Sangam Literature Research Articles

The Morality of Harlotry in Kurinjithinai

The Sangam literature depicts the life of the ancient people. Ancient Tamil literature describes how the people lived an Akam and Puram life. Through these, the high culture of the time can be understood. The place of human beings in Sangam literature is immense. The notable among them are the harlots. The role of harlots in the lives of the ancient Tamils can be seen in the literature. The Sangam Akam literature speaks extensively of the harlotry discipline. It cannot be avoided that they find a place among the supporting characters of Sangam literature. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to highlight their role in literature from a dialectical point of view.

The Life of the Panar in the Purananooru

There were various artists during the Sangam literature period. Among them, the performers, the Panars, occupy a particular place. The Panars are of various kinds based on the musical instrument they play and according to the context in which they sing. This study is to study their lives and habits. This study examines the condition in which the Panars who lived in the clutches of poverty did not enjoy the rewards they had received themselves, but by giving them to people like him and comforting them. The Sangam age, which is revered as the Veera Yuga (Heroic Age), and the literature created during that period, are the cultural symbols of the Tamils and the historical treasures. The Sangam literature consists of Koothu artists including Panar, Kodiyar, Vayiriyar, Koothar, Thunangaiyar, Viraliyar, Koothiyar, Padini, Aadumakal, Paadumakal, Pattisai Kalaignars, and the artists who play musical instruments and dancers. Among the Sangam literary performers, the Panars are projected by the majority of the poets. The word Panar has been widely studied in Sangam literature. It comes in twenty-six places in the Purananooru alone. This article examines the life of the Panars in the Purananooru.

The Worship of Goddess Kotravai in Silappathikaram and the Life of the Eyinars

Kotravai worship is the most important place in the worship of the mother goddess of the ancient Tamils. Kotravai is an ancient goddess. In Sangam literature, Kotravai is referred to by the names Pazhayol, Ganamar Selvi, and Ayirai. Literature indicates that the Eyinars worshipped the Goddess Kotravai. Ilangovadigal in the Madurai chapter has explained in detail the worship of the Kortavai of the Eyinars in the Vettuvavari story. The Eyinars have lived as an ethnic group. The leadership was not mentioned to them. The Eyinars lived as ethnic groups and made their living under the rule of chieftains. It is a fact that the literature suggests the truth that people who were good at hunting in the early times may have turned into murderers and robbers due to poverty. But it is an incontrovertible fact that the Tamil people who lived in ancient times were Eyinars. It can be seen from the Silappathikaram that they have destroyed their own race by sacrificing to the Kotravai.

The State of Life of Viraliyars (A Class of Female Songsters) in Literature

From time to time, various works of literature have appeared and developed in one language. All the literature that originated in Tamil is based on the lives of human beings. From the Sangam literature to the modern works of literature, we are aware of the ethics of life. Scholars are of the opinion that the Minor Literary genre, like the epics, does not have a continuity of the story, but are composed of individual thoughts, individual feelings, and separate songs, which in one way or another continue. With the passage of time, the Minor Literary Genre has spread its branch in many ways. One of those branches is the 'Thoodhu (messenger)'. There is a lot of information about Viraliyar (Female Songsters) in the literature of Thoothu. This article reflects the living conditions of the Viraliyars.

The Marudham Land Plants from an Ecological Point of View

Social anthropologists have given various explanations and definitions of the term environment. Sangam literature encompasses nature and culture in itself. The news is widely reported on the lifestyle and environment of the people. Marudham, one of the five types of lands in ancient Tamil Nadu, is a field-based water-rich area. This land area depended on rivers, lakes, and ponds. The area is named Marudham after the flowering of the Marudham tree, a tree associated with this area. Since Marudham land is rich in water and there was a lot of availability of produce, the people living here spent their leisure time with joy and revelry. It is said that Marudham land was looking green as if it had worn green clothes of paddy, banana, and sugarcane. The poets reveal that the land of Marudham was covered with plants, vines, trees, and water bodies. It can be seen that references to Marudham, Kanchi Maram (Thespesia Populnea), Mango, Punkamaram (Cypress Tree), Veppamaram (Neem Tree), Banana Tree, and Vanjimaram (Calamus Rotang Palm) plants are found in the Marudathan songs. It is mentioned that the Calamus Rotang palm wood pieces and branches were used as firewood.

The Family Structure in Puranaanooru

A closer examination of the ancient Tamil literature reveals that the ancient Tamils lived as an ethnic society and later became small kingdoms and empires and became sovereign societies. In this article, the family in the Sangam literature purananooru and their respective structural structures have been described by the poets Ponmudiyar, Oreruzhavar, Perungundroorkizhar, Pandian Arivudaiyanambi, Pandiya Nedunchezhiyan, Perunchithiranar, Kapilar, Paranar, and Arisilkizhar. Moreover, the above poets have pointed out the sense of duty of the family members in the progress of human life.

Fanaticism in Sangam Literature Worship of Lord Muruga

The place where people originated and where life began is considered Kurinji land. This is the land that Lord Muruga took as his place. He made the spear a weapon and the image of the rooster a flag. Fanaticism is one of the oldest in the worship of Lord Muruga found in Tamil literature. It may be said to have originated on the basis of social collective life. It can also be said that this worship originated from the worship of Lord Muruga in Tamil Nadu. Though there are no idols in this worship, it can be said that it was worshipped with 'Velayudham (Spear)', the symbol of Lord Muruga. The tribal people, with the help of Lord Velan alias Murugavel in the family, have performed a veriyaattu ceremony (Fanaticism) to resolve the relationship between the mother and daughter. The purpose of this article is to examine it.

Sangam Literature as a way to Know Ancient Tamil Beliefs and Omens

Folklore is the culture of particular people protected by their beliefs and customs. Beliefs are created and protected by a community of people. Man’s selfishness and social consequences are developing these beliefs. Beliefs often seem to be the basis of fear, but when we do not perceive supernatural activities and when we are unable to explain the reasons for some events in life. Our mind creates some reason for it. And these reasons become a kind of belief. Beliefs are passed down from one generation to another. From birth to death we see man having various kind of beliefs. Beliefs play a major role in human life and it drives human life. This article examines the beliefs and omens of the ancient Tamils through Sangam Literature.

Philosophical Thoughts in Tamil Literature

Tamil has now been accepted as the supreme classical language by the Government of India. Considering that we are happy and praising ourselves. But at the same time, only few people know that the original source of Tamil language is Sangam literature, which has given the status of a supreme classical language to Tamil language. Questions arise whether we are clear with the various dimensions of Sangam literature and the different platforms they operate on. Sangam literature written by many writers and Valluvar's Thirukkural guides man to live a good life in this world. There are many moral ideas in these books. Among them educational wealth and material wealth are the basis of individual and social development. Sangam literature emphasizes that all these qualities should be attained by every human being.

Changes in Vedar Clan and the Virtue of Sharing

Sangam literature is a treasure trove to learn about ancient Tamil society. Sangam literature divides the ancient Tamil society into ‘Agam’ and ‘Puram’. Literary songs of Sangam literature do not belong to the same era. It has been sung by different poets at different times and this is proved by the events described in the literary songs. In Sangam songs explains the remnants of the ethnic groups, who lived in Tamil Nadu. In addition, Sangha literature is a collection of long-term events. Through the Sangam literary songs, we can learn about the life styles of the ethnic groups and the changes they have undergone over time. The most primitive of such ethnic groups are the Vedar clan. Vedar clans were divided into various branches in Tamilnadu and underwent many changes. Although the Vedar’s have splited into many branches, some cultural and moral values still persisted. Virtue of sharing is one among them and they follow it even after their separation. This article examines how this virtue has been continued in spite of various changes that took place from time to time.

Worshiping Nature in Sangam Literature

Rituals in human life are a socio-cultural phenomenon that occurs from birth to death. Ritualistic concepts of worship play an important role in all these events. 'Worship' is an activity deeply rooted in human faith. Through Sangam literature we can know that worshiping nature is an important activity in all kinds of events that happens in human life. Rituals may have originated before the concept of God or Lord. These rituals are performed based on faith, belief and customs.

Marriage System and Life Morality in Akananuru

Tamil language is qualified as a good classical language among other languages. Sangam literature reveals the lifestyles and traditions of the ancient Tamil people. Ettuthogai and Pathupaatu in Sangam literature are divided in to internal and external literature in order to explain the social life. In that way, this article is a historical research on anthropological virtue. The culture of Tamil people is the best culture when compared to other culture. Marriage is one of the rituals and it was formed on the basis of social order. In the Sangam literature, the marriage system is in a position to realize the unique culture of the people. Marriage in Tamil Literature. In the works of Tamil literature there are many words for marriage such as 'Thirumanam’, ‘Varaivu’, ‘Vathuvai’, ‘Karppu’. Tolkappiyar mentions eight types of marriages in his book Tolkappiyam. Chastity is very important in Tamil marriage system. Hospitality, greeting the elders, marriage rituals play a very important role in Tamil marriages. But there are no priests in marriage ceremonies. But nowadays the marriage takes place with the priests who recites many mantras. Some traditional practices like, if a woman come forward with a pot filled with water then it is considered as good omen is still practiced today. Also, in marriages more importance to the women who have given birth to children. Thus, the article explores all these kinds of traditional system followed in marriages.

The Virtue of Life as shared in Purananooru

Of the creatures in the world, man is the only one who thinks about what benefits him from what he does and does not think about the harm that will befall others. Literature was created by scholars to refute such an idea. In these exceptions, the Akam and Puram are divided and give us the golden life of the Sangam age. The Sangam poets who created these poems have shown their own lives as a life of noble pride. As a result of this life, in their works, they have highlighted in the literature the values of life such as effortfulness, helpfulness, selflessness, and love for life. Moreover, the Sangam literature is also a source of evidence and message for those who wish to know about the ancient Tamil civilization, linguistic excellence, cultural culture, etc. The Sangam literature is classified into Pathuppaattu and Ettutthokai. Literature, which describes the way human beings lived, can also show the way in which they should live. What is recorded in the Purananuru is not merely battlefield news. In Puram (external) thinking, the root of ethical thinking can be found to be concentrated. On the surface, which is regarded as generic, the ideas of life form the basis of morality. That is to say, society is a union of individuals. The virtues performed by individuals create the betterment of society. The morals practiced by the people in society are the morals of the society. Individual morality can be found in the Akam (family) sense and social morality in the Puram (external) sense. The ancient Tamils were heroic and virtuous. On the whole, it can be seen that purananuru is a treasure trove of history that highlights the heroic lives of the Sangam Tamils. This article highlights the ways of life of the heroic people in the Purananooru, such as war messages, life values, royal traditions, etc.

The Five Types of Lands and Moral Principles shown in the Sangam Literature

It can be said that people adjust their lives according to the environment of the land in which they live. Thus, it is a natural phenomenon that has been going on since ancient times to the present day. Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal, and Palai are the five kinds of land life that can be found in Sangam literature. This is a classic example of how people developed their professions according to their land type. In this way, the Kurinji land people depended on hunting, honey picking, millet sowing, preserving them, etc., in the hilly areas, the Mullai land shepherds were grazing goats and cattle, selling milk, curd, butter, etc., and the Marutham land peasants were also engaged in the cultivation of agriculture, the people of the land were engaged in fishing, selling them, drying and selling fish, producing salt, selling them, selling them, producing salt, and selling them according to the land. In this way, occupations form the basis of land-based life. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the ethical principles of the land-based life of the people.

Sangam Literature in Sociological View

It is essential to explore the Sangam era in harmony with nature. It is special to highlight the sociological elements that emerge in Sangam literary works. In Sangam Literary works, we can read the sociological ideas that are compatible with nature. Man sought both wealth and knowledge in outer life. They were engaged in agriculture and trade to earn wealth. There are also reports that ancient people gave importance to various arts and they proved their physical ability in sports. This article vividly captures those sociological ideals that were followed in Sangam era.

Virtues in Sangam Literature

Virtue is derived conceptually and is changeable according to the change of time. Moral values are different for man who lived as an ethnic group and for an individualistic society. This article shows up how the virtues mentioned in Sangam literary songs new shape for the sake of necessity. A materialistic society constructs virtue according to the occupation, materials, eligibility etc. A man accepts and reject a thing based on his knowledge of virtue. In the struggle for life, the commonality has been distorted based on the ideas of labor and surplus. This article describes the virtues of war, which are intended to destroy the generality and about the government virtues that emphasize power.

Life of Disabled People in Sangam Literature

Sangha literature is a very old literature both in terms of time and concept. The Sangam literature proclaims the high culture of ancient Tamil people. Society is an organization in which many people live together. Community is a subdivision of society; individual interest is safe guarded in a community living together as an ethnic group. A society is an environment where a man can live harmoniously both alone and in contact with other people. Both abled and disabled people live in this society. Disability happens both naturally and artificially. There are songs in literature that give confidence to disabled people that even if there are shortcomings, you can overcome the shortcomings and make progress in life. This article explores the value, lifestyle, and problems faced by disabled person during Sangam era.

The scientific Thoughts of Kalameka Pulavar in Solo Songs

It is the literature composed during the Sangam period that still stands as the lifeblood of Tamil literature. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they are the mother and forerunner of contemporary literature. Thus, the collection of solo songs has an important place in Tamil literature. It highlights the lives and ethics of the people. The songs of Kalameka Pulavar are praiseworthy. The contribution of science to today's medicine is immense. With the development of science, new drugs have been discovered in medicine and a permanent solution has been found for various terminal diseases. Nevertheless, today's scientific medicine has also endorsed the system of medicine found in the Sangam literature and has made its continuous use among the people. It is used in today's medicine as a natural medicine for various skin diseases. This is what Kalamekar, the scholar of the Sangam age, also teaches through his song. The purpose of this article is to highlight the scientific thoughts and medical references found in the poems of Kalameka Pulavar.

Ethical principles shown by the Aatruppadai Texts

The Sangam literature, Ettutthokai, and Pathupaattu are the books that highlight the antiquity of Tamil and the pride of Tamils together. This article illustrates the ethics shown by the Aatruppadai books of the Pathupaattu hymns. The word 'Aaru' is interpreted by scholars to mean 'way' or 'righteousness'. ‘Aatrupaduthutthuthal (Counseling) is guiding or directing someone who knows or does not know. This review article conveys the message that Nakkiran worshipped Lord Muruga in the six houses in Thirumurukaattrupadai which is found first in the Aatrupadai texts, and attained his virtues such as grace, love, knowledge, etc. Moreover, this article shows that in the books of Porunar Aatrupadai, Sirupanatrupadai, Perumpanattrupadai, and Kootharaattrupadai, the kings ruled with morals, welcomed the poets who came to him and treated them with clothes, food, etc.

Sharing a Virtue in Sangam Literature

Living together is a primary feature of ethnic group life. The Sangam period shows us about remnants of tribal life through literature. Traces of this tribal life abound in the Kurinji and Mullai land forms. The food production obtained in these lands are by hunting, food gathering and by doing simple agriculture and it was shared among the people. This act of sharing has been a moral act of unifying ethnic group lifestyles and one of the fundamental factors in building community bonds. This is most vividly displayed in the kurinji and Mullai thinai songs of Sangam literature. This article examines all these things in detail.