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JAINA LITERATURE IN TAMIL
131 of the river Poruņai in Pāņại-maņdalam. This work Agapporuļviļakkam is based upon the chapter on Porul-ilakkaņam in Tolkāppiyam. It is an exposition of the psychological emotion of love and allied experiences.
The contribution by Jainas to the Tamil lexicography is also worthy of note. There are three important works on Tamil lexicography; the three nighantus are the Divākara-nighantu. Pingaļa-nighantu and the Cūļāmaņi-nighanțu. All the three are dictionaries in verse which traditional scholars got by heart in order to understand the more intimate classics in the language. The first is by Divākara-muni, the second by Pingaļamuni and the third by Mandalapurusa. Tamil scholars are of opinion that all the three were Jainas. The first, Divakara-nighantu, is probably lost to the world ; but the other two are available. Of these the last is the most popular. From the introductory verses written by the author of the third work, Cūļāmaņi-nighaņțu, it may be learnt that he was a native of the Jain village Perumandūr which is a few miles distant from Tindivanam, the headquarters of the Taluk of the same name, in South Arcot District. The author further refers to Guņabhadrācārya, a disciple of Jinasēnācārya. This Guņabhadra is the author of Uttara-purāņa which is the continuation volume to Jinasēna's Mahāpurāņa. Hence it is clear that this Mandalapuruşa must be later than Guņabhadra. He also refers to the other two nighanţus which ought to be, therefore, earlier to Cūļāmaņi-nighanțu. The work is written in viruttam
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