Book Details
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Title |
Kuṟuntokai : Text, Transliteration and Translations in English Verse and Prose |
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Author |
Dr. Jayanthasri Balakrishnan, [Comp., & Ed.] |
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Publisher |
Chennai: Central Institute of Classical Tamil |
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Publish Year |
2013 |
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Language |
English |
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Book ISBN |
978-81-90800-09-9 (HB) |
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Number of Pages |
583 |
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Book Price |
Rs.600.00 |
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About the Book:- |
Kuṟuntokai, a renowned collection of poems classified under the akam genre, is distinguished by its adherence to specific meter and length requirements. Within the 'Eight Anthologies,' three distinct meters are utilized, with poems following the āciriyappā meter further categorized into three anthologies based on their line count. The anthology itself comprises a total of 401 poems, primarily ranging from four to eight lines in length. Notably, amidst these compositions lies a singular exceptional poem consisting of nine lines. Featuring contributions from 205 different poets, Kuṟuntokai stands as a testament to the diverse and culturally rich tapestry of ancient Tamil literature. An intriguing aspect of this anthology is the unnumbered status of its invocatory verse, the kaṭavuḷ vāḻttu, likely due to the inclusion of a poem that surpasses the typical length observed in the collection. While traditionally attributed to Pūrikkō, little is known about the compiler of Kuṟuntokai. References exist to commentaries by Nacciṉārkkiṉiyar and Pērāciriyar on select poems within the compilation, albeit these commentaries have regrettably been lost to time. The first printed version of Kuṟuntokai dates back to 1915, later receiving a comprehensive commentary by U. V. Caminata Iyer in 1937. |
