இடைக்கால தொல்காப்பிய உரைகளின் மெய்யியல் போக்கு

Philosophical Trends in Medieval Commentaries on Tolkāppiyam

Abstract

The medieval commentaries on Tolkāppiyam are connected to the philosophical ideas of that time. The commentators’ religious beliefs influenced their explanations, and they shaped the Tolkāppiyam tradition according to their own views. During this period, social and historical reasons led people to build a religious Tamil identity, and this created discussions to reclaim ancient Tamil tradition. The explanations given by the commentators also come from this same background. Based on this, the article studies how medieval commentaries on Tolkāppiyam are related to the philosophical trends of that time. Specifically, the paper analyzes key commentary texts to demonstrate how fundamental linguistic and grammatical rules were actively reinterpreted through theological lenses. By examining these interpretative shifts, the study highlights the transformation of Tolkāppiyam from a secular grammatical treatise into a vital instrument for medieval religious discourse, ultimately offering deeper insights into the intellectual and cultural evolution of the Tamil literary tradition.