Tolkāppiyam
Tolkāppiyam is a foundational text that codifies the grammar and literature of the Tamil language, reflecting an extensive literary and artistic tradition from southern India that predates its creation. Comprising approximately 1,612 poems, the text is organized into three primary categories, known as adhikarams: Ezhuthadhikaram, Solladhikaram, and Poruladhikaram. Ezhuthadhikaram focuses on Tamil phonology, detailing the sounds and their classifications. Solladhikaram explores the origins and usage of words across different contexts, while Poruladhikaram examines the themes and subjects of poetry, addressing various aspects of human experience, including romantic love and societal affairs.
The Poruladhikaram further categorizes subject matter into Agamporul (internal or subjective) and Puraporul (external or objective), highlighting regional differences in music, deities, and customs across five distinct regions of Tamil Nadu. Tolkāppiyam is not only a linguistic text but also a reflection of the cultural and artistic milieu of its time, making it a significant resource for understanding the rich heritage of Tamil literature and grammar. This comprehensive framework has influenced generations of poets, scholars, and grammarians, establishing Tolkāppiyam as a crucial pillar in the study of Tamil language and literature.
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Tolkāppiyam
Related civilizations: Dravidian, India.
Date: c. 250 b.c.e.
Locale: South India
Authorship: Trinadhuma Agni, also known as Tolkāppiyanār
Tolkāppiyam
Tolkāppiyam (tuhl-KAW-pee-yahm; Tol meaning “hoary” and kāppiyam denoting literature), which codified the grammar and literature of Tamil language, provides evidence of numerous grammarians, a large body of literature, and a rich pool of artistic talent that existed in southern India several years before the work was created. Tolkāppiyam contains about 1,612 poems divided into three adhikarams, or categories: Ezhuthadhikaram (orthography), Solladhikaram (etymology), and Poruladhikaram (subject matter of poetry that applies to idiom, prosody, and figure of speech), each divided into nine chapters.
Ezhuthadhikaram, which analyzes Tamil phonology, sounds, and their production and classification, has 480 sūtras. Solladhikaram scrutinizes the origins of words and analyzes principles of word usage in literary, formal, and informal contexts. Poruladhikaram deals with the subject matter of poetry—the incidents of life. It consists of 660 sūtras and deals with the science of poetics pertaining to romantic love, affairs of the state, rasa (sentiment relating to poetry), figures of speech, meter, and traditional usage in poetry. Porul is classified as Agamporul and Puraporul—subjective and objective, home and abroad, and inside and outside. An interesting point to note is that land was then divided into five regions, each of which had its own music, deities, musical instruments, and other social customs.
Bibliography
Rajam, V. S. A Reference Grammar of Classical Tamil Poetry. Philadelphia, Pa.: American Philosophical Society, 1992.