chap_10
chapter9.html
chapter10.html
chapter11.html
TIRUKKURAL
An Abridgement of Śāstras
R. Nagaswamy
VOLUME - III
10. Jaina Origin of Tirukkuṟaḷ
Ever since the Kuṟaḷ was written, it served a similar purpose to Tamiḻs as that of Dharma Śāstra for the people who used Sanskrit. The conduct and the lifestyle of individuals irrespective of religion and sect of the people was guided by the Dharma Śāstra which includes ghryasūtras and the Brāhmins guided all sections including marriage which was called maṟaivaḻi in Cilapatikkāram. We have seen Kaṇṇaki (heroine) was married to hero Kōvalaṉ according to the Vedic rites though one was a Jain and another was Ājivika. The common Dharma was all-pervasive. There was no separate Dharma for the domestic life other than Dharma texts. Tirukkuṟaḷ being an abridgement of Dharma could have been followed by Jains from the time of its composition.
There are three commentaries from Jain monasteries collected from the nineteenth century which have been found on palm leaf manuscripts. Their language makes us believe that the scholars belonged to the 18th-19th centuries. They are mostly brief and are generally adoring Jain Tīrthankara referred to as Svāmi and colloquial in expression but this is not mentioned in texts.
There is a Jain text of the 13th century named Pratiṣṭha Tilaka, which was exclusively used by the Digambara Jains, throughout the Karnataka regions. The Ācārya who composed the text — Nemichandra — gives over ten generations of his ancestors, who migrated from Tamiḻnaṭu in the Tenth century. The earliest Ācāryas of this line, more than are said to have been Brāhmaṇas who hailed from Kāñcīpuram. Many of the names of famous Ācāryas who were followers of Jaina Dharma are mentioned. But there is no reference to Vaḷḷuvar in the list. Nor do we know the names of any of the Jaina commentators of the 19th century. As the kingship and law enforcement were common to all sects the common Dharma Śāstras have been used but there is yet no evidence to show that present Tirukkuṟaḷ is a text of Jaina origin.