நாலடியாரின் அறவியல் நோக்கும் சமண முனிவர்களின் தத்துவச் சார்பும்: திருக்குறளுடன் ஓர் ஆழமான ஒப்பீடு
The Ethical Perspective of Naladiyar and the Philosophical Stance of Jain Monks: An In-depth Comparison with Tirukkural
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63300/tm0403122523Keywords:
Naladiyar, Naladi Nanuru, Pathinenkilkanakku, Jainism, Arathuppal, Impermanence, Velan Vedam, PadumanarAbstract
Naladiyar, a prominent ethical text among the Pathinenkilkanakku collection of Tamil didactic literature, is often revered alongside Tirukkural. Composed of venba verses, each consisting of four lines, and containing four hundred poems, it is also known as 'Naladi Nanuru' and, due to its general ethical teachings, as 'Velan Vedam'. This text is not the work of a single author but a compilation of individual poems composed by several Jain monks. Annotated by Padumanar, it was organized into 40 chapters, similar to Tirukkural, and divided into three sections: aram (virtue), porul (wealth/politics), and inbam (love/pleasure).
Naladiyar's ethical viewpoint strongly emphasizes the Jain philosophical concept of impermanence (of wealth, youth, and the body). The text advocates for asceticism as the supreme path to salvation, viewing married life as inferior. Its literary success stems from its unique method of imparting wisdom by using simple aspects of life as similes (e.g., the turning of a cartwheel, the behavior of bees). While Tirukkural concisely conveys its message, Naladiyar elaborates on the moral principles in a detailed and engaging manner across its four lines. This research paper meticulously examines the subtle philosophical differences between Tirukkural and Naladiyar, particularly concerning their strict stances on begging (iravachcham) and their approaches to domestic life. Despite being a didactic text with Jain leanings, this study establishes that Naladiyar holds a permanent and prominent place in the history of Tamil literature by offering universal ethics.
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