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Thamizh Literature Through the Ages
தமிழ் இலக்கியம் - தொன்று தொட்டு இன்று வரை
Dr. C.R. Krishnamurti,
Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
| Dr. C.R. Krishnamurti served as Professor (Animal Physiology) at the Faculty of
Agricultural Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
B.C. Canada since 1967. Continuing as Professor Emeritus in the same
University after
retirement. Extracurricular interests include Carnatic Music and
(Tamil)
Thamizh Literature. He is the author of a recently published book entitled:
"Thamizh Literature Through The Ages - A Socio-Cultural
Perspective". |
".... probably the most significant contribution
(of the Tamils) is that of Tamil literature, which still remains to
be 'discovered' and enjoyed by the non Tamilians and adopted as an
essential and remarkable part of universal heritage. If it is true
that liberal education should 'liberate' by demonstrating the
cultural values and norms foreign to us, by revealing the relativity
of our own values, then the 'discovery' and enjoyment of Tamil
literature, and even its teaching ... should find its place in the systems
of Western training and instruction in the humanities.."
Kamil Zvelebil in
The Smile of Murugan : On Tamil Literature of South India
[see also
Tamil Language and
Literature,
மொழியும் தேசியமும்
- M.Thanapalasingham and
காலம்தோறும் தமிழ்
- M.Thanapalasingham]
"The
literature of a country is a reflection of its people and their culture. With the
availability of literature spanning more than 2000 years, Thamizh lends itself as an ideal
language to put this hypothesis to test. Going through the literature which I was
fortunate enough to access, I derived great pleasure in studying the various facets of our
literary past. If I had succeeded in expressing my feelings in a manner which would give
an incentive for others to go through the original texts in their spare time or as part of
their curriculum, I would consider my job well done. I have tried to look at the Thamizh
culture and society as impartially as possible and if some personal bias did creep in
occasionally it can only be ascribed to an inherent human weakness.
Secondly I do recognize that mere nostalgia of the past results in complacency
while excessive criticism of the present leads to cynicism and despondency... Throughout
this narrative I have attempted to put our achievements and failures in the context of how
best we can shape the future in a better way.
Thirdly, when literature is studied in school or college as part of a formal
curriculum, it is usually done under pressure of examinations and assignments. Until I
studied literature for pleasure, I did not realize how much I have missed over the years.
To entice the readers to appreciate the niceties of the literary formats I have followed
the style of quoting the original works wherever possible. It is the experience of many
that transliteration of Thamizh words and names, no matter how well it is done, does not
give the same feeling as seeing the same in Thamizh scripts. Quite frequently one spends a
fair amount of time trying to decipher the names and loses interest ultimately. By giving
the Thamizh words next to the transliterated words I hope I have minimized the problem
considerably.
Finally, going through the Thamizh literature, one is amazed at the depth and
breadth of the knowledge the scholars of the past possessed. The feeling that one has just
scratched the surface of what has been done already becomes inevitable. No aspect of life
has been left untouched or unadorned. Any one hailing from a Thamizh cultural background
can therefore be proud of their literary heritage. In this context, it is natural that
those who has lived in the western world for a considerable time, get exasperated when
utter ignorance or gross misrepresentation of Thamizh and\or Indian culture is expressed
formally or informally. A study of our own literary past would give us the background to
counter unwarranted criticisms appropriately and accept the legitimate criticisms for
reflection and retrospection. ..
Though the lessons from our literary excursions into the past are obvious, there
are bound to be differences in the interpretation of literary materials. Conclusions, I
believe, from the voluminous literature should be left to the individuals remembering that
in every field, one would find that a holistic approach in problem solving was found to be
much better than a sectarian or clannish attempt to safeguard local interests..."
(Dr. C.R. Krishnamurti - from the Conclusion)
continued |
