Hospitality as Expounded in Tirikaṭukam: A Philosophical Analysis

Abstract

Hospitality is one of the significant virtues adhered to by Tamils from the beginning. Tirikaṭukam, one of the significant texts comprised in the collection of eighteen lesser works known as Patiṇ̱eṇkḹḻkkaṇakku works emerged in the period known as post-caṅkam Period. Nature of hospitality has undergone tremendous changes from the period of caṅkam to postcaṅkam. To find out nature of hospitality narrated in Tirikaṭukam is primary objective of the study and identify whether any changes occurred on the hospitality in the text in comparison with Vedic tradition, Jainism, Buddhism and thoughts of early Tamils become secondary objectives of study. It is noteworthy that even though the text Tirikaṭukam emerged in the period in which Jainism and Buddhism had dominated Tamil Nadu, the text rarely shares many characteristics of hospitality of Jainism and Buddhism, instead the text substantially upholds traditional characteristics of Early Tamils. Hospitality of Tirikaṭukam abstains from religious, conditional and metaphysical aspects. Besides, hospitality of Tirikaṭukam reveals some unique and independent ethical ideas of Tamils: rational, humanitarian and positivistic outlook. Analytical, synthetic, comparative, critical and holistic methods have been used in this research. Primary literary source, secondary and online sources of the text were also used in this study.