மனுதர்ம சாத்திரத்திலும் திருக்குறளிலும் விருந்தோம்பலறம்: ஒரு தத்துவவியல் பகுப்பாய்வு (Hospitality in Manu Dharma Sastra and Tirukkural: A Philosophical Analysis)

Abstract

Manu dharma Sastra is an ancient ethical and legal text for Hindus composed by Manu during the period of the 3^rd century B.C. and Tirukkural, conceived the Veda for all, and was composed by Tiruvalluvar which dates back to 3^rd century A.D to 5th Century A.D. Both texts comprise moral teachings for humanity and speak about the virtue of hospitality.  Even though some Tamil Scholars inferred the influence of Manudharma Sastra on Tirukkural, Tirukkural reveals some unique characteristics which substantially differ it from Manu Dharma Sastra, Both texts attribute many metaphysical ideas to hospitality. On the one hand, Manu dharma Sastra connects hospitality to ethical rules, rituals, and violation of the rules and their consequences based on Hindu Varna Ashrama Dharma. On the other hand, Tirukkural narrates hospitality based on philosophical systems and thoughts that prevailed in the period of righteousness (Post-Sangam period) in Tamil Nadu.  For Valluvar, hospitality is more conceived as an essential duty for a householder than Manu and the hospitality of Manu is more associated with religious and ritual systems than that of Valluvar.  The hospitality of Valluvar could be attributed to humanitarian and materialistic aspects compared to the Hospitality of Manu. Thus, this study unearths similarities and differences between the texts on hospitality and tries to reveal unique features of the hospitality of Tirukkural.