Translation:Tolkappiyam/An introduction to Tolkappiyam

Tolkappiyam is the earliest available work in Tamil. It is a vast Grammar and Law book of the Tamil language and Social Life. Having three sections, the first two deal with language (linguistics) and the third about the subject matters referred to in Tamil literature, the behavior of the Tamils. Each section has been divided into nine chapters.

The author of the work is Tolkappiyar (Tholkaappiyar). As per available records given by Erayanaar Agapporuzh Nakkeeranaar, he lived before 4,200 B.C.

As regards, three translations of the entire Tolkappiyam are available:
 * 1) Dr P.S. Subrahmanya Sastri (1945)
 * 2) Ilakkuvanar, s., THOLKÁPPIYAM (in English) with critical studies, A thesis which formed the basis of the awarding of the Ph.D. Degree of Madras University, Kural-neri publishing House, Madurai, 1963.
 * 3) Murugan, Dr. V., Tolkappiyam in English, translation with the Tamil text, Transliteration in Roman script, Introduction, Glossary and Illustrations, project director Dr. G. John Samuel, Institute of Asian Studies, Chennai, India, 2000

Among these, the former has tried his best to provide a vivid yet verbatim translation of the work.The second translation was submitted as a Ph.D. thesis, for which he had a Doctorate conferred upon him. The third translation has been done by a professor of English, who made his translation following the prosodic mood of the Tamil epic.