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THANYAKUMAR TAMILWORKS ON BHAGAVAN MAHĀVĪRA
one of the works that speaks about Lord Mahavira in Tamil. The stanzas (Thuravu Carukhan No. 66) that sing the glory of Arhat are mellifluous.
9. Thiruvempavai
Pavai literary composition is a popular one in Tamil. There are different pavai works hailed by Saivaites, Vaisnavites and Jains.
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Jaina Thiruvempavai sings the glory of Tirthankars. There is a direct referenc to Lord Parsva (9) and Lord Mahāvira (317) Avirodhinathar is the author of this work.
In other Tamil works, there are general reference to Arhats, the Tirthankaras, not mentioning their names. In Merumendra Purāṇam the Tirthankara Vimalanatha is mentioned in invocative stanza. Thirunoortru Anthadhi, another Tamil work, glorifies the Mylai Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara.
Since most of the Tamil works that refer to Arhats and Siddhas in general were written during the Tirtha Santhana era of Bhagavan Mahāvīra, it can be surmised that these works indirectly speak of Bhagavan Mahāvīra and his principles of Ahimsā.
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