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JAINA LITERATURE IN TAMIL
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works in the Tamil language. Unlike the Sanskrit grammar or vyākaraṇa which has the 1st and 2nd alone, this contains three chapters, the third being on porul. This 3rd chapter contains a lot of extra-grammatical matter dealing with love and war, and thus offers many useful suggestions for reconstructing the history of the early Dravidians.
It is said that there are five commentaries on this treatise written by
1. lļampūrañar 2. Pērāśiriyar 3. Sēnavaraiyar 4. Naccinārkkiniyar
5. Kallādar The first is the oldest of the commentators and is generally referred to as “The Commentator' by the later ones.
This great work of Tamil grammar is assigned by tradition to the second Sangam period. We know that all the existing Tamil works are generally assigned to the last and the third Sangam period. Hence this Tolkāppiyam must be assumed to be anterior to practically the whole of the existing Tamil literature. This would be a curious tradition to be accepted, for it is not likely that a work of grammar would precede all the other works in a particular language. As a matter
1. Traiyanāragapporul with Nakkiraņār's commentary (Ed. by C. V. Damodaran Pillai, Vikāri), p.5.
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