Role of Father in Sangam Poems (Agapadalkal)

Abstract

Classical literature is the lifeblood of the Tamils. Classical literature consists of eight books in ettuthogai and ten books in pathupattu and including 18 books names of pathinenkilkanakku.  And these included Silapathikaram, Manimegalai, Iraiyanar Kalaviyal Urai, Tholkappiyam, Muthollayiram of 5 other books totalling 41 books. In those ettuthogai books Narrinai ,kurunthogai, Iynkurunooru, kalithogai, Aggananurru are aggapaddalkal.
In  Sangam literature the role of the father was not defined in the form of “coorru murai  “ especially in Tamil grammar. While the Sangam period and the pre-Sanga period highlighted the matrilineal society, it is possible to understand to some extent the position of the father in Sangam literature when studies have highlighted the reason for the emergence of a father-dominated society at the end of the period .After Researching over the concept, the role of the father and his social statues is defined in this article. In Sangam literature the book “Narrinai” is the mainstream of the article. It would be concluded ‘who is father’ and ‘what is the role of father’ in the view of hero  in Sangam poems .In the Sangam literature, the word 'father', the word 'entai', the word 'nundai' are the definitions of the number of words and the place and importance of the father. Since the study is based on the Narrinai, the word 'father' appears in 12 hymns in the Narrinai. It is worth knowing the way in which the father's social value is expressed by the SevliThai (The second mother), the tholizh(The Friend), and the Thaliavan (The lover).