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DEVELOPMENT & IMPACT OF JAINISM ON TAMILNADU STATE OF INDIA
religions emerged as dominant religions, the Patinenkilkanakku, a series of works on ethics, morality and social norms were composed, a majority of which were authored by the Buddhists. of these the Kural and Naladiyar held in high esteem by the Tamils as treasures of Tamil Literature, are claimed to be Jain works, although there is a continuing controversy about the Kural. The Jains attribute it a authorshop to Kundakunda also known as Elacarya, who is believed to have lived around the beginning of the Christian era. It is noteworthy that the commentator of the Nilakesi, a jain work in Tamil refers to the Kural as "emmottu" or "our scripture".
The Kural is of universal value in its ethical and normative character. Of particular signigicance is the emphasis in both Kural and Naladiyar on ahimsa-kollamai, nittar perumai - the greatness of ascetics, abstinence from meat eating, impermanence of mundane things, the greatness of renunciation and extinction of desire. The doctrine of Karma would also seem to pervade the various genres of Jain literature such as works on thics. Morality and the Kavya and Puranas.
The Naladiyar, according to later traditions relating to the three Sangams, assigns it to the third Sangam, but the work may well be of the post-Sangam era. Of its complier Padumanar, nothing but his name is known. The work often called "Velalar Vedam", the Veda of the cultivators of the soil. The work is replete with ideas like the transience of wealth , youth and body and the view that palavinai or karma determines the nature of present life. There is however no evidence in the work of any particular religion being the source of its influence, although its stress on lofty and impressive ideals like righteousness and charity are generally in keeping with Jain ideals.
The Palamoli of Munruraiyanar and the Aranericcaram of tirumuniappadiyar lay emphasis on principles of conduct (the five rules such as ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacarya, and parimitaparigraha) in Jainism governing the lives of the householder as well as the ascetic. Uncertainly still prevails as to the Jain authorship of other works like the Eladi of Kanimetaiyar who also wrote the Tinaimalai Nurraimbadu following the Sangam themes of love and war. The Nanmanikkadigai, Aintinai Elupatu also belong to this genre and may be assigned to the period 4th-6th centuries AD, when Jainism was in the ascendancy.
Thus the Tamil region thus received Jainism through one such migration, evidence of the presence of Jain ascetics coming mainly from the early Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and of Jains from the Sangam text, as poets of the Tamil Academy called the Sangam, in the early historical period, the first phase of their activity in this region. Archaeological and epigraphic evidence would point to the greater popularity of the Jains among the merchants and trading community in general all over Tamil Nadu.
The Jains have made a very significant contribution in Tamil Nadu. The first migration of Jains from Rajasthan to Tamil Nadu dates back to nearly 200 years. These people not only did good trade and business with honestly and sincerity but also followed the principle of "Live and Let Live' enunciated by Bhagwan Mahaveer by their generous philanthropy. They served the people of Tamil Nadu both in the field of health and education. The first Educational Institution was started 80 years back and today there are several educational institutions not only in Chennai but also in various districts of Tamil Nadu.
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