Tholkappiyar’s meyppadu and Bharathar’s Rasa – Concepts of Aesthetics

Abstract

Since ancient times, as Tamil and Sanskrit have been exchanging cultural practices, there are similarities in literary and grammatical principles. Many of Tholkappiyar’s literary principles about Meyppadu in aesthetics are found in Bharadhar’s the Sanskrit literary theorist too, who came after Tholkappiyar, in the north. The eight occasions where Meyppadu occurs, according to Tholkappiyar, are seen in Bharadhar’s also. As per Bharadhar Meyppadu is action. The base for the occurrence of these actions is feeling. Rasa is a feeling. Bhava is a Meyppadu. Feeling breaks out of Meyppadu. Bharadhar’s eight Bhavas are comparable with Tholkappiyar’s eight Meyppadu’s. The aim of the study is to prove that Bharadhar’s theory of Rasa in Sanskrit is a follow up of Tholkappiyar’s literary Meyppadu.