Gleanings from Sangam Verses

The aims and objectives of the Tamil University consist in disseminating the message of ancient Tamil by publishing inestimable literary and grammatical works of Tamil and at times by effecting translation of some of these into English. For the past 15 years, the University has been bringing out the English renditions also. The ancient Sangam canon of Tamil Literature is deemed to be a classical masterpiece, highlighting the culture and renaissance of the Tamils who lived in the pre-christian era. Its uniqueness lies in the two-fold thematic classification of Aham and Puram respectively signifying matters of internal love and external heroism and societal affairs. Dr. Kalaignar, a deep-rooted votary of Tamil Language and Culture has fallen in love with these ancient literary pieces and poetized them in his inimitable style and rhetoric. It is solemnly hoped that this English translation Gleanings from Sangam verses is bound to carry the message of Tamil culture and its ancientry to the English-knowing scholars and public in countries far-off.

We are given to understand that 2000 years ago through ages-there existed three Tamil Sangams (Council of Tamil poets) and they were called as: Tamil Sangam I (First) seated in Thenmathurai; Tamil Sangam II in Kapata puram, and Tamil Sangam III in the present city of Madurai which were the capital cities of Pandya Kings, through various periods, successively. We came to know the names of those scholastic and munificent kings who all were involved in establishing, nurturing and patronizing the three Tamil Sangams. Likewise, we also come to know the names of those great men of Learning, who were poets, and scholars, who participated as members of the great academic bodies and did research works, apart from writing and presenting literary and creative works and gram mars, which were dedicated to the purposeful use of Tamils.

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