This is one of the two books by Ramanujam sent by Sarasvathy and received by Laxmi
a fortnight back. I have read about AKR in media articles as a famous scholar Tamil classicals and folk tales. I had a copy of his collection of Folk Tales which Bina used to read several times until the paper back got unhinged and torn. As expected this book is stellar in character and expositions. The poems are part of the famed sangam literature variously dated 100 BC - 200 AD. Compared to much of sanskrit literature, sangam works are more secular and earthly. No religion could be assigned to these authors other than just natural. I have very little idea of the location and society of sangam literature. Whatever I read in Malayalam did not elicit a full picture. There were some Keralite poets in the sangam. Some names of kings or heads seems to be Kerala origin. In those times there was no seperate Malayalam language. So Tamil is much older and matured. There is a big gap from sangam era to the time of later Tamil epics such as Kampa Ramayanam. The two known and popular epics are Chilappadikaram and Manimekhalai. They are the works when budhism was widespread in South. Jainism also was prevelant. Both Budhists and Jains must have written many works in Tamil as in the case of North where Pali and Prakrit works of both followers are in abundance. AKR mentions the Tamil Tatha U.V. Swaminatha Iyer not aware of the existence of Sangam and Jain Krities in Tamil. It seems that Sanskrit speaking Brahmins who came to south in the early common era overwhelmed the rulers and ruled with their vedic rites and practices occupied the cultural scene exterminating the indigenious one. Then it seems that we lost a good part of Tamil classics as it was with budhists texts in the north. But many of them were retreaved from their chinese and tibetan translations. No such luck to the Tamil.
With such historical back ground we should cherish what were left out from perishing and made known still some manuscripts might have been kept hidden. A concerted and dedicated efforts to find them is the need of times. Let us look at the newly found gospels from the dead sea scrolls to the latest Judas gospels. Unfortunately scholarship of such caliber nor the wherewithals are easily available in todays Tamil Nadu. A good lot of time, intellect and money wasted in futile and rediculous persuits petty and personal politics. So long this scene continues there is no hope for any cultural renewal except fundamentalism.
By,
K.N. KRISHNAN
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