Books you should read

Tamil Literature: history and critical study

 

The Smile of Murugan : History of Tamil Literature of South India by Kamil V Zvelebil

• This book has essays on why Tamil is a classical Language,Sangam Literature, Tolkapiayam, Silapadikaram, Kamba Ramayanam, ArunaGiri’s songs, Tamil Prosody,Modern Tamil Literature, Puthu Kavithai
• Best book for started who wants to know about Tamil Literature

 

Tamil Literature by Kamil V Zvelebil

• This book has essays on various technical issues with Tami literature like problems with dating, authenticity and authorship.
• This book also deals with various myths regarding Tamil literature and explains what the real facts are.

 

The Poets of Ancient Tamil : Their milieu and their Sanskrit Literature By George L Hart

• This books reconstructs the life of Early Tamils based on Sangam Literature and in second part compares the Tamil Literature with Sanskrit Literature

 

Tamil Heroic Poetry by Kailasapathy

• This books compares Tamil Puram poems with Greek heroic poetry.
• This book till date is the best work on Puram genre of Sangam Literature

The eight anthologies : a study in early Tamil literature by John Ralston Marr

Literary conventions of Akam poetry by Kamil Zvelebil

 

 

 

Tamil Literature: English Translations

 

The Interior Landscape (Kurunthokai) by A.K.Ramanujan

• Translations of select poems form Kurunthokai

 

Poems of love and war : from the eight anthologies and the ten long poems of classical Tamil by A.K.Ramanujan

 

• Translation of select Sangam Literature poems

 

Hymns for the drowning : poems for Visnu by A.K.Ramanujan

• Translation of Nammalvar poems

 

The Poets of Tamil Anthologies: Ancient poems of Love and War by Gorge L Hart

• Translations of select poems from Ainkurunuru, Kurunthokai, Akanaanuru , Narrinai , Purunaanuru

 

Silapadikaram(The Ankle Braclet) by Alain Danielou

• The most poetic translation of Silapadikaram
• Not very accurate translation, for accurate translation you can read R.Dikishitar version of Silapadikaram Translation.

 

The four hundred songs of war and wisdom : an anthology of poems from classical Tamil : the Purananuru by George L. Hart, Hank Heifetz

• Complete Translation of Puranaanuru.

 

The poets of the powers by Kamil V Zvelebil

• Translations of Tamil Cittar Poetry.

 

Religion:

Tamil Traditions of Subrahmanya Murugan by Kamil V Zvelebil

• Essays on Integration of North Indian Skanda and Tamil Murugan.

 

Thirumurgan by Kamil V Zvelebil

• Essays on Myths of Murugan which are exclusive to Tamil/Dravidan people.

 

The many faces of Murukan : The history of a South Indian God by Fred W Clothey

• Traces history of Murugan from Pre history to present day Tamil Kadavul

 

Tamil Temple Myths by David Shulman

• Essays on various exclusive Dravidian myths that got integrated into Brahminic religion by the means of Sthalapuranas.

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