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அ PREFACE. I. PANAMBARAN'S INTRODUCTION TO THE THOLCAPYAM. வடவேங்கடந் தென்குமரி, ஆயிடைத், தமிழ்கூறு நல்லுலக த்து, வழக்குஞ் செய்யுளுமாயிருமுதலின், எழுத்துஞ் சொல்லும் பொ ருளுநாடிச், செந்தமிழியற்கை சிவணிய நிலத்தொடு, முந்து நூல்கண்டு முறைப்படவெண்ணிப், புலந்தொகுத்தோனே போக்கறுபனுவல், நிலந் தருதிருவிற் பாண்டியனவையத், தறங்கரைநாவி னான்மறைமுற்றிய, அத ங்கோட்டாசாற் கரிறபத்தெரிந்து, மயங்காமரபி னெழுத்துமுறைகாட்டி, மல்குநீர்வரைப்பின் + ஐந்திரநிறைந்த, தொல்காப்பியனெனத் தன்பெ யர்தோற்றிப், பல்புகழ்நிறுத்த படிமையோனே. This introduction or சிறப்புப்பாயிரம் was furnished to the Author of this work as a certificate by Panambaran, a pupil like himself of the great Rishi Agastyan. It is said in the above document that this work had been read, discussed, and approved of before the king Pandyan's Conclave of Poets, the Adjudicator being Athancottasan, another School-fellow of Tholcapyan ind disciple of Agastyan. These three personages were Rishis; and seem to have been more or less equal in every respect, except in their acquirements with regard to Tamil literature, in which Agastyan always stands first, Athancottasan second, and Tholoapyan third. S HISTORY, TRADITION, AND MYTHOLOGY. "ஐந்திரநிறைந்ததொல்காப்பியம்," Tholcapyam in chuich. Eindram is much followed or consulted. By this phrase, commentators infer that Tholcapyan, in consequence of some disagreement with his Master Agastyan, had left bim and joined the conclave at Benares, who advised him to follow the Byndra system founded by Indra in Sanscrit. Eyndrum is more ancient than Panineum, even as the Tholcapyam is more ancient than the Nunnool; and the more recent works are on both cases more read in modern days. The cause of disagrcement above alluded to, was this :- When, on the occasion of Siva's marriage with Parvati at Kailas, all the inhabitants of the three worlds were present there japon invitation, of course Agastyan and
