சங்க இலக்கியத்தின் வடிவம்சார் ஆய்வுகள்: ஆய்வுப் புலத்தின் வரலாறும் கோட்பாட்டுக் கட்டமைப்பு விவாதங்களும்
Formalistic Foundations of Sangam Literature: A Diachronic Analysis of Research History and Theoretical Scaffolding
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63300/tm0402112523Keywords:
Sangam Literature, Form, Prosody (Yāppiyal), Research History, Akaval Meter, Linguistic Approach, Tolkāppiyam, Nālacai-cīrAbstract
Sangam Literature stands as the canonical wellspring of the Tamil language, underpinned by a dense and rigorously maintained tradition of scholarly inquiry. This paper offers a comprehensive historical description and analysis of formalistic studies—the examination of meter, structure, and poetic architecture—as applied to the Sangam corpus. This research field has evolved dynamically, influenced sequentially by the establishment of native grammatical norms, the development of exhaustive commentary traditions, the advent of print publication, the filtering influence of Western critical pedagogy, and finally, the application of modern linguistic and literary theories.
Studies focusing on the formal structure of Sangam texts have been systematically compiled by the authors across four distinct archival levels: contributions published in academic journals, proceedings from scholarly conferences, doctoral dissertations, and the critical engagements offered by non-Tamil scholars.
Beginning with the pioneering efforts of the 19th century, this analysis traces the historical trajectory of the field, examining sociological perspectives (e.g., K. Sivathamby and A. Shanmugadas) that investigated how socio-political development informed and affected the expansion of poetic forms—such as the notable extension of the Akaval meter within the longer narratives of Pattupattu.
Furthermore, the paper delves into core theoretical debates that define the field: C. V. Shanmugam’s crucial contributions identifying the link between prosody (Yāppiyal) and linguistic sentence structure; A. Pitchai’s seminal hypothesis positing the Akaval meter as the fundamental, archaic Tamil poetic form; and M. Kasthuri’s influential discussions concerning the inclusion of Nālacai-cīr (four-unit feet) found within the Vañci lines of the Poruṇarāṟṟuppaṭai.
Finally, the study recognizes the essential contributions of non-Tamil scholars, including the work of John Marr (likely a reference to George L. Hart in the context of oral performance theory) who connected the formal elegance of the Akaval meter to the vibrant culture of oral performance, and Kamil Zvelebil, whose subtle and profound observations focused on the phonaesthetics (sound-aesthetics) of the ancient verse.
Ultimately, this paper argues for future approaches to Sangam poetics that rely on a multivalent methodology, integrating expertise in musicology, linguistic science, and comparative literature to unlock the enduring complexity of these classical texts.
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