Jaina Literature in Tamil

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

Page 72

JAINA LITERATURE IN TAMIL
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5. Next Ēladi, 'Cardamom and others'. The name Ēladi refers to the mixture of the perfumes of ēla, (cardamom), karpūram (camphor), erikarasu (the odorous wood), candanam (sandal) and tên (honey). The name is given to this work because each quatrain is supposed to contain five or six such fragrant topics. The work is of Jaina origin, and the author's name is Kaņimedaiyārl whose knowledge is appreciated by all. It is also one of the 18 lesser classics of Sangam literature. Nothing is known of the author except that he is said to be a disciple of Mākkāyaṇār”, son of Tamilāśiriyar, a member of the Madurai Sangam. Though these works are usually included in the general group of the 18 minor classics", it should not be assumed that they
1. See above, p. 46 and note l.
2. Another Jaina disciple of Mākkāyaṇār, Mākkāriyāśān by name, is the author of Sirupañcamulam, yet another kijkkanakku work. The name of the work is derived from the five (pañca) medicinal roots kandankattiri, śiruvalutuņai, śirumalli, perumalli and neruñji. Sirupañcumūlain contains in all 104 songs in veņbā metre, cach song dealing with five essentials for human living. That this Jaina author was a disciple of Mākkāyaṇār is known from the payirappadal at the end of the work (Mākkāyan müşükka Mäkkäriyāšan Sirupuñcamūlamseydan). See T. V. Sadasiva Pandarathar: op. cit., pp. 49-52.
3. Aintinai-clubadu is another kilkkanakku work which set the trend for all later works which have agapporuļ for their main theme ; each of the five tiņais of this work consists of 70 stanzas called på and hence the suffix eļubadu (70). Only 64 poems are now extant, the rest being probably lost. Though this work commences with an invocation to the Elephant-faced god, i.e., Vināyaka, some scholars are of the opinion that its author, Mūvādiyār, was a Jaina by faith. He lived probably in the 5th century A.D. See T. V. Sadasiva Pandarathar, op. cit., pp. 65-66.