An Introduction
To The Book
‘SCIENCE DURING
THE SANGAM AGE’
‘ANDRE SONNA
ARIVIYAL-SANGAKAALAM’
By Ilakkuvanar
Thiruvalluvan
-Prof. G.MARIA JOSEPH XAVIOR
5/8
Knowledge of migration birds
In a prose book prescribed for the studies
of the U.G.students there is an English Essay that deals with the Migration of
birds. It is not something new to the Tamils.
In ancient Sangam age, the Tamils had the
knowledge of migration birds. In the
chapter No 23, the author has made a mention of it. The Tamil Poets have
mentioned three types of migration as PUTUPPUḶ – Migrated birds from other
countries; PAḺAM
PUḶ Pōkiṉum - the birds migrated to other places and The
birds which never migrate to other area as Vati
[வட மலைப் பெயர்குவை ஆயின் –
Vaṭa malaip peyarkuvai āyiṉ -
The bird which
migrated to the northern mountains – Puṟanāṉūṟu 67.7]
[புலம் பெயர் மருங்கில் புள் எழுந்தாங்கு –
Pulam peyar maruṅkil puḷ eḻuntāṅku –
the birds that rise up
and fly away to another land, Akanāṉūṟu113.25]
[தென் திசைக் குமரியாடி
வடதிசைக்கு ஏகுவீராயின்
Teṉ ticaik kumariyāṭi
vaṭaticaikku ēkuvīrāyiṉ
– NĀRAI VIṬU TŪTU 4-5 A
after taking bath in
southern ocean KUMARI. shift to northern place]
[வதி குருகு
Vati kuruku
– non
migratied herons/egrets/storks, Kuṟuntokai Poem
5, line 2 ]
SCIENCE OF
ECONOMICS
The thoughts of modern economists are
seen in the Sangam literature. In the
chapters from 24 to 29 the author has elaborately explained the Tamils knowledge
of economics even 2000 years back.
Modern
Economist talked about the Positive Science/Positive Economics and Normative
Science/Normative Economics. World Poet Thiruvalluvar says in Thirukkural
couplet 660 that wealth obtained by foul means is like preserving a vessel of
wet clay by filling it with water. And he says that the wealth of him who is
disliked (by all) is like the fruit-bearing of the etty tree in the midst of a
town. Accordings to the Tamils Wealth should be earn by virtual ways and should
spent for good purposes.
Like
these principles the Tamils emphasised the positive economics and oppose the
normative economics.
SCIENCE OF
LANGUAGES
Death of a Language occurs when it lost
its usage. The life of the language is in the body of it – ie. the letters and
numbers( scripts). To save the language we should save our litterature. To save
the literature we should save the alphabets of the language. If there is no
alphabets there is no words and then there is no usage of it.
The
author advised not to destroy the letters and numbers of languages to
safe guard them. By refereing to Tirukkuṟaḷ No.392 he emphasises it.
Eṇṇeṉpa ēṉai eḻutteṉpa ivviraṇṭum
kaṇṇeṉpa vāḻum uyirkku.
(The
twain that lore of numbers and of letters give
Are eyes, the wise declare, to all on earth
that live.)
Usage of clocks before the begining of the christian era
An instrument to indicate the time is a
clock. Peter Henlein, a Locksmith
and Clockmaker of Nuremberg, Germany, is the inventor of the watch. In the year
1656 Christiaan Huygens invented
the clock with a pendulam. In the chapter No 31 the author has explained that
the clock came into use 2000 years back.
Our ancestors called it KUṞUNĪR KAṈṈAL
– a small bowl water clock. Later on they invented an ornamental type of clock to be worn around the neck. In the Kanta purāṇam,
the poet has mentioned about a clock by name Arumpuṉal kuṭikai (அரும்புனல் குடிகை). (Here the word அரும்புனல் (arumpuṉal) means water dripping through the finest
pores. The word puṉal means water, arum
means fine. The word kuṭikai means
clock.)
[பொழுதுஅளந்து அறியும் பொய்யா மாக்கள்
தொழுது காண்கையர் தோன்ற வாழ்த்தி
எறி நீர் வையகம் வெலீஇய செல்வோய் நின்
குறு நீர்க் கன்னல் இனைத்து என்று இசைப்ப (55 – 58)
Poḻutu'aḷantu aṟiyum poyyā mākkaḷ
toḻutu kāṇkaiyar tōṉṟa vāḻtti
eṟi nīr vaiyakam velī'iya celvōy niṉ
kuṟu nīrk kaṉṉal iṉaittu eṉṟu icaippa
பொழுது அளந்து – calculating time, அறியும் – knowing, பொய்யா மாக்கள் – unfailing men, தொழுது – worships, காண் கையர் – men with hands that can
be seen (கூப்பிய கையினர்), தோன்ற வாழ்த்தி – praised greatly, எறி நீர் – ocean with splashing waves, வையகம் – earth, வெலீஇய – to win, செல்வோய் – O one who goes, நின் – your, குறு நீர் கன்னல் – bowl with little water
(water clock), இனைத்து – what time it is, என்று இசைப்ப – they utter]
[குறுநீர்க் கன்னல் எண்ணுதல் அல்லது
கதிர்மருங்கு அறியா அஞ்சுவரப் பாஅய்
Kuṟunīrk kaṉṉal eṇṇutal allatu
katirmaruṅku aṟiyā añcuvarap pā'ay
– AKANĀṈŪṞU43.6-7
[குறு நீர்க் கன்னல் எண்ணுநர் அல்லது
– AKANĀṈŪṞU 43.6 - without those who count time with a small-bowl water clock, ]
(Here the author says that
even in those days when the sun is hidden by clouds or blocked by rain
etc. our ancestors could
determine the time and know the time with water clocks) ]
Prof.
G.MARIA JOSEPH XAVIOR
