Kaar Narpathu (Tamil: கார் நாற்பது) is a
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
poetic work belonging to the
Eighteen Lesser Texts
The Eighteen Lesser Texts, known as the Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku () in the literature, is a collection of eighteen poetic works mostly created during the 'post Sangam period' (between 100 and 500 CE). The poems of this collection differ from t ...
(''Pathinenkilkanakku'') anthology of
Tamil literature
Tamil literature includes a collection of literary works that have come from a tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the T ...
. This belongs to the 'post
Sangam period
The Sangam literature ( Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam''), historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' ( Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cāṉṟōr ceyyuḷ''), connote ...
' corresponding to between 100 – 500 CE. ''Kar Narpathu'' contains forty poems written by the poet Kannankoothanaar, who lived in
Madurai
Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
.
The poems of ''Kaar Narpathu'' deal with the ''agam'' (internal) subjects. ''Agam'' in the
Sangam literature
The Sangam literature (Tamil language, Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam''), historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil language, Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cā ...
denotes the subject matters that deal with the intangibles of life such as human emotions, love, separation, lovers' quarrels, etc. Most of the poems of ''Kar Narpathu'' are in the form of the heroine being consoled by her friend by describing the beauties of the rainy season (the Tamil word ''Kaar'' means rain).
References
* Mudaliyar, Singaravelu A., Apithana Cintamani, An encyclopaedia of Tamil Literature, (1931) - Reprinted by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi (1983)
* http://tamilnation.org/literature/pathinen/pm0029.pdf ''Kar Narpathu'' eText at
Project madurai
Sangam literature
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