F J Leeper

N?la?iy?r F J Leeper

In a scholarly introduction to his English translation of N?la?iy?r, Rev. G. U. Pope observes that Tirukku?a? and N?la?iy?r are expressive of hunger and thirst after righteousness for which the ancient Tamil society deserves the highest praise. Of the didactic works in Tamil, N?la?iy?r is next only in greatness to Tirukku?a? and serving as mutual commentaries, they may be read as companion pieces, as indispensable works on the art of living. The first thirteen chapters of N?la?iy?r are on virtue and deal with themes like asceticism, transitoriness of youth, wealth and life, renunciation, patience and charity. The next twenty-six chapters are on wealth and deal with varied aspects of life such as rulership, happiness, suffering, ill-will, and women-chaste and unchaste. The last chapter constituting the third part of the book deals with the salient features of love. Each chapter has ten poems and each verse is a quatrain in the elegant Ve?p? metre. N?la?iy?r is worthy of being studied by every generation as its message can never become irrelevant.