Natrinai (Tamil: நற்றிணை meaning excellent tinai[1]), is a classical Tamil poetic work and traditionally the first of the Eight Anthologies (Ettuthokai) in the Sangam literature.[2] The collection – sometimes spelled as Natrinai[3] or Narrinai[4] – contains both akam (love) and puram (war, public life) category of poems. The Naṟṟiṇai anthology contains 400 poems, mainly of 9 to 12 lines, but a few with 8 to 13 lines each.[5][1] According to Takanobu Takahashi – a Tamil literature scholar, the Naṟṟiṇai poems were likely composed between 100–300 CE based on the linguistics, style and dating of the authors.[6] While Kamil Zvelebil – a Tamil literature and history scholar, dates some poems to the 1st century BCE.[7] The Naṟṟiṇai manuscript colophon states that it was compiled under the patronage of the Pandyan king named Pannatu Tanta Pantiyan Maran Valuti, but the compiler remained anonymous.[1]
The Naṟṟiṇai poems are credited to 175 ancient poets.[1] Two of these poems are attributed to the patron king.[2] According to Kamil Zvelebil – this poetic anthology contains a few Sanskrit loan words and contains 59 allusions to historical events.[2] Many lines from these poems were borrowed into later Tamil works such as the famed post-Sangam Tamil works: Tirukkural, Silappatikaram and Manimekalai. The Tamil legend about Kannagi (Kannaki), one who tore of her breast to protest against her husband's unjust execution, appears in Naṟṟiṇai 312.[2][8]
Translations edit
The text has been translated by A. Dakshinamurthy and published by the International Institute of Tamil Studies, Chennai in the year 2000.[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Takanobu Takahashi (1995). Tamil Love Poetry and Poetics. BRILL Academic. pp. 2, 46–48. ISBN 90-04-10042-3.
- ^ a b c d Kamil Zvelebil 1973, pp. 51–52.
- ^ Velayutham Saravanan (2016). Colonialism, Environment and Tribals in South India,1792-1947. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-315-51719-3.
- ^ Padma Srinivasan (2017). "Towards a Third Language". In Indra, C. T.; Rajagopalan, R. (eds.). Language, Culture and Power. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203703441. ISBN 978-0-203-70344-1.
- ^ Kamil Zvelebil 1973, p. 51.
- ^ Takanobu Takahashi (1995). Tamil Love Poetry and Poetics. BRILL Academic. pp. 47–52. ISBN 90-04-10042-3.
- ^ Zvelebil, Kamil (1973). The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-03591-1.
- ^ For a summary of Kannagi story: E.T. Jacob-Pandian (1977). K Ishwaran (ed.). Contributions to Asian Studies: 1977. Brill Academic. pp. 56–57. ISBN 90-04-04926-6.
- Bibliography
- Mudaliyar, Singaravelu A., Apithana Cintamani, An encyclopaedia of Tamil Literature, (1931) - Reprinted by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi (1983)
- Kamil Zvelebil (1973). The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-03591-5.
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