Cultural Traditions of Sangam People in Pattinapalai

பட்டினப்பாலையில் சங்ககால மக்களின் பண்பாட்டு மரபுகள்

Abstract

When viewed in accordance with the statement that literatures are a mirror of time, a literary work can be understood as one that reflects not only the economic conditions, environment, and political factors prevailing at the time of its creation, but also the cultural way of life of the people. The purpose and nature of literatures can be considered as those that structure and present within themselves all the dimensions of the period in which they were created. In that regard, the Sangam literatures — Ettuthogai and Pathupattu — defined as the earliest literatures available in the history of Tamil literature, are seen to have explained cultural values such as the political, economic, and social structures of the Tamil people at various levels. Among these, Pattinappalai, one of the works in the Pathupattu series, was composed by Kadiyalur Uruthirangkannar to celebrate the greatness of the Chola king Karikala Peruvalathan. Nevertheless, cultural ideas are seen to be explained throughout the entirety of the literary work. This literature, which begins with the glory of the Kaveri River, is composed in a manner that praises Karikala Chola’s greatness, his prowess in war, and the methods by which he built his kingdom. Since it was composed following the Palai Thinai discipline within the Agathhinai tradition, the author Uruthirangkannar named this work Pattinappalai. Culture may be defined as the expansion of antiquity and its continuation through tradition. Just as literature and grammar are produced by human beings, culture too can be defined as something that has emerged and grown through human creation. Thus, this research article examines and explains in detail the cultural ideas embedded in the work — including the Tamil tradition of weather prediction as described by the author, the unity of the people, the occupational status in cultural tradition, the cultural lifestyle of merchants, a theft-free way of life, games in Tamil culture, and festivals.