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KAVYAS.
93 of the ancient Tamil civilisation. As in Kural the sentiments expressed are cosmopolitan in nature. Some of the topics treated in the book are learning, great men,, perseverance, royalty and household life.
This book has now been edited in a masterly manner by the late Mr. T. Chelvakesavaroya Mudaliar of the Pachiappa's College, Madras.
kārum.
2. Major Kavyas. · In Tamil literature there are five major kāvyas and five minor ones. The major epics are Manimēkalai, Silappadikīram, Valayāpadi, Chintamani and Kundalakēsi. Of these the Jains were responsible for three.
Silappadikāram.— The references to Kounti- Silappadiadigal and to innumerable Jain stötras" clearly indicate the Jain origin of the book. As has already been stated, its author was Ilangõvadigal, a brother of the Chera prince, Senguttuvan. Silappadikāram is a storehouse of information on the state of Jains in the Tamil land. Being composed at a time when the Jains had just established themselves in the various centres of learning, the work does not naturally contain denunciations of other faiths. The moral sought to be inculcated by the epic is, that as life, youth and riches are evanescent, men should take warning and make the best use of their life in doing good deeds, which alone would be of benefit in their after-life. Divided into three
