Date of tirumantiram by thirumUlar?

[Guest guest]

What are are generally accepted upper and lower bounds for the date

of composition of tirumantiram?

 

Thanks.

 

Yashwant

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "ymalaiya <ymalaiya>"

<ymalaiya> wrote:

> What are are generally accepted upper and lower bounds for the date

> of composition of tirumantiram?

>

 

The author of the seventh book in Tevaram is SundaramUrtti Naayanaar.

He was an aadisaiva gurukkaL temple priest, and is usually

dated in 8th century Pallava period. In his TiruttoNTattokai

mentioning 63 Nayanars (the number 63 is said to parallel

the Jaina puraana tradition of revering jain saints), there

is a Muulan mentioned. So Tirumuular may be pre-8th century.

But his book, Tirumantiram has many types of philosophy, with

saiva siddhanta predominant. Some verses may go to several

centuries later. Check out Richard Davis' article

in the John E. Cort's volume, Open boundaries. Davis discusses

the influence of Jainism in Saiva aagamas, and Saiva temple

rituals. Indira Peterson has an article detailing the

Saiva polemics against Jainism.

 

Prior to Saiva, Vaishnava bhakti movement, Jainism had

a substantial impact in Tamil literature. Just like early

Kannada literature is full of Jaina impact.

Tiruvalluvar is likely a Jaina,

http://www.services.cnrs.fr/wws/arc/ctamil/2002-04/msg00068.html

 

Note that P. N. Kumar often quotes Kumaraguruparar's verse

from 17th century, I don't understand what all these have

to do with Kural or its supposed Jaina leanings.

Also, Kumar mentions about Draividian popular parties,

However please note that the most famous scholar who

wrote essays in academic journals about Valluvan & Tolkaappiyam

Jaina content is S. Vaiyapuri Pillai. He had nothing

to do with dravida party politics.

 

None can brush aside what Vaiyapuri, Zvelebil, ... have said

about Jaina influence in early tamil literature. Nowadays,

many Tamil Brahmi inscripions show the early Jaina connexions

too (eg., AtiyamAn's Jambai inscription to a Jaina monk.

Atiyaman and Auvaiyar are prominent in sangam lit.)

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan