Jaina Literature in Tamil

Author(s): A Chakravarti, K V Ramesh
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

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A. CHAKRAVARTI:
quatrains of veṇbā metre like the Nalaḍiyar. It consists of valuable old sayings containing not merely principles of conduct, but also a good deal of worldly wisdom. It is assigned a third place in the enumeration of the 18 didactic works which begins with the Kural and the Nālaḍiyār.
3. Another work belonging to this group of 18 is Tiṇaimālai-nūṛraimbadu' by Kaṇimēdaiyār. This Jaina author is also said to be one of the Sangam poets. This work treats of the principles of love and war and is quoted freely by the great commentators of the later age. Stanzas from this work are found quoted by Naccinarkkiniyar and others.
4. Another work of this group is Nänmaṇikkaḍigai, 'the solver of the four gems', by the Jaina author by name Vilambinathar. This is also in the veṇbā metre well-known in the other works. Each stanza deals with four important moral principles like jewels; and hence the name Näṇmaṇikkaḍigai.
moli is largely indebted to the Nalaḍiyar and other works and was probably composed in the 8th century. A.D. See S. Vaiyapuri Pillai History of Tamil Language and Literature (1956), p. 90; M. S. Ramaswamy Ayyangar: op. cit., pp. 92-93.
metre.
1. Tinaimalai-nürraimbadu contains 155 stanzas in veṇbā This work has set the pattern for many a later work on the love theme. In this work Kanimēdaiyar devotes 31 songs each for the five tinais, viz., kuriñji, neydal, palai, mullai and marudam. Like his other work Eladi, Tinaimalai-nürṛaimbadu also belongs to the kilkkaṇakku group. See T. V. Sadasiva Pandarathar: A History of Tamil Literature (250-600 A.D.), Annamalainagar, (1957), p. 67.