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A. CHAKRAVARTI : popular grammar in Tamil language. It is held only next to the Tolkāppiyam in esteem. It is by one Bavanandimuni who wrote this grammar at the request of a chief called Siya-Ganga. The author was well versed not only in the Tamil grammatical works, Tolkāppiyam, Agattiyam and Avinayam, but also in the Sanskrit grammar, Jainēndra, being a great scholar both in Tamil and Sanskrit. This grammar, Nannūl, he wrote for the benefit of the later Tamil scholars. It is pre'scribed as a text book for schools and colleges ; hence we may say without exaggeration that no Tamil student passes out of school or college without some knowledge of this Tamil grammar. There are a number of commentaries on this work. The most important of these commentaries is the one by the Jaina grammarian Mailaināthar. Mailaināthar is another name for Nēmināthan who was the God at the Mylapore Jinālaya. We have an excellent edition of this Nannūl with this Mailainātha's commentary made available to the public by Dr. V. Swaminatha Ayyar. The work consists of two parts, Eļuttadhikāram and Solladhikāram which are sub-divided into five minor chapters.
In this section on grammar we may also notice the work called Agapporuļviļakkam, by one Nārkavirāja Nambi. His proper name is Nambi or Nambi Nainār; because he was expert in 4 different kinds of poetic composition he was given the title of Nār-kavirāya. He was a native of Puļiyanguļi on the banks
1. See p. 127, (footnote 1, item 1) above.
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