Mahavira and his Teaching

Author(s): C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti

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ANTIQUITY OF JAINISM IN TAMILNĀD
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and promoted the advancement of learning. He was the President of the two Acadamies according to Tamil literature. Literary evidence and legends tell that the Pāņdyan kings were descendants of the Pandavas. Tamil classics state that Agasthya founded the first Tamil Sangham in Kumāri Nādu and promoted Tamil studies. The poets of the first Samgham composed eight literary works. Among them were seventy lyrical songs. Among these songs, twenty are extant today and the rest were lost. Among these twenty songs, six are in adoration of Tirumal, Kannan or Śrī Krşņa. These songs are called Paripadal in Samgham literature. They were sung in accompaniment of instrumental music. A Samgham work, the Iravanar Kalaviyal Urar states that the Paripadal songs were composed during the first Samgham period probably about four thousand years ago. All these facts go to prove that Srí Krsna had been held as the most venerable personage, the national hero, the most worshipful superman and the supreme leader of India somewhat about three thousand five hundred to four thousand years ago. Krsņa figures in the Chandogya Upanişad, Pāņini's Astādhyāyī, Patanjali's Mahābhāśya, Ghatajātaka, Maha Bhārata, and Uttarādhyayana Sūtra. Harivamsa and Bhagavatam have presented the life story of this superman, the God that was Kannan and Tirumal of the Tamil people.
According to saivaite Tamil literature, Lord Siva, who lived on Kailāsagiri, Himalayas deputed Muni Agasthya to South India to civilize the people. A poem of Arunagirinathar, author of Tirupukazh states that Siva taught Agasthya the Tamil language and instructed him to teach it to South Indians. Tirumular, another poet states that Siva deputed Agasthya to Tamilnād for propagating dharma or Aram among the people. Appar, one of the leaders of the Saivaite revivalist movement has also stated that Agasthya preached Aram in Tamilnād. Silappadhikāram, compposed by Ilanko Adikal, the Jaina ascetic and brother of Cheran Senkuttuvan, king of Keraļa, contains references to Agasthya of Pothiyamalai claiming him as the father of Tamil culture and civilization. Kamban, the celebrated author of Tamil Rāmāyana has declared that Agasthya preached the doctrines of the four M.M.-45