குறுந்தொகை காட்டும் வாழ்வியல் அறங்களின் பன்முகப் பரிமாணங்களும் சமகாலப் பொருத்தப்பாடும்: ஓர் அக-புற ஆய்வு

The Way of Life Portrayed in Kurunthokai The Multifaceted Dimensions and Contemporary Relevance of Ethical Principles: An Inner-Outer Analysis

Abstract

Kurunthokai, one of the foremost Akam (interior/love-themed) texts of Sangam literature, not only records the emotional states of love and separation but also profoundly articulates high ethical principles that refine human life. This research article aims to establish the moral framework of that era by extensively examining the life-principles (the philosophy of the three ways: aram (virtue), porul (wealth/matter), inpam (pleasure); the obligatory nature of giving; the ethic of compassion imbued with love) contained in Kurunthokai. The study's findings confirm that aram (virtue/ethics) was structured not merely as a tool for individual inner purity but as an obligatory ethic (Puram / external duty) that begins with earning wealth and culminates in acting for the benefit of other beings with a sense of public welfare. Specifically, the view that the gift of charity (Eekai) is considered an obligation, and the depiction of asking back a gift as a disgrace worse than losing one’s life (Kurunthokai 349), illustrates the severity with which the Sangam society penalized ethical deviation. Overall, Kurunthokai emphasizes the central idea that social obligation and expansive love are fundamental to the richness of inner life.