20-ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு அற இலக்கியப் பாரம்பரியத்தில் கு. கோதண்டபாணி பிள்ளையின் 'ஈரடி இருநூறு': ஓர் ஆழமான வரலாற்று, இலக்கிய மற்றும் உளவியல் ஆய்வு

Ku. Kothandapani Pillai’s 'Eeradi Irunooru' in the 20th-Century Ethical Literary Tradition: A Deep Historical, Literary, and Psychological Study

Abstract

In the history of Tamil literature, ethical literatures (Ara Ilakkiyam) hold a primary place in constructing social morality and life values. Following the objective heroism and subjective love of the Sangam era, the ethical works of the Post-Sangam period emerged to teach high ideals and the impermanence of human life.

As a modern-era continuation of this rich ethical tradition, 'Eeradi Irunooru', composed by Ku. Kothandapani Pillai (Rao Sahib) in the 20th century, stands out as an exceptional work. Utilizing the Kural Venpa—the poetic meter of the Thirukkural—the book is categorized into three major sections: Aesthetics, Psychology, and Worldly Affairs, making it highly relevant to modern contexts.

Consisting of 200 poems, this work follows the two-line couplet format of the Thirukkural to present ethics through a lens of aesthetic sensibility and realism. This research paper provides a detailed analysis of the author’s multi-faceted personality, the structure of the book, and the values handled within it, such as motherhood, poetic excellence, authorship, criticism, psychology, and worship. Furthermore, it compares Kothandapani Pillai’s thoughts with the modern critical theories of scholars like A. S. Gnanasambandan and T. S. Natarajan, evaluating the contribution of this work to the 20th-century Tamil Renaissance.