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THE
TAMIL'S CONTRIBUTION
TO
WORLD'S
CIVILISATION
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|
Professor
Dr.
Kamil.V. Zvelebil ,Czecholavakia
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|
There is no doubt
that the culture of the Tamils belongs to the great and immortal treasures
of the world's civilization.
. |
| From my own experience,
however, I can say that even those who claim to have a wide outlook and
deep education, both Indians and Europeans, are not aware of this fact.
And it is the task of the Tamils themselves, and of those sympathetic mlecchas
who try to interpret Tamil culture, to acquaint the world's cultural public
with the most important contributions of Tamil culture to the world's civilization. |
As far as literary
works are concerned, it is necessary before all to make them accessible
to a wide public of readers by means of artistic translations into the
worlds great languages; with regard to works of arts and architecture,
it is necessary to make them a common treasure of the world with the help
of publications giving detailed and perfect reproductions. This may be
achieved through the UNESCO as well as through the work of individual scholars
and local Institutions; this should also be one of the main tasks of the
Academy of Tamil Culture. |
There is no doubt
that the culture of the Tamils belongs to the great and immortal treasures
of the world's civilization.
.
From my own experience,
however, I can say that even those who claim to have a wide outlook and
deep education, both Indians and Europeans, are not aware of this fact.
And it is the task of the Tamils themselves, and of those sympathetic mlecchas
who try to interpret Tamil culture, to acquaint the world's cultural public
with the most important contributions of Tamil culture to the world's civilization.
.
As far as literary
works are concerned, it is necessary before all to make them accessible
to a wide public of readers by means of artistic translations into the
worlds great languages; with regard to works of arts and architecture,
it is necessary to make them a common treasure of the world with the help
of publications giving detailed and perfect reproductions. This may be
achieved through the UNESCO as well as through the work of individual scholars
and local Institutions; this should also be one of the main tasks of the
Academy of Tamil Culture.
.
The following
works of art and literature are among the most remarkable contributions
of the Tamil creative genius to the world's cultural treasure and should
be familiar to the whole world and admired and beloved by all in the same
way as the poems of Homer, the dramas of Shakespeare, the pictures of Rembrandt,
the cathedrals of France and the sculptures of Greece:
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|
1. The ancient Tamil
lyrical poetry compiled in ‘The
Eight Anthologies’; this poetry is so unique and vigorous, full of
such vivid realism and written so masterfully that it can be compared probably
only with some of the pieces of ancient Greek lyrical poetry;
.
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2. The Thirukural,
one of the great books of the world, one of those singular emanations of
the human heart and spirit which preach positive love and forgiveness and
peace;
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3. The epical
poem Cilappathikaram,
which by its "baroque splendour', and by the charm and magic of its lyrical
parts belongs to the epic masterpieces of the world;
. |
4. The school
of Bhakti both Vaishnava
and Saiva,
which is one of those most sincere and passionate efforts of man to grasp
the Absolute; and its supreme literary expression in the works of Manikkavasagar,
Gnanasambandar, Nammalwar and Andal
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5. The philosophical
system of Saiva
Sidhdhantha, a system, which may be ranked among the most perfect and
cleverest systems of human thought;
. |
6. The South
Indian bronzes of the Chola period, those splendid and amazing sculptures
belonging to the best creations of humanity,
. |
7. The Dravidian
temple architecture, of which the chief representatives are perhaps
the temples of Tanjore, Chidambaram and Madurai.
. |
These seven different
forms of contribution without which the world would be definitely less
rich and less happy, should engage the immediate attention of all who are
interested in Tamil culture; they should all dedicate their time and efforts
to make known (and well and intimately known) to the whole of the world
these heights of Tamil creative genius."
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|
(Tamil Culture - Vol.
V, No. 4. October, 1956)
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