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Historical dictionary of Classical Tamil
TamilexHistorical dictionary
of Classical Tamil

Photo: Eva Wilden

Tamilex

Puṟapporuḷveṇpāmālai

Between the Poetry & the Poetics of War

Nikolay Gordiychuk

The study focuses on the Puṟapporuḷveṇpāmālai, “Garland of Veṇpā [verses] on the Subject of Puṟam [Poetry]”, a medieval Tamil treatise on poetics, created by Aiyaṉāritaṉār ca. 9th century CE. This text is an important source of information both on the development of heroic poetry, classified under the category of puṟam, and the development of Tamil literary theory in the Post-Classical period (also known as the Post-Caṅkam or Early Medieval period).

However, despite its historical value, the Puṟapporuḷveṇpāmālai has not yet been extensively studied either by scholars in India or in the West. Apart from the edition of the text and its medieval commentary, published by U. Vē. Cāminātaiyar in 1895 and since then reproduced in multiple later editions, in fact very little scholarly research was dedicated to this treatise. As of now, the work has never been translated in full into English or any other language, and it is only occasionally referred to in scholarly publications.

My research on the Puṟapporuḷveṇpāmālai focuses on the critical study of available manuscripts and on preparing new edition of the text, its annotated translation, and a full glossary-concordance, that is to be integrated into the Tamilex digital dictionary.

While preparing the annotated translation of the treatise, particular attention is paid to its interpretation by the only medieval prose commentary of the text composed by Cāmuṇṭi Tēvaṉāyakar. Supplementary research on the Puṟapporuḷveṇpāmālai aims to contextualize it in the history of Tamil poetry and literary theories, and focuses on the following aspects:

  • Its place and role in the development of puṟam poetry after the end of Caṅkam period. The contents and style of the work is compared both to Caṅkam puṟam poetry (Puṟaṉāṉūṟu, Patiṟṟuppāṭṭu), and to post-Caṅkam works such as the Kaḷavaḻināṟpatu, the Muttoḷḷāyiram, and the Kaliṅkattupparaṇi;
  • Its place in the history of Tamil literary theories. The treatment of puṟam poetry in the Puṟapporuḷveṇpāmālai is compared to relevant chapters of the Tolkāppiyam, an ancient Tamil treatise on language and poetics, as well as with its later medieval commentators.