Arruppatai is type of Tamil poem in Sangam literature. In the ancient era, Arruppatai type of verse was carefully cultivated into a literary form. In this form of Tamil poem various types of authors and poets direct their fellow writers to a patron is known as Arruppatai. Arruppatai is a Tamil word that is derived from two distinct words Aru and Pati. Aru means path or route and Pati means guide. Thus it refers to the guide to a certain path or route. Fine arts like music and dance were developed by certain families in Tamil Nadu and these families were segregated into diverse social groups based on their artistic profession. The male artists were taught to play various musical instruments Mulavu (drum), Kulal (flute) and Yal (lute). The women minstrels, known as Patiniar and Pattiyar, who were the spouses of the male artists, also played the instruments. Women who were skilled in dance and music were identified as Viraliyar; the male dancers were called Kuttars and the actors were known as Porunars. Thus ancient Tamil era preoccupied themselves with the religious practice of indulgence into art and the various artistic manifestations. This is a literary genre in Tamil, form of panegyric, generally in akaval metre, in which one or who has been rewarded with gifts, directs another one, usually a king or a chieftain from whom the later may also receive similar reward.
This genre had emerged out of the social features of the age, in Tamil Nadu in the Sangam age when a band of the singing minstrels wandered from one place to another in a perpetual quest of the generous patron who munificence earned them their major portion of human living backed out of need.
Poets of Arruppatai
The families of Porunar, Kuttar, Viraliyar and Panar lived in the urban centres as well as rural areas and small villages, from the Sangam age to the period of the Alvars and Nayanmars that is the era of Bhakti poetry. The families were the prime factors in preserving fine arts. These families lived mainly in poverty until their artistic skill was discovered and recognized by the nobles and the rulers. Even though they were poor, several poets and writers created dedicated their time to great literary works. The poets eventually realized that the poverty stricken lives would adversely affect their creative skills and thus they approached the kings and nobles. The poets praised the generosity of the kings and were rewarded heavily in cash and kind. These generous gifts from the nobles helped them in eradicating financial problems and enabled the poets to focus on their creative works. The poets praised and expressed their gratitude towards the kings and rulers in the form of beautiful poetry and these poems were known as Arruppatai in Tamil.
The poems also expressed the financial difficulties of the minstrels as their entire families suffered from poverty. Even though the writers of Arruppatai literature were poets they composed the guidance poems visualising as if a minstrel was benefited by a chief who was directed by a fellow minstrel to him. In the poems, the names of the names of the patron noble, as well as the poet`s fame were based on historical facts, although the narrative of a fellow minstrel was imaginary. The length of Arruppatai poems vary from 248 to 500 lines. The poems also contained descriptions of landscape, rivers and other objects of nature that describe the route leading to the country of the patron chief or noble. Several religious landscapes are also described in some Arruppatai poems.
The Pattuppattu anthology contains 5 Arruppatai verses; and these poems are also comprised in Purananuru and Patirruppattu. Arruppatai is type of Tamil poem in Sangam literature. In the ancient era, Arruppatai type of verse was carefully cultivated into a literary form. In this form of Tamil poem various types of authors and poets direct their fellow writers to a patron is known as Arruppatai. Arruppatai is a Tamil word that is derived from 2 distinct words Aru and Pati. Aru means path or route and Pati means guide. Fine arts like music and dance were developed by certain families in Tamil Nadu and these families were segregated into diverse social groups based on their artistic profession. The male artists were taught to play various musical instruments Mulavu (drum), Kulal (flute) and Yal (lute). The women minstrels, known as Patiniar and Pattiyar, who were the spouses of the male artists, also played the instruments. Women who were skilled in dance and music were identified as Viraliyar; the male dancers were called Kuttars and the actors were known as Porunars.
Poets of Arruppatai
The families of Porunar, Kuttar, Viraliyar and Panar lived in the urban centres as well as rural areas and small villages, from the Sangam age to the period of the Alvars and Nayanmars that is the era of Bhakti poetry. The families were the prime factors in preserving fine arts. These families lived mainly in poverty until their artistic skill was discovered and recognized by the nobles and the rulers. Even though they were poor, several poets and writers created dedicated their time to great literary works. The poets eventually realized that the poverty stricken lives would adversely affect their creative skills and thus they approached the kings and nobles. The poets praised the generosity of the kings and were rewarded heavily in cash and kind. These generous gifts from the nobles helped them in eradicating financial problems and enabled the poets to focus on their creative works. The poets praised and expressed their gratitude towards the kings and rulers in the form of beautiful poetry and these poems were known as Arruppatai in Tamil.
The poems also expressed the financial difficulties of the minstrels as their entire families suffered from poverty. Even though the writers of Arruppatai literature were poets they composed the guidance poems visualising as if a minstrel was benefited by a chief who was directed by a fellow minstrel to him. In the poems, the names of the names of the patron noble, as well as the poet`s fame were based on historical facts, although the narrative of a fellow minstrel was imaginary. The length of Arruppatai poems vary from 248 to 500 lines. The poems also contained descriptions of landscape, rivers and other objects of nature that describe the route leading to the country of the patron chief or noble. Several religious landscapes are also described in some Arruppatai poems.
The Pattuppattu anthology contains 5 Arruppatai verses; and these poems are also comprised in Purananuru and Patirruppattu.
