Rare Tamil Palm Leaf Manuscripts in Gujarat

Tamil Manuscripts found in Ahemedabad, Gujrat, Efforts should be made by Tamil Scholars to search the libraries in other States like Karnataka, Andhra, Kerala and in the North.

If enough funds are not available to depute Scholars to foreign countries to search for Tamil Manuscripts, could we not send one or two to the States nearby and in the North!

Intense propaganda to focus on the greatness of Tamil has to be matched by action. Dr. Ganesan, a Professor of English spending his money has done his bit, for the growth of Tamil, his report follows

TAMIL PALM-LEAF MANUSCRIPTS IN GUJARAT

Sri Mahavir Aradhana Kendra, Koba, Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat, houses a precious library of 1,00,000 books and thousands of manuscripts in almost all the languages of India. There are 3400 unidentified palm-leaf manuscripts in Kannada, Telugu, Oriya etc. While staying in the Kendra in September 2003, the author identified and catalogued 440 palm-leaf manuscripts in Tamil. Most of them are well-preserved. Of these 440, 120 manuscripts are of literary value, 100, on medicine, 51, on Astrology, 100 pertain to accounts of temples, individuals etc., 10, documents of sale etc. and the remaining deal with rituals etc. Acharya Ajay Sagarji Maharaj, a Tamil-knowing Swetambara sage and visionary is in charge of the priceless collection.

'Tholkappiyam' with Senavarayar's commentary leads the list, followed by 4 copies of 'ThirukkuraP, one with Parimelalagar's commentary. 'Naladiyar' and 'Muthurai' are other ethical works. Along with 'Sulamani Nigantu' (I part only), 3 unpublished 'Nigantus' are found. One is untitled. The others are '11th Nigantu' (2 copies) and 'Agasthiyar's Agarathi Nigantu'. There is a mini-dictionary with a few pages titled 'AthinooF. It is the first Tamil dictionary, though quite tiny in size.

There are 5 copies of 'Chinthamani', the epic. One contains the well-known commentary of Nachinarkiniyar and the other, of Subrapatha Swapnasudi. The latter remains unpublished The other epics are Sundarar's 'Thiruthondar Thogai', 'Periapuranam' (2 copies) and 'Kambar's Ramayana' (upto Sundarakantam only). There are Puranas like 'Arichandra Puranam' and 'Arunachala Puranam. 'Mahabharatham' is represented by 2 different versions, and one voluminous 'Mahabharata Ammanai' in a pleasing style by a native of Kalahasthi. There is a different version of 'Ramayana' along with Ramayana in Prose and one 'Ramayana Vasagam'. Besides there are 'Harivamsam', 'Sri Balacharitham' (Tales of Krishna's boyhood) and 'Sri Ramavijayam' with commentary.

There are unpublished dramas like 'Harichandra', 'Ramayana Natakam' or "' 'Kusalan Natakam', 'Punanthira Natakam', 'Kurma Natakam' and 'Kabila Pasu Natakam'. Besides, there is a Jaina epic 'Chulamani' followed by 'Sri Puranam' Second part only and 'Merumanthira Puranam'. There are Jain devotional works like'Thiruvirutham', Thirukalambagam', 'Thirunoorranthathi' (with commentary), 'Kalukunramalai' and 'Subhadevi AgavaT. There are Saivite devotional works like 'Thevaram', 'Thiruvasagam', Arunagiri's 'Thirupugazh' and 'Thiruvaguppu' and the
hymns of Kumaraguruparar and Thayumanavar.

Grammar is represented by 'Nannul' (3 copies) and 'Neminatham', prosody, by 'Yapparunkalakarikai', and poetics, by 'Akapporul Vilakkam', 'Puraporul Venba Malai' and 'Muthuviriyam'. There is 'Kutrala Kuravanji' accompanied by the unpublished 'Gnana Kuravanji' on Kutrala Nathar. There are Jaina ethical works like'Needhillakkanam' and 'Gunamarilam'. There are poems of Siddhars like Bhogar, Pulipani and Konkanar, along with 'Viveka Chinthamani' of Kuzhaikathar.
There are also unpublished poems like 'Unjal Song', 'Nenjari Vilakkam', 'Thirumuruga Vilasam', 'Sri lochuvanool', 'Annan Thiruvadigal', 'Thooyavarnika I', Dakshinamurthy's epic and 'Chenthil Malai.


The most astonishing discovery is that

1. THERE IS A MIXED BILINGUAL STYLE OF WRITING PROSE IN BOTH TAMIL AND PRAKRIT (like the Vaishnavite Manipravala)

AND

2. THERE ARE TAMIL WORKS WITH COMMENTARIES IN PRAKRIT, AND VICE VERSA.

The history of Tamil Prose is to be rewritten in the light of this discovery which needs a deeper probe.