நற்றிணையில் விருந்தோம்பல் பண்பாடு: சங்ககாலத் தமிழரின் சமூக அறம், இல்லற மாண்பு மற்றும் வாழ்வியல் விழுமியங்கள் குறித்த விரிவான ஆய்வு

The Culture of Hospitality in Narrinai: A Comprehensive Study of Ancient Tamils' Social Ethics, Domestic Virtues, and Life Values

Abstract

The Sangam era is considered a golden age in Tamil history, where valor, love, and righteousness (Dharma) flourished. Among the social values of the people of this period, 'Hospitality' (Virunthompals) was regarded not merely as a duty, but as the very purpose of domestic life. Specifically, Narrinai, one of the Ettuthokai (Eight Anthologies), records the nuances of hospitality with great intricacy.

This paper provides a detailed analysis of the characteristics of hospitality embedded in the poems of Narrinai. It discusses profound concepts such as:

• How Sangam people welcomed strangers (guests) with a pleasant countenance.
• The cultural practice of providing food even during late hours of the night.
• The perspective that a hero’s pursuit of wealth was primarily intended to fulfill the virtue of hospitality effectively.

Furthermore, by comparing these themes with texts like Thirukkural, Aattruppadai literature, and Periyapuranam, this study explains how hospitality has been maintained as a continuous moral tradition in Tamil culture. The culinary skills of the Sangam heroine, methods of hosting, and the food culture of the time are also subjected to detailed investigation.