Sanskrit Inscriptions of Tamilnadu : A Literary Study

Author

Charu Madhavan

Description

This book focuses on the Sanskrit epigraphs of Tamil Nadu from the Pallava, Pandya, and Chola dynasties (c. 1310 A.D. to c. 1713) for their literary beauty. It offers a fascinating and comprehensive analysis of the numerous meters, similes, rhetoric, and oetical style employed by the authors of these inscriptions.

The influence of the Valmiki Ramayana and other works of Kalidasa (particularly the Raghuvamsa), as well as their impact on Tamil poetry, is readily apparent. This book is a significant and useful addition to epigraphy and Sanskrit studies. The majority of the thousands of inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu were written in Tamil, but a substantial number were also written in Sanskrit.

The deciphering of these epigraphs, which are entirely in Sanskrit and the Sanskrit portions of the bilingual copper-plate inscriptions, has been extremely beneficial to historians and archaeologists since they provide a wealth of information on various aspects of Tamil society throughout history.

Epigraphs, which are actually royal proclamations, are both a source of important and genuine historical information as well as masterpieces of Sanskrit prose and poetry. The Sanskrit poems were written by highly talented poets who were renowned for their command of the language and proficiency in ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Puranas and classical works.

Both Sanskrit and the ability to imagine, while meticulously recording the events of their rulers’ reigns are evident from these inscriptions. The identities and accomplishments of these previously unknown writers and scholars are made known in this work.