Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 16,094

Date uploaded in London – 16 August 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx 

Purananuru wonders-54, Tamil Encyclopedia-94, One Thousand Interesting Facts – Part 94. 

item 767 

Poets of Paripāṭal (prepared by me on 31-12-1995 in hand written paper)

From U VE SA edition, year 1948.

The classical Tamil Paripāṭal anthology—part of the Eight Anthologies (Eṭṭuttokai) of Sangam literature—is traditionally attributed to 13 different poets.

   Kīrantaiyār (கீரந்தையார்)

• Kaduvan Ilaveyinanaar (கடுவன் இளவெயினனார்)
• Maiyodak Kovanaar (மையோடக் கோவனார்)
• Nallanthuvanaar (நல்லந்துவனார்)
• Kundrumpoothanaar (குன்றம்பூதனார்)
• Karumpillaip Poothanaar (கரும்பிள்ளைப் பூதனார்)
• Nalvaludiyaar (நல்வழுதியார்)
• Kesavanaar (கேசவனார்)
• Ilamperuvaludiyaar (இளம்பெருவழுதியார்)
• Nallazisiyaar (நல்லழிசியார்)
• Nalleziniyaar
• Nappannanaar (நப்பண்ணனார்)

Nallachuthanar நல்லச்சுதனார்

Total line approximately 2050 lines in 24 full poems and 9 fragments

***

item 768

Verse number– theme—lines — composer

Paripāṭal 1 on Tirumal- tirumaal -Vishnu- Lines 65 —composed by

Paripāṭal 2 on Tirumal- tirumaal -Vishnu- Lines 76 –compoed by Kīrantaiyār

Paripāṭal 3 on Tirumal- tirumaal -Vishnu- Lines 94  – composed by Kaduvan Ilaveyinanaar

Paripāṭal 4 on Tirumal- tirumaal -Vishnu- Lines 73– composed by Kaduvan Ilaveyinanaar

Paripāṭal 5 on Murugan/ Skanda- Lines 81– composed by Kaduvan Ilaveyinanaar

Paripāṭal 6 on River Vaigai- Lines 106 –composed by Nallanthuvanaar

Paripāṭal 7 on River Vaigai- Lines 86—composed by Maiyodak Kovanaar

Paripāṭal 8 on Murugan/ Skanda- Lines  130 –composed by Nallanthuvanaar

Paripāṭal 9 on Murugan/ Skanda- Lines  85—composed by Kunrampoothanaar

Paripāṭal 10 on River Vaigai- Lines 131 – composed by Karumpillaip Poothanaar

Paripāṭal 11 on River Vaigai- Lines 140– composed by Nallanthuvanaar

Paripāṭal 12 on River Vaigai- Lines 102—composed by Nalvaludiyaar

Paripāṭal 13 on Tirumal- tirumaal -Vishnu- Lines 64 – NAL EZINI

Paripāṭal 14 on Murugan/ Skanda- Lines 32 – composed by Kesavanaar

Paripāṭal 15 on Tirumal- tirumaal -Vishnu- Lines 66—composed by Ilamperuvaludiyaar

Paripāṭal 16 on River Vaigai- Lines 55—composed by Nallazisiyaar

Paripāṭal 17 on Murugan/ Skanda- Lines 53—composed by Nallazisiyaar

Paripāṭal 18 on Murugan/ Skanda- Lines  56—composed by Kunrampoothanaar

Paripāṭal 19 on Murugan/ Skanda- Lines 105—composed by Nappannanaar

Paripāṭal 20 on River Vaigai- Lines 111- composed by Nallanthuvanaar

Paripāṭal 21 on Murugan/ Skanda- Lines 70—composed by Nallachuthanar

Paripāṭal 22 on River Vaigai- Lines 49—composed by???? Incomplete poem

***

Fragments = Thirattu in Tamil  (Fragments are from other Tamil works where the commentators  quoted them or used them)

Paripāṭal  on Tirumal- tirumaal -Vishnu- Lines 82—

Paripāṭal  on River Vaigai- Lines 96—

Paripāṭal Thirattu 1, 2 ,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

***

item 769 Music Composers

Paripāṭal Poets who set music to the above poems

Kannakanaar

For Paripāṭal verse 18; also contributed in puram 218; narrinai 79.

Kannanaaganaar

For verse 5;

Kesavanar

Verse 14;

Nannaaganaar

Verse 12; 2;

Nallachuthanar

Verses 16, 17, 18, 20.

Naaganaar

Verse 11;

Piththaamanthar

Verse 7;

Pettaganaar

Veres 3,4;

Maruththuvan nallachchuthanaar

Verses 6,8,9,10,1519;

***

Item 770 Madurai City is like Lotus Flower

In Paripāṭal fragment 1(thirattu in Tamil) we get the name of Naan Maadak Koodal;  the story behind this name is detailed in

Tiru vilaiyatal puranam . When there was heavy rain during the days of Abhiseka Pandya, Lord Siva protected Madurai on four sides.

Prof. Vaiyapuri Pillai says it must have happened during 3^rd or 4^th century CE. If it is correct, then we can calculate the periods of other kings.

***

Item 771

Another point is U Ve Sa says the town name IRUNTHAIYUR is important. Two Sangam poets are from Irunthaiyur. The present Perumal (Vishnu) temple in Madurai is believed to be Irunthaiyur

***

Item 772 River in the Sky

In Paripāṭal fragment 2 (thirattu in Tamil) on River Vaigai, there is an interesting comparison:

Pandya king bathed in River Vaigai along with others; it looked like Indra bathing in the Rive Aakaaya Ganga (Gages in the sky).

Nowadays scientists believe there is river like water flow in the sky too!

Yes, “rivers in the sky” is a true scientific concept. Scientists call them atmospheric rivers—massive, narrow bands of concentrated water vapor flowing through the Earth’s lower atmosphere. Though invisible to the naked eye, they act like flying rivers carrying immense amounts of fresh water across the globe.

Scientific Facts About Atmospheric Rivers

• Enormous volume: A single atmospheric river can carry up to 15 to 27 times the water volume of the Mississippi River or rival the flow rate of the Amazon River.
• Dimensions: They are typically thousands of kilometers long, but relatively narrow (hundreds of kilometers wide).
• Water supply: According to the U.S. Geological Survey, these sky currents provide up to half of the annual precipitation and water supply for the U.S. West Coast (often called the Pineapple Express), parts of Europe, and New Zealand. [1, 2]
• Weather impacts: When these vapor streams hit coastal mountains, the air lifts, cools, and drops torrential rain or heavy snow, which can cause beneficial snowpacks or severe flooding and mudslides

***

Item 773

Marvellous City Madurai!

The last interesting point in Paripatal Thirattu (fragments) is the description of Madurai City. Even 2000 years ago the architects and engineers planned it well and constructed it beautifully. I have never read in any history book about such a planned construction. Paripatal poet compared it to the lotus flower that appeared from the navel of Lord Vishnu

The ancient city of Madurai was designed using traditional Shilpa Shastra (sacred Hindu town-planning texts). It is structured as a lotus-shaped, concentric layout with the Meenakshi Amman Temple at the exact geographic and spiritual center, and streets radiating outward in squares.

  Central Focus: The Meenakshi Amman Temple anchors the city plan, serving as the nucleus from which all civic life and urban geometry extend. [1, 2, 3]

  Concentric Streets: Streets are arranged in successive concentric rectangular/square axes (such as the outer Veli streets) that decrease or increase in width based on their proximity to the sacred core. [1]

I am from this great Madurai city. The streets are squares within squares. Each one is named after a Tamil month, because temple procession comes through that street in that particular month .

Perumpan lines 402-405 also refers to it. U Ve Sa adds another town named Rajagiri also had this type of construction according to Perunkathai. But it is a very late work without any historical proof. Madurai is a living proof for the planned construction of ancient times. Probably there is no such planned city 2000 years ago; I mean all the streets are in squares within squares.

To be continued……………………………………..

Tags- Purananuru wonders-54, Tamil Encyclopedia-94, item 773. Paripatal poets, Madurai is like lotus, Rivers in the Sky