TAMIL
Ethical manuals
S. N. KANDASWAMY
ARA ILAKKIYA KALANCHIYAM: K. P. Aravaanan; Tamizh Kottam, 2 Munirathnam Street, Ayyavu Colony, Aminjikarai, Chennai-600029. Rs. 1000.
THIS VOLUMINOUS book is essentially a compendium of about 20 texts on ethics in Tamil composed by various poets of diverse faiths and belonging to different periods. Among the manuals on ethics, the Tirukkural naturally occupies the pride of place followed by the Naladiyar, Pazhamozhi, Nanmanikadigai and the Kondraivendan. Though there are many Sataka sahityas they are not taken up in this book.
It is pertinent to note that the author has organised the chapters of Arattuppal and Porutpal in the Tirukkural in a novel way. Though he totally agrees with the traditional classification of the chapters in the Tirukkural, he pleads for a fresh reading and new interpretation from the pragmatic point of view to meet modern requirements. He has underscored the ethical precepts inculcated by Tiruvalluvar to be the basic and core units under which he has subsumed all the relevant verses of the other manuals on ethics with sufficient commentary. In some contexts the biblical morals are also projected.
In the introductory portion of this book the author has dealt with the concept of ethics in relation to the individual and society, and also discussed the dichotomy of household life and ascetic life.
A brief life-sketch of the poets and the subject index embodying the social and political values add lustre to the volume.
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