சதக இலக்கியங்களில் ஆரோக்கிய வாழ்வியல்: சித்த மருத்துவப் பின்னணியிலான ஒரு பன்முக ஆய்வு

Abstract

In the history of Tamil literature, the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries AD are considered the golden age of Sitrilakkiyam (Minor Literature). Specifically, among the ninety-six types of minor literature that flourished during the Nayaka period, 'Sathakam'—structured with one hundred songs—served as a tool to preach the moral codes and ethics necessary for human life.

Beyond praising deities and patrons, these Sathakam works have meticulously recorded medical notes and healthy lifestyle guidelines for living a disease-free life. This research paper explores the medical truths embedded in works such as Kayilasanathar Sathakam, Kumaresa Sathakam, Annamalai Sathakam, Arappaleesura Sathakam, and Thandalaiyar Sathakam, linking them with the principles of Siddha medicine.

This article provides a detailed analysis of how the advice offered in Sathakam literature regarding the causes of disease, methods of body maintenance, dental hygiene, dietary restrictions (pathyam), the qualifications of a physician, and social health remains relevant to contemporary living. The primary objective of this study is to establish how Sathakam authors conveyed the fundamental Siddha principle of "Food is medicine, Medicine is food" to the general public through simple poetic forms..