
paṭṭāṅkil uḷḷa paṭi.
There are no castes other than two while speaking about
The world reigned by unfailing laws of justice
The benevolent are noble and the miserly ignoble
In the land that is governed by truth.
Even though this work speaks about the four scriptures, naan marai, (நான்
மறை) (Quatrain 40) it takes no cognizance of the four varna’s prescribed
either in Manu Smriti or in Rig Veda as it is one with the ancient Tamil
Classics in this respect.
The Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle fall far below when they are
placed in comparison with Valluvar. After making an analysis of Plato’s
Republic, B. Natarajan in his Economic ideas of Thiruvalluvar says, “The ideal
state pictured by Plato and Valluvar are as different from chalk is from
cheese.” Comparing Aristotle and Thiruvalluvar Natrajan establishes the

5
superiority of Valluvar as moral and ethical philosopher over Aristotle as
indicated below:
As for Aristotle, he no doubt parodied and criticized his
master’s ideal Republic, but what he gave in its place was
even far removed from that of Valluvar. For Aristotle slavery
was essential. Inequality was natural; inferiority congenital;
democracy only for the Greek born. Unlike Valluvar who wrote
predominantly for the common man, Aristotle wrote for a
leisure class which held work and business pursuits in
contempt. Nor is there an integration of ethics and economics
in Aristotle as has been achieved by Thiruvalluvar.

The very fact that the Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains etc., claim Kural as
their own provides us ample proof to the view that Thiruvalluvar has made
use of their core philosophical principles in his work. Referring to this T.P.
Meenakshsundaram says,
If Dr. Pope hears echoes of the sermon on the mountain in
Tirukkural, others hear echoes from Jains and claim Valluvar as
Jain. References had been made on Chakravarti Nayinar’s
views. The Jain commentary on Nilakesittirattu of the 14 th
Century speaks of Tirukkural as “our authority”, probably
claiming it as a Jain work. Manimekalai, an aggressive
Buddhistic epic quotes from Tirukkural and praises Valluvar as
‘Poyyil Pulavar’ suggesting that Valluvar had the real
Buddhistic vision. Vaishnavite Alvars and Tevaram writers
have borrowed phrases from Tirukkural. Saivite philosophical
works like Tirukkalirrupattiyal seem to suggest that they are
quoting the verses from Tirukkural as though it was their
Saivaite Bible. In short, one may state that all the religions and
philosophies of Tamil land interpret Tirukkural as though it
were their respective authority.
Thiruvalluvar deploying ‘the art concealing art’ to its fullness gives no clear
indication for his indebtedness to any one of the philosophers. As Natarajan
thinks that there is a harmonious blending or synthesis of economic
philosophy of Sangam Tamils and ethical principles such as nonviolence,
asceticism etc., of the reformist missionary religions such as Jainism and
Buddhism that came from the northern parts of India.
According to Alfred Marshall, the classical economist “the destruction of the
poor is their poverty.’ The Chinese philosopher Confucius thinks that Great
nations are ashamed of the poverty of its people. The British dramatist G.B.

6
Shaw who is placed next to William Shakespeare in the field of drama
observes “Poverty is the root cause of evil’. Thiruvalluvar as a moral
philosopher is concerned about poverty and this concern is the outcome of
his life-affirming faith. In one of Kural Venpas he says,
இன்மையின் இன்னாதது யாதெனின் இன்மையின்
இன்மையே இன்னா தது.
குறள் 1042
iṉmaiyiṉ iṉṉātatu yāteṉiṉ iṉmaiyiṉ
iṉmaiyē iṉṉā tatu.
Answer to the question ‘What is worse than poverty?’ Is
Poverty is worse than poverty.
What Valluvar says in the following Kural couplet is an elaborate anticipation
of the modern economic and social philosopher’s views cited above on
poverty:
நல்குரவு என்னும் இடும்பையுள் பல்குரைத்
துன்பங்கள் சென்று படும்.
nalkuravu eṉṉum iṭumpaiyuḷ palkurait
tuṉpaṅkaḷ ceṉṟu paṭum
Into the fold of poverty all sorts of
Sufferings take shelter.
What Valluvar says in a chapter called இரவச்சம் (The alarm against Begging)
is an expression of his vituperation against the creator who has allowed
begging to go on in this world.
இரந்தும் உயிர் வாழ்தல் வேண்டின் பரந்து
கெடுக உலகியற் றியான் 1062
irantum uyir vāḻtal vēṇṭiṉ parantu
keṭuka ulakiyaṟ ṟiyāṉ
If begging is inevitable for life-existence, may
The creator perish practicing it.
Taking cue from the immortal bard Valluvar the revolutionary poet
Subramanya Bharathi says,
தனிஒருவனுக்கு உணவில்லை எனில் இந்த
ஜகத்தினை அழித்திடுவோம்
taṉioruvaṉukku uṇavillai eṉil inta
jakattiṉai aḻittiṭuvōm
If there is no food for an individual,
Let us destroy the entire universe.
The third division of Kural known as Kamatthuppal is all important according
to Kalyanasundranar, Mu. Varadrajan etc., and the latter in his work on
Valluvar Life-Explanation follows the reverse order as it begins with

7
Kammattuppal and deals with Porul which is essential for the conduct of
home as well as country secondly and deals with Aram finally. The earliest
work that follows the reversed order of listing of the three divisions can be
found in the opening line of Klaviyal in Tolkappiyam. It declares that the aim
of life is to acquire three things, namely, Inbamum, Porulum, Aranum
enrangu (இன்பமும், பொருளும், அறனும் என்றாங்கு) (Love, Wealth, Virtue as
called).
Describing the Kamattuppal, P. Marudanayagam (2010: 177) says,
The third part, in its two broad sections, dealing with secret
courtship and wedded love, presents a number of dramatic
scenes, each of which is brief but striking and contains a
refining analysis of varying moods of lovers in a rare fusion of
psychology and aesthetics.
What K. Kothandappani Pillai says (1971: 120- 121) about ‘inpam’ is
relevant to establish its greater significance often, unfortunately, ignored:
It is not a pleasure due to freedom from fear or bondage. It is
not a pleasure compounded of all these different kinds. It is a
pleasure, where no trace of any of these exists and far
transcends them all. It is a pleasure felt by the union of the
souls, where ego vanishes and the souls lose their
individuality, unite into one and experience a divine happiness,
Ananda, இன்பம், bliss. Advaidham (not being two – oneness) is
Anandam indeed.

Speaking about the spirituality and aesthetics of human love Radha

Kamal Mukarjee says,
Love is the supreme confirmation of the universality,
immortality and infinitude of self. In love, free from the taint of
all-too-human passion and ego centricism, God and man
become to each other in an eternal playful reciprocity that
constitutes the meaning of life and the world.
It would be appropriate to conclude a discussion on Kamattuppal with
the words of C. Jesudasan and Hepzibah Jesudasan as given below:
Love, in the Kural, is an exalting, pervading, transforming passion,
not a mere cult of the body, as it is in the Kamasuutra. Nobody need
be diffident about putting the Kural into the hands of the young, for
there is nothing in it that can contaminate the mind by exalting the
body.
Conclusion

8
A broad sketch of the philosophical principles governing the Eighteen
Minor works is presented in the foregoing pages of this essay. An
attempt is made to to reveal the continuity present in the three
strands of Tamil poetry namely,
Classical, Post classical and religious with special reference to the
unique Tamil work Tirukkural. As the scope of the paper is limited it is
not possible to furnish all details relating to the points referred to.

Note: All the translation of Tamil texts presented in this paper are
made by the writer of this paper. He can be contacted at e-mail id:
musanage @gmail.com or his cell phone No: 9444277116

References

Alalasundaram, R. Tamil Social Life (C. 250 to 700 A.D.), New Century Book House
(P) Ltd., Madras 600 009.

Jesudasan, C., and Hephzeba J., A History of Tamil Literature, YMCA Publishing
House, Calcutta, 1961.

Mukarjee, Radha Kamal, Horizon of Marriage, The Asia Publishing House, Bombay,
p. xi, 1951.

Murugaiyan, N. “The Relevance of Classical Tamil Literature to Humanity in Third

Millinnium”, Journal of Tamil Studies, Vol. No 87, January 2015, International
Institute of Tamil Studies, Chennai -600 113

Nanmanikkatikai by Vilambi Nakanar, Text. Transliteration and Translations in

English verse and Prose, Compiled and Edited by N.Murugaiyan, Central Institute of
Classical Tamil, P.xiii

Meenakshisundaram, T. P., Philosophy of Thiruvalluvar, Thirumathi Sornammal

Endowment Lectures on Thirukkural, 1959-60 to 1968-69, University of Madras,
1971, Part I English PP 55-106

Natarjan, B., “Economic Ideas of Tiruvalluvar”, in Thirumathi Sornammal

Endowment Lectures on Thirukkural, 1959-60 to 1968-69, University of Madras,
1971, Part I English PP 55-106

Varadarajan, Mu. Thiruvalluvar allathu Valkkai Vilakkam, Pari Nilyam, Chennai 600
108, First Edition 1948, Second Edition 2009