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A. CHAKRAVARTI :
which tries to bring the age of this work to the later period of the Christian era. Scholars are of opinion that several stanzas in this work are but the echo of the Sanskrit work by Bhartphari. Bhartshari's Nitišataka was composed about 650 A. D. and, therefore, Naladiyar is supposed to be later than the 7th century A.D. This arguement must also be rejected, because the Jaina scholars who are experts in both the languages, viz., Tamil and Sanskrit, were probably acquainted with certain old Sanskrit sayings that were perhaps incorporated by Bhartshari in his work. Even if you maintain that the Jaina ascetics responsible for the Nāladiyār were probably members of the Drāvida Sangha presided over by Sri Kundakundācārya, the work could not be assigned to a period later than the first century A.D. It is relevant to mention, in this connection, that quatrains from this Naladiyār are found quoted in the well-known commentaries in Tamil language from very early times. Besides these two great works, several others (such as Aranericcāram 'the essence of the way of virtue', Palamoli, “Proverbs', Ēlādi, etc.) included in the 18 didactic works, probably owe their origin to Jaina authors. Of these we may notice a few in short.
1. Aranericcāram — The essence of the way of virtue' is composed by a Jaina author by name
1. Most of the lists of Padinen-kilkkaņakku works do not include Aranericcāram. This is generally accepted to be the work of a Jaina poet, Tirumunaippādiyār, who is assigned by some
(Contd.)
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