Translation:Tolkappiyam/Traditions

by Tolkappiyar

use me to read Tamil

Source in Tamil

Note

The serial number at the end denotes the verse in the part of the literature

Translation

Example to the verse, cited by Elamburanar, an interpreter to the literature ‘Tolkappiyam’ who belongs to 11th century A.D. and others is given indented star-mark.

Basic notes to follow

This chapter deals with the tradition of language, culture and literature. The verses relating to cultural tradition in between language tradition are seemed to be inserted in an irrelevant context. Again, literary tradition which is to be spoken in the chapter of prosody is added at the end of work is also considered as layers of latter period. A scientific approach of thinking on Universe and living things is studied in an appropriate context.

15 verses from 71 to 85 and – 9 verses from 94 to 102 (15+9=24) are noted with star mark with a remark “interpolations” by the translator Dr. Illakkuvanar, mentioned in the introduction page of this translation work.

Consolidated names

1. The greatness of language tradition (usage) is unalterable. Nine names are used to denote young ones; - [paarppu], [par’az], [kutti], [kurul’ai], [kantru], [pill’ai], [magavu], [mar’i] and [il’amai]. (1)
2. [e’rudu], [e’rtr’ai], [oruththal], [kal’r’u], [see’], [see’val], [iralai], [kalai], [moo’ththai], [thagar], [uthal’], [appar], [poo’ththu], [kandi], [kaduvan], etc. are the names used to denote the male sex in living things. (2)
3. [pee’dai], [pe’dai], [pettai], [pe’n’], [muudu], [naagu], [kadamai], [al’ku], [manthi], [paatti], [pin’ai], [pin’avu], [pidi], etc. are the names used to denote the female sex in living things. (3)

Names denoting young ones

1. Among the names denoting young ones, [paarppu] and [pill’ai] are used to denote young ones of the birds. (4)
2. The crawling (walking) creatures are also named after with the above two terms. (5)
3. The name [par’az] is used to denote the crawling creatures. (6)
4. The young ones of the four creatures [muunhaa] the mongoose, [verugu] the wild cat, [e’li] the rate and [an’il] the squirrel are denoted with the term [kutti]. (7)
5. The young ones of the four creatures [nay] the dog, [pantry] the pig, [puli] the tiger and [muyal] the hare are denoted with the term [kurul’ai] (8)
6. [nari] the fox is also denoted with the term above. (9)
7. They (the five above) are also denoted with the terms [kutti] and [par’az]. (10)
8. There is no flaw if they, except the dog, are denoted with the term [pill’ai]. (11)
9. The term [mar’i] is used to denote the young ones of [yaadu] the sheep, [kuthirai] the horse, [n”vvi] , [uzai] and [pulvaay] (three kinds of deer). (12)
10. Offspring of monkey is also called [mar’i]. (13)
11. Offspring of monkey is also mentioned with the terms [magavu], [pill’ai], [par’az] and [paarppu]. (14)
12. Offspring of these five beasts [yaanai] the elephant, [kuthirai] the horse, [kazuthai] the donkey, [kadamai] the bison and [maan] the deer are mentioned with the term [kantru]. (15)
13. Offspring of [erumai] the buffalo and [marai] the antelope are also mentioned with the term [kantru]. (16)
14. Offspring of [kavari] the long hair deer and [karaam] the crocodile are also mentioned with term above. (17)
15. Offspring of [ottagam] the camel is also mentioned with the term above. (18)
16. Offspring of [kunjaram] the termed elephant is mentioned with name [kuzavi]. (19)
17. Offspring of [aa] the cow and [e’runai] the buffalo are also mentioned with the above name [kuzavi]. (20)
18. Offspring of [kadamai] the bison and [marai] the antelope are also mentioned with the above denoting young. (21)
19. Offspring of the three beasts [kurangu] the monkey and [musu] the gorilla, [uugam] the advanced minded gorilla are also called with name [kuzavi]. (22)
20. Offspring of the human beings are called only with the two names [kuzavi] and [makavu]. (23)

Senses of organism

1. Single sense is touch, two-senses are taste and the former, three-senses are smell plus former, four-senses are sight and former, five-senses are hearing plus former and six-senses are mind faculty plus former. (27)
2. Grass and tree have one sense. (28)
3. Snail and shell-fish have two senses. (29)
4. Termite and ant have three senses. (30)
5. Crab and beetle have four senses. (31)
6. Beast and man sans discrimination have five senses. (32)
7. Human beings have six senses and some others also have six. (33)
8. Some beasts are also having six senses. (34)

Names of male designation

1. Male-elephant is called [kal’r’u]. (35)
2. Male of wild-pig is also called [kal’r’u]. (36)
3. Male sex of antelope [pulvaay], tiger [puli], deer [uzai], wild-cow [marai], hairy deer #[kavari] and alligator [karaam] are called [oruththal]. (37)
4. Male sex of long tusked elephant and pig are also called [oruththal]. (38)
5. Male sex of buffalo is also called [oruththl]. (39).
6. Male sex of pig [pantry], antelope [pulvaay], deer [uzai] and long hairy deer [kavari] are #the four animals called [ee’r’u]. (40)
7. Male sex of buffalo [erumai], wild cow [varai] and cow [perr’am] are also called [ee’r’u]. (41)
8. Male sex of shark is also called [ee’r’u]. (42)
9. Male sex of cow, buffalo, tiger, wild cow and antelope are named [poo’ththu]. (43)
10. Male sex of the aquatic animals is also called [poo’ththu]. (44)
11. Male sex of peacock and falcon [e’zaal] is also called [poo’ththu]. (45)
12. Male sex of antelope is called [iralai] and [kalai]. (46)
13. The name [kalai] is also used to dente the male deer and male gorilla. (47)
14. Male sheep is called [moo’ththai], [thagar], [uthl’] and [appar]. (48)
15. All male birds sans peacock are called [see’val]. (49)
16. The name [ee’rr’ai] is applicable to all male species endowed with prowess. (50)
17. All male species are called [aan’] and all female species are called [pe’n’]. (51)

Names female designation

1. Female elephant is called [pidi]. (52)
2. Female sex of camel, horse, donkey and deer is called [pettai]. (53)
3. Female sex of the birds is also called with the name [pettai]. (54)
4. The parallel names to [pettai] are [pedai] and [pee’dai]. (55)
5. The female name [al’agu] is applicable only to hen and owl. (56)
6. The female sex of the peacock is alo called by the name [al’agu]. (57)
7. The name [pin’ai] is applicable to the female sex of [pulvaay] the antelope, [navvi] the spotted deer, [uzai] the deer and [kavari] the hairy deer. (58)
8. The name [pin’avu] is applicable to the female sex of [pantry] the pig, [pulvaay] the antelope and [nay] the dog. (59)
9. The name [pin’aval] is an equality to [pinavu]. (60)
10. The name [aa] is applicable to the female sex of [perr’am] the cow family, [erumai] the buffalo family and [marai] the wild cow family. (61)
11. The female sex of the mankind is called by the female term [pen’] and [pin’aa]. (62)
12. The name [naagu] is applicable to the female sex of buffalo family, wild cow family and cow family. (63)
13. The term [naagu] is also applicable to dente the female sex of aquatic creatures. (64)
14. The female terms [muudu] and [kadamai] are applicable only to sheep family. (65)
15. The female denoting term [paatti] is applicable to pig and dog. (66)
16. The term [paati] is applicable to denote female fox [n”ari]. (67)
17. The term [manthi] is applicable to denote the female sex of monkey [kurangu], gorilla #[musu] and monkey with advanced wit [uugam]. (68)
18. There are some terms applicable to dente a specific family of creature – [kaduvan] is male monkey, [koo’ttaan] is tree residing owl, [thaththai] is red mouth parrot, [verugu] is the fierce mouth wild cat, [see’val] is male horse, [ee’val] is black wild pig, [kan’di] is male buffalo, - all these may not be ignored. (69)
19. The terms [pen’] the female, [aan’] the male and [pill’ai] are common terms used to denote the respective family. (70)

Possessions of people in social layers

1. The sacred thread [nuul], the pitcher in hoops [karagam], trident staff [mukkoo’l] and low wooden seat [man’ai] are belongs to [anthan’r] the top layer class. (71)
2. Army [padai], royal banner [kodi], royal umbrella [kudai], drum [murasu], swift horse [pari], elephant [kal’ir’u], chariot [thee’r], garland [thaar], crown [mudi], etc. are belong to king, the second layer class. (72)
3. The belongings to Anthan’ar are also eligible to have been possessed by the king. (73)
4. The titles such as philanthropist [parisil], hero [paadaan’], the Head [n”edunthagai] and the Best [semmal] belong to king and not to Anthanar. (74)
5. The surname of a person will be his native place, his father and functional utilities. (75)
6. Attributive name on behavior will also come as surname. (76)
7. Army security is belongs to middle two layer-classes. (77)
8. Trading belongs to [vaisigan] the third layer class. (78)
9. The trading materials are eight kinds of food grains and handicrafts. (79)
10. Head-wreath [kann’i] and garland [thaar] are belongings to specify the family group. (80)
11. There is no occupation except farming attached to [veel’aan’] people. (81)
12. They are eligible to wear the head-wreath and weapons of the king during war attack. (82)
13. Anthan’ar is not eligible to rule over country. (83)
14. Possessing of shooting bow, spear, anklet, head-wreath, garland, chariot and horse is eligible to anybody accredited by the king. (84)
15. Even though, a man of below dignity is not eligible to possess such accredited things. (85)

Specific terms relating to plants continue

1. In the plant family, the one with exogenous toughness of structure is called grass. (86)
2. In the plant family, the one with endogenous toughness of structure is called tree. (87)
3. The parts of the grass are named as follows: - [thoo’du], [madal], [oo’lai], [ee’du], [ithaz], [paal’ai], [iirkku] and [kulai]. (88)
4. The parts of the tree are named as follows: - [ilai], [thal’r], [mur’i], [thoo’du], [Sinai], [kuzai], [puu], [arumbu] and [n”anai]. (89)
5. Some more names parting to tree family are as follows: - [kaay], [pazam], [thoo’l], [se’thil’] and [viiz]. (90)

Convention

1. The world is the mixture of five components – land, fire, water, air and space. As it is so, so the language is. With this stand, two kinds of classes and five kinds of gender should be followed without deviations. (91)
2. Conventional deviation does not appear in verse literature, as it follows the conventional words. (92)
3. If convention is deviated the meaning of the language is broken. (93)
4. Usage is based on learned language, as they are the creators of language. (94)

Kinds and content of literature

1. Conventional literatures are two kinds: primary and secondary. (95)
2. The primary literature is written by one who is pre-eminent in having the language and free from the influence of worldly affairs. (96)
3. The secondary literature is an adopted one. (97)
4. It falls into four kinds. (98)
5. They are abridged, expanded, abridged as well as expanded and translated in accordance with traditions of Tamil. (99))
6. Treatise should be, according to erudite scholars, is one which contains the commentary for the verses and which is with 32 technical devices of good work and being without ten defects. (100)
7. Defining the commentary, verbatim commentary [kaandigai], creating points on commentary and omitting points on commentary are also composed of in addition. (101)
8. The nature of the verse [suuththiram] is to be a composition of few words pregnant with lofty ideas containing many meanings being instructive in many ways. (102)
9. Verbatim commentary runs with meaning for each and every word in the verse in simple and clear way. (103)
10. The expansion commentary explains the verse clearly and elaborately with illustrations and examples. (104)
11. The long commentary is one which gives all materials indispensible to understand the meaning. (105)
12. The long commentary, according to scholars, will contain asking and answering questions, clearing doubts by means of his author’s work and authoritative other’s work, establishing an ideal boldly. (106)
13. If the work is not in accordance with the above-said rules it is to be considered as defective. (107)
14. Scholars say the primary work is free from defective but the commentary. (108)
15. If defects appear in original or commentary it is considered as flaw. (109)
16. The flaw or defective work will runs with – repetition, contradiction, understatement, over-statement, verbiage, confusion, diction being abhorrent to the ears, disparagement of own pet language, establishment of his own pet ideas, being difficult to understand by any means, etc. (110)
17. Opposite views is also flaw. (111)
18. Tactics [uththi] of composition of literature are – recalling his own words already said, sequence of chapters, consolidating, division formatting, following the previous denote, clearing new thoughts provided, combining the new thought with the premier thought, what is not said is to make appear what is said, jumbling the previous reading, placing the resemblance along with, establishing, expressing self invention, annotating other’s quote, accepting others views, reconstructing the dead to be in use, protection to the future, saying in between something to be spoken latter, saying in between something was spoken earlier, creating technical terms, being free from partial, summarizing, bold words, selecting the best, constructing on consolidated, defeating others by befitting, pointing others view, accepting the views of learned blindly, inserting the meaning, reading opposite and explaining the inferred meaning. If any more tactics appear in the treaties of learned it may be covered with these kinds of tactics. (112)