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A. CHAKRAVARTI :
scholar. The fact is disputed by some scholars and various views' are entertained as to the religion of the author. We shall merely state some of the facts of internal evidence and leave it to the reader to judge for himself. Though it is a work of grammar, it contains a mine of information about the social polity of the early Tamilians; and research scholars are mainly dependent upon this work for information relating to the customs and manners of the early Tamilians. It has not been fully availed of by students of historical research. It is supposed to be based on earlier works on grammar such as Aindra which probably refers to a system of Sanskrit grammar. This is considered to be an authoritative work on grammar, and all later writers in Tamil language faithfully conform to the rules of diction enunciated therein. The author of this work, Tolkāppiyam, was supposed to be a student
(vi) Colladikāram with Śēnāvaraiyar's commentaryEd. by Arumuga Navalar (1934);
(vii) Eluttadikāravārāycci by V. Venkatarajulu Reddiyar (1944);
(viii) Colladikāram with an English commentary by P. S. Subrahmanya Sastri (Annamalai University Tamil Series, No. 9, 1945);
(ix) Poruļadikāram with Naccinārkkiniyar's commentary-Ed. by K. Sundaramurti (1965). 3 1. See K. Vellaivarananar: 'Tolkāppiyam', pp. 159-72 for the differing views of scholars on the religious leanings of the author of Tolkāppiyam.
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