தமிழ் இலக்கியங்களில் பலியும் பழக்கவழக்கமும்: ஒரு சமூக-பண்பாட்டுப் பகுப்பாய்வு: Sacrifice and Customary Practices in Tamil Literature: A Socio-Cultural Analysis

Abstract

In the early stages of human civilization, the fear of natural forces combined with the impulse to pacify uncontrollable natural calamities gave rise to the ritual practice of 'sacrifice.' Ancient societies widely believed that handing over life or precious living beings to deities could avert hardship and suffering. Over time, this practice—which originated as blood sacrifice—evolved under the influence of philosophical and religious thought into symbolic food offerings and altar-based ritual elements. In Tamil history, the practice of sacrifice has continuously persisted within the social structure from the Sangam period to the present day. Even during the Kalabhra period, when taking life was strictly opposed, records of sacrifice persisted through the Pathinenkeelkanakku (Eighteen Lesser Texts) ethical literature. However, those literary works defined animal sacrifice as 'sin' or 'evil' and reinterpreted sacrifice as a social act of charity—giving food to the poor, needy, and children. The ritual structure of the Balipeetam (sacrificial altar) found in Saiva and Vaishnava temple architectures, as well as the traditions of charitable giving embedded in Christian and Islamic religious practices, serve as historical remnants of this transformation. The primary objective of this paper is to comprehensively analyze the historical evolution of sacrificial practices depicted in ancient Tamil literature and the ethics embedded in the everyday living customs of Tamil society.

Keywords

• Tamil Literature
• Sacrifice
• Socio-Cultural Analysis
• Ritual Evolution
• Ethics
• Balipeetam
• Customary Practices.