திருக்குறள் காமத்துப்பாலில் நெகிழாக்காலம்: இலக்கியமும் மூளைநரம்பியல் அறிவியலும் இணையும் ஓர் விரிவாக்க ஆய்வு
The Refractory Period in Thirukkural’s Kamathupal: An Extended Interdisciplinary Study Intersecting Literature and Neuroscience
Keywords:
Thirukkural, Kamathupal, Udaluvagai, Refractory Period, Neuroscience, Oxytocin, Prolactin, Autonomic Nervous SystemAbstract
The physiological phenomenon known as the "Refractory Period," which occurs post-coitus in human sexual behavior, serves as a significant subject of research in modern neuroscience. Thiruvalluvar, belonging to the BC era, described the pleasure of this interval/rest period in his Thirukkural under the section Kamathupal (The Book of Love), specifically in the chapter titled "Udaluvagai" (The Delight of Sulking / Quarrel, Chapter 133).
Centering on four specific couplets—Kurals 1325, 1326, 1328, and 1330—this research paper analyzes the hidden neuroscientific truths within them by comparing them with modern research papers published in databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Nature Portfolio (Communications Biology). The study discusses the fluctuations of neurochemicals like oxytocin, prolactin, dopamine, and gonadotropin, sex-based physiological differences, and evolutionary factors. This paper represents an interdisciplinary effort to bridge the observational scientific insights embedded in ancient Tamil literature with modern medical science.
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