Manimekhalai - In Its Historical Setting

Contents: Preface. Introduction. Supplement.Manimekhalai ; The Poem. Manimekhalai Its Historical Character. Manimekhalai Historical Conclusions. Manimekhalai Its Philosophical Systems. Manimekhalai Other Views On The Above. Appendix. Prologue. Translation of the text Manimekhalai from Book 1 to Book 30.
The classics Manimekhalai  and its Twin Silappadhikaram formed the part  of the study in connection with the Age of Tamil Sangam. The contents of this research was published in separate forms as Age of Tamil Literature, contained material taken from Silappadhikaram and Manimekhalai.
.The translation of Manimekhalai, chapter by chapter brings to the fore the different philosophical systems that existed at the time of Sangam age, the historical personalities existing at their time, the cream of Buddhist Philosophy, and the  activity and  life in general at the time of Sangam age.  New discussions and availability of new material led to the Translation of the whole of the classic to the lay reader of the narrative and setting to the reader unacquainted with Tamil. The author S Krishnaswamy Aiyengar,  have omitted no material point and even attempted to keep the tone of the original.
This study of Manimekhalai was presented as a special lecture on south Indian History in the Madras University earlier by the author. The author in these lectures have attempted to consider the question of the position of Manimekhalai among the Tamil classics. This investigation and enquiry into the Tamil literary work leads to the conclusion that it is a work of classic excellence in Tamil literature and is to regarded as a Sangam work in that sense. The investigation further support in the contents of the twin epics Silappadhikaram -Manimekhalai. The investigation has led to  the intimate connection between the Silappadhikaram and Manimekhalai in itself as literary works of the same age, a single tradition of and of similar atmosphere, same literary character as Sangam works
The main purpose of this thesis has been to consider the philosophical systems and the religious condition in the country as described in Manimekhalai throw upon the important question of the age of the work and Sangam literature generally. During the course of the study, it is found that Manimekhalai discusses the various schools of Philosophy with orthodox professors , the tenets of particular  systems and the authoritative works to learn what they teach. She discusses the five separate systems and their philosophy. At the end of the book the summing up of the totality of the systems she attempted to learn she included these five as one. Further she ends up combining the teaching of Ajivaka and Nirgrantha as one and the same..