TheEight Anthologies, known asEṭṭuttokai (Tamil:எட்டுத்தொகை) or "Eight Collections" in the literature, is a classicalTamil poetic work that forms part of theEighteen Greater Texts (Patiṉeṇmēlkaṇakku) anthology series of theSangam Literature.^[1] The Eight Anthologies and its companion anthology, theTen Idylls (Pattuppāṭṭu), is the oldest availableTamil literature.^[2] According toKamil Zvelebil, a scholar of Tamil literature and history, dating these Eight Anthologies or their relative chronology is difficult, but the scholarship so far suggested that the earliest layers were composed sometime between the 1st century BCE and 2nd century CE, while the last layers were completed between 3rd and 5th century CE.^[3]

The Eight Anthologies consist of 2,371 poems varying from small stanzas of three lines inAinkurnuru to stanzas of forty lines inPurananuru. The following poems form the Eight Anthologies:

• Ainkurunuru (ஐங்குறுநூறு)
• Akananuru (அகநானூறு)
• Purananuru (புறநானூறு)
• Kalittokai (கலித்தொகை)
• Kuruntokai (குறுந்தொகை)
• Natrinai (நற்றிணை)
• Paripatal (பரிபாடல்)
• Pathitrupathu (பதிற்றுப்பத்து)

This compilation of eight anthologies into the Ettuttokai super-anthology is historic. It is attested to in a mnemonic Tamilvenpa stanza, likely composed sometime at a much later date after the 5th-century. The stanza is found in the colophons of many of the surviving palm-leaf manuscripts, and confirms the cherished status of this Sangam collection in the Tamil history. This stanza aid reads:^[4]

OriginalTamil:

நற்றிணை நல்ல குறுந்தொகை ஐங்குறுநூறு
ஒத்த பதிற்றுப்பத்து ஓங்கு பரிபாடல்
கற்றறிந்தார் ஏத்தும் கலியோடு அகம்புறம் என்று
இத்திறத்த எட்டுத் தொகை

Translation:

Naṟṟiṇai, good Kuṟuntokai, Aiṅkuṟunūṟu,
even Patiṟṟuppattu, high Paripāṭal,
along with Kali, Akam, [and] Puṟam praised by learned
knowledgeable people, these parts [form] the Eṭṭuttokai

Tamil tradition mentions academies of poets that composed classical literature over thousands of years before the common era, a belief that scholars consider a myth. Some scholars date the Sangam literature between c. 300 BCE and 300 CE,^[6] while others variously place this early classical Tamil literature period a bit later and more narrowly but mostly before 300 CE.^[7][8][9] According toKamil Zvelebil – a Tamil literature and history scholar, the most acceptable range for the majority of Sangam literature is 100 BCE to 250 CE, based on the linguistic, prosodic and quasi-historic allusions within the texts and thecolophons.^[10] Some of the later strata of the Sangam literature, including the Eight Anthologies, is approximately from the 3rd to 5th century CE.^{[11][note 1]}

The Ettuttokai along with other Sangam literature had fallen into oblivion for much of the 2nd millennium of the common era, but were preserved by and rediscovered in themonasteries ofHinduism, particularly those related toShaivism nearKumbakonam. These rediscovered palm-leaf (Tamil:olai, Sanskrit:talapatra) manuscripts were published by the colonial era scholars in late 19th century.^[16][17]

There are 470 poets known either by their proper names or by causal names deduced from their works. The authors are unidentified in the case of a hundred stanzas. The poets belonged to different parts ofTamil Nadu and to different professions.

Some of them were very popular likeKabilar,Nakkirar andAvvaiyaar and some others are rarely remembered by their names. Yet a general harmony prevails throughout these eight anthologies. The tone and temper of the age is reflected in all their poems with a singular likeness. They were moulded according to certain literary conventions or traditions that prevailed in theSangam age. Yet they reveal the individual genius of the poets who sang them.

The Sangam literature is categorized into two: love or inner (Akam) or public life or outer (Puram).

A verse from the 69th poem ofAkanaṉūṟu :

"விண்பொரு நெடுவரை இயல் தேர் மோரியர் 

பொன் புனை திகிரி திரிதர குறைத்த

அறை இறந்து அகன்றனர் ஆயினும், எனையதூஉம்

நீடலர் வாழி தோழி!"

The verse speaks about the elegant chariots on which theMauryans rode through mountains and valleys and are referred to as "moriyar". These anthologies are significant source of cultural and historic information about ancient Tamil Nadu and South India.

Of the eight anthologies five are on Agam, two on Puram, and one on both. Six of them are in 'agaval' metre which is a kind of verse, interspersed withalliterations andrhymes. The poems on Agam as well as Puram theme are written in this metre and its regulated and subtle music adds to the poetic beauty. This metre is a simple but wonderful instrument, which causes no impediment to the freedom of expression of the poet. It has been found to be an appropriate and natural medium for the expression of the valuable experience of the poets.

The other two anthologies that are not written in agaval metre areKaliththogai andParipaatal. The poems of Kaliththogai are in Kali metre which is known for its dramatic and lyrical qualities and which, according toTolkappiyam is well suited to express the emotions of the lovers. There is repetition of certain lines and phrases and this, added to the haunting music of the metre, is very appealing.

Paripaadal is a metre full of rhythm and music and the anthology known by this name consists of songs composed in this metre. There are religious poems as well as those on love-themes. The love-theme is worked against the background of bathing festivities. These songs were sung in different tunes as is evident from the notes on the music at the end of these. The names of the musicians who set tunes to these songs are also mentioned therein.

In general, the texts are non-religious, mostly about love, longing, bardic praise of the king, chieftain or patron and such topics. They occasionally mention reverence or include lines alluding to Hindu gods (particularly Murugan), goddesses, Vedas, Puranic legends and temples. TheParipaatal is a notable exception. This is a collection of devotional poems (bhakti), which are set to music and written primarily aboutThirumal (Vishnu),Murugan and the riverVaigai.^[18]

• Eighteen Greater Texts
• Sangam literature

Bibliography

• Eva Maria Wilden (2014).Manuscript, Print and Memory: Relics of the Cankam in Tamilnadu. Walter de Gruyter.ISBN 978-3-11-035276-4.
• Kamil Zvelebil (1973).The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India. BRILL.ISBN 90-04-03591-5.

• Sangam literature

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