வெள்ளி, 2 ஜூலை, 2021

An Introduction To The Book ‘SCIENCE DURING THE SANGAM AGE’ - Prof. G.MARIA JOSEPH XAVIOR

 



An Introduction To The Book

‘SCIENCE DURING THE SANGAM AGE’

‘ANDRE SONNA ARIVIYAL-SANGAKAALAM’

 

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“Thamizh(Tamil) is not only the oldest classical language that withstands the onslaught of time and is still spoken in the day to day life, but also the first language humans ever spoke.” 

Sangam era is the golden era of the proud Tamilians. The rich tamil literature holds mirror up to the glory of the life of the Tamils in that period.

 The Tamils are the pioneer in the study of science and technology. But owing to natural disasters we do not have any concrete evidence. Yet there are many references to the signs of Scientific Knowledge in Tamil literature.

 

The book titled “Andre Sonna Ariviyal-Sangakaalam” (Science during Sangam Era) written  by Ilakkuvanar Thiruvalluvan,  reveals many facts of science prolonged that prevailed even  2000 years back in Tamilnadu.

As an introduction, let us see some of the facts found in the book.

There are 58 chapters in this book.

 

TEṈPULATTĀR

 The author begins the book from proto-history period.  In the chapter No. 1 he gives explanation for the word ‘Teṉpulattār’(Thirukkural No. 43), as the people who lost their lives in tsunami during pre-historic period. According to him Thiruvalluvar wishes to praise those people.

 

FEMINISM

Feminism is a new subject to the modern people.The Tamils gave equal rights to women, 3000 years back. The author explains it in the chapters No. 2  and 3  and proves that  Tamils  people are pioneer in womenology.

 

KNOWLEDGE OF THE LIFE OF PLANTS

In chapter No. 4, the author has highlighted the fact that even 3000 years back tamil had a profound knowledge of the life of plants. What our ancestors knew in the distant past was revealed by  Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose in the year 1902.  He proved  that the plants too have Life.

 

But 3000 years back the Tamil Grammarian TOLKĀPPIYAR revealed this scientific  truth in his book TOLKĀPPIYAM.

 

 He had already said,

The life of one sense is that which has the sense of touch

The life of two sense is that which has the sense of tongue in addition to the one

The life of three sense is that which has the sense of nose in addition to the two

The life of four sense is that which has the sense of eyes in addition to the three

The life of five sense is that which has the sense of ears inaddition to the four

The life of six sense is that which has the mind in addition to the five

Thus the erudite scholars classified the living creatures.

and explained the senses of creatures.

(tolkāppiyam  582)

ஒன்றறி வதுவே உற்றறி வதுவே
இரண்டறி வதுவே அதனொடு நாவே
மூன்றறி வதுவே அவற்றொடு மூக்கே
நான்கறி வதுவே அவற்றொடு கண்ணே
ஐந்தறி வதுவே அவற்றொடு செவியே
ஆறறி வதுவே அவற்றொடு மனமே
நேரிதின் உணர்ந்தோர் நெறிப்படுத்தினரே.
(
தொல்காப்பியம்: 582)

 

The ‘pul’ and the ‘maram’ are the creatures of one sense

There are others also in their species

(tolkāppiyam   583)

புல்லும் மரமும் ஓரறிவினவே
பிறவும் உளவே அக்கிளை பிறப்பே
(
தொல்காப்பியம்: 583)

This is not his own findings. According to him the erudite scholars who shone before his periond had revealed the truth that the plants have got life.

 

Science of canning cool and hot liquids

 

There are many canning centres in the cities like MATURAI established by our government.

 

In the chapter 5, the author has explained the sciene of preserving that which is cold or hot.

 

A Thermas flask with a  vacuum / Dewar flask / Dewar bottle /  was Invented by Sir James Dewar in 1892.

 

But 2000 years back our Tamil ancestors  used flask type vessels to preserve that which was cold or hot.

 

Poet ŌRIL PICCAIYĀR (the real name of the poet is not known. He was named after his phrase he had uses in his poem(It is like AṆIL ĀṬU MUṈṞILĀR) found in the anthology of Tamil Poems titled KUṞUNTOKAI (Poem No 277). He has made mention of the cool or hot water-saving pot as CĒMACCEPPU.(Semam means preservation and cheppu means container.)

 

Prof. G.MARIA JOSEPH XAVIOR

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