Elāti

Elathi is a Tamil poetic work of didactic nature belonging to the Eighteen Lesser Texts (Pathinenkilkanakku) anthology of Tamil literature. This belongs to the 'post Sangam period' corresponding to between 100 and 500 CE. Elathi contains 80 poems written by the poet Kani Methaviyar. The poems of Elathi are written in the Venpa meter.

Topics in Sangam literature
Sangam literature
AgattiyamTolkāppiyam
Eighteen Greater Texts
Eight Anthologies
AiṅkurunūṟuAkanāṉūṟu
PuṟanāṉūṟuKalittokai
KuṟuntokaiNatṟiṇai
ParipāṭalPatiṟṟuppattu
Ten Idylls
TirumurukāṟṟuppaṭaiKuṟiñcippāṭṭu
MalaipaṭukaṭāmMaturaikkāñci
MullaippāṭṭuNeṭunalvāṭai
PaṭṭiṉappālaiPerumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
PoruṇarāṟṟuppaṭaiCiṟupāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
Related topics
SangamSangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literatureAncient Tamil music
Eighteen Lesser Texts
NālaṭiyārNāṉmaṇikkaṭikai
Iṉṉā NāṟpatuIṉiyavai Nāṟpatu
Kār NāṟpatuKaḷavaḻi Nāṟpatu
Aintiṇai AimpatuTiṉaimoḻi Aimpatu
Aintinai EḻupatuTiṇaimālai Nūṟṟaimpatu
TirukkuṟaḷTirikaṭukam
ĀcārakkōvaiPaḻamoḻi Nāṉūṟu
CiṟupañcamūlamMutumoḻikkānci
ElātiKainnilai

Elathi uses the analogy of the traditional herbal medicine known as elathi which uses six herbs such as elam (cardamom), ilavanka pattai (cinnamon), naagakesaram (made from the stamens of the Ceylon ironwood), milagu (black pepper), thippili (long pepper), and sukku (dried ginger). Elathi similarly uses six different maxims to illustrate correct behaviour. It tells about six values of every aspects of life in every poems in four lines.

The following poem lists the six things, namely, fame, wealth, integrity, courage, education and philanthropy that add beauty to those who follow the scriptures.

சென்றபுகழ், செல்வம், மீக்கூற்றம், சேவகம்
நின்றநிலை, கல்வி, வள்ளன்மை - என்றும்
அளிவந்தார் பூங்குழலாய் ஆறும் மறையின்
வழிவந்தார் கண்ணே வனப்பு

References


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