chap_6_3
chapter_6_2.html
chapter_6_3.html
chapter_6_4.html
TIRUKKURAL
An Abridgement of Śāstras
R. Nagaswamy
VOLUME - III
KĀMATTUPPĀL
6.3. MU. VARADARASAN
Dr. Mu. Varadarasan, the well-known Tamiḻ scholar, who was held as an authority on Tamiḻ language and literature, wrote an article in 1963, four years before the Dravidian rule came into power in Tamiḻnadu. He was invited to write an article for the volume of Tirukkuṟaḷ edited by K.V. Jagannathan (Ki. Va.Ja), who was a master of Tamiḻ literature, having been the principal disciple of Dr.U.Ve.Swaminatha Iyer. As the editor, Ki.Va.Ja invited eminent scholars of the time to contribute an article to the volume, Mu. Va’s article forms part of the collection. Mu. Va wrote on Kāmattuppāl, the third chapter of Kuṟaḷ. Interestingly he had concluded, that chapter seems to be a Nāṭaka Kāvya. It is almost contrary to the Dravidian ideology for it was considered as a singular text of the Tamiḻs uninhabited by Sanskrit traditions. Mu. Va, without mincing words, said that Kāmattuppāl of Tiruvaḷḷuvar is like Nāṭaka Kāvya. A brief summary of his essay is given here. His article was in Tamiḻ, I am publishing it here in English form.
However, it seems Mu. Va has followed T.P. Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, popularly called T.P.M, who first mentioned that Kāmattuppāl is the style of dramatic dialogue.
(The following is the English Translation of Mu. Va's article by Dr. Nagaswamy)
Vaḷḷuvar, who had his subject divided into three parts as Aṟatuppāl, Poruṭpāl and Kāmattuppāl, while he wrote his Kāmattuppāl — on love, a great poet with dialogue. While writing the other two sections he appears as a teacher and the learners as listeners. It may be seen that he appears as a preacher, advising traditional Tamiḻ people; as seen in the respective instances. However, there are some Kuṟaḷs, which differ from this method of imparting. There are two Kuṟaḷs in the section on bravery of the army (in Poruṭpāl) and two Kuṟaḷs in the section on Nalkuravu (Poruṭpāl). In the former, a hero on the battlefield utters heroic valiant challenges, while in the latter, the utterances of a destitute individual appear as their hardship and suffering.
The verses in the Kāmattupāl do not appear as a poet's saying but as a dialogue between two lovers. He composes them as the speeches of a hero, heroine, and her friend, and in this, the poet appears as a dramatic artist. These appear not as poet's advice on dharma or artha, but instead as men and women appearing on a dramatic stage and delivering dialogues. In essence, the verses of Kāmattupāl are not precepts of aṟam or artha but appear to be creative poetry. Thus, we may call Kāmattupāl a Nāṭaka Kāvya — dramatic poetry. (Please note Mu. Va especially says that Kāmattupāl is a Nāṭaka Kāvya.)
A verse in the poetic composition “Thiru-Vaḷḷuvamālai”, attributed to a poet Mosikiranar, makes this point very clear that the Kāmattupāl appears in three parts as speeches by men, women, and both. The first is in seven chapters as the hero’s address to the heroine, the second is in twelve chapters with dialogue between the heroine and her playmate, and the third is in six chapters as speeches of both men and women. This indication is seen in the following verse of Mosikiran in “Thiru-valluvamālai”.
ஆண்பால் ஏழ் ஆறிரண்டு பெண்பால் அடுத்தன்பு
பூண்பால் இருபால் ஒரு ஆறாக — மாண்பாய
காமத்தின் பக்கமொரு மூன்றாகக் கட்டுரைத்தார்
நாமத்தின் வள்ளுவனார் நன்கு
It is necessary to see the different approaches in his above format of ancient tradition and the format of Vaḷḷuvar here. In the ancient tradition, Tolkāppiyar laid out the method of aham poems, in made as mudal, karu, uri, place, time, trees, birds, etc for each region and all poems in aham tradition followed these formats.
Very few songs do not conform to modes with what is called love emotion. But the verses in Tirukkuṟaḷ, do not represent space and time (mudal, karu), but are promptly based on love emotions (uri) which are actually aham verses, so they appear as dialogues.
Furnishing several illustrations from the Kuṟaḷ, Mu. Va. deals with both pre-marital love (kaḷaviyal) and married household life, the mutal love is a pan-Indian trend. Thus designating the Kāmattuppāl of Tirukkuṟaḷ a Nāṭaka Kāvya. Mu. Va has already hinted at the relationship or rather indebtedness of Kuṟaḷ to the science of Nāṭaka (Nāṭya Śāstra).
What has escaped his attention is the impact of Nāṭya Śāstra on Kuṟaḷ. I have shown earlier that Tolkāppiyam was inspired by Nāṭya Śāstra. I have also shown that the commentator on Cilappatikāram mentions that it was based on Tolkāppiyam and that he called Nāṭaka Kāvya; Cilappatikāram mentions Naṭya Śāstra (Nāṭya Naṉūl). Evidently, there can be no doubt that Kāmattuppāl of Kuṟaḷ was inspired by Nāṭya Śāstra.
It would not be possible in this work to explore further the comparison between Nāṭya Śāstra and Kāmattuppāl. There is unmistakable evidence of Sanskrit Śāstras.