Jain Journal 1970 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 34

OCTOBER, 1970
The Lemurian theory which holds the view that there was a large mass of land to the south of Kanyakumari, carries the history of this piece of land to very ancient times. The Paraliaru now known as Palayaru in the district is but Pahruli river in the lost Lemuria, swallowed by the sea. From the poetic inscription found in the Pandyan dam on the river Palayaru, the dam is mentioned as 'Paraliyatruanai.' It is also confirmed by the Travancore Land Revenue Manual which calls the river Paraliyaru.1 The submersion of the river Pahruli and the mountain Kumari under the sea is mentioned in Silapathikaram, one of the twin epics in Tamil literature.
Adiyarkkunallar, the commentator of Silapathikaram gives a fine description of Kumarinadu and a list of Tamil works which were in the land. The land was made up of seven regions, divided into seven divisions. The division named Thenganadu and Kurumpanainadu were in the area now known as Kanyakumari district and Thengapattinam and Kurumpanai their capitals, are now in this district. The Huzur office plate which belongs to the eighth year of King Varaguna of Ay dynasty says that while staying at Tirunandikkarai the King married Murugan Senthi, the daughter of Thenganattu Kilavan.5
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Research scholars and oceanographers remark that the land to the south of Kanyakumari was the cradle of the human race. So it is appropriate to say that the history of India especially of Tamilnadu should commence not from the north but from the south. There is literary evidence to show that the first and second Tamil Sanghams (Academy) were held at Then Madurai and Kapadapuram respectively in the lost continent of Kumari. Tholkappiam which appeared in the period of second Sangham is the only work which escaped from the sea, since the author who belonged to the area which was not swalloed by the sea.
The name Athankottasan is found in the prefactory verse of Tholkappiam. It mentions that the great grammatical work was approved in the academy under the chairmanship of Athankottasan (the teacher of Athankodu) in the presence of Nilan Taru Tiruvin Pandyan. It is interesting to note that Athankodu is a village in the Vilavankodu Taluk in Kanyakumari district. Presumably the author of Tholkappiam was also a native of this area. Some of his words like pani and agatthu which signify 'fever' and 'inside' respectively are in vogue only in the Kanyakumari district. Avani which is the first month of the year
Kerala Society Papers, Volume I, page 263.
4 Volume IV, page 98.
5 Travancore Archaeological Series, Volume I, page 17.