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JAINS AND TAMIL LITERATURE.'
Period.
B.C. 600-200I. Animistic :..
·
B.C. 200-150 II. Buddhist A.D.
A.D. 150-500 III. Jaina
Religion.
A.D 500-950 IV. Brahmanic
A.D. 1200.
950- V. Sectarian
A.D. 1200 VI. Reforma1450. tory.
A.D. 1850.
1450-VII. Modern
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Literature.
I. Academic käppiyam, Kural, etc.)
(Tol-j
II. Classic (Silappadik āram, Manimekalai, Pattupattu etc.)
V. Exegetical
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III. Hymnal (Tevaram, Tiruvachakam. Tiryvoimozhi, etc.)
•
IV. Translations(Kamban's Rāmāyana, Kachiyappar's Skantham,etc.)
VI. Miscellaneous.
(Commentaries by Nacchi-narkiniyai, Adiyarkunallar, etc.)
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Language.
I. Early Grammar: Agastyam, Tolkāppiyam.
II.Medieval Grammar: Tolkāppiyam, Kalladam,
Virasoliyam.
III.Modern Grammar:
Virasoli
yam and Nannul.
According to him, 150-500 A.D. forms a tlistinct period-the Jain period of Tamil literature. The representative works ascribed by him to this period are Silappadikaram, Manimēkalai, Pattupattu, etc. Of these only Silappadikaram may be considered as a Jain work. More properly, it is a work written by a Jain monk. Can therefore the existence of only one Jain work in a period covering nearly four centuries be considered sufficient enough as to call it the Jain period of Tamil literature? It cannot also be supposed
