Tirikaṭukam

Thirikatukam is a Tamil poetic work of didactic nature belonging to the "Pathinenkilkanakku" anthology of Tamil literature. This belongs to the 'post Sangam period' corresponding to between 100 – 500 CE. "Thirikatukam" contains 100 poems written by the poet Nallathanaar. The poems of "Thirikatukam" are written in the Venpa meter.

"Thirikatukam" uses the analogy of the traditional herbal medicine, which uses the three herbs "sukku" (dried ginger), "milaku" (pepper) and "thippili" (Long pepper) to cure maladies of the stomach. "Thirikatugam" similarly uses three different maxims to illustrate correct behaviour.

References

* Mudaliyar, Singaravelu A., Apithana Cintamani, An encyclopaedia of Tamil Literature, (1931) - Reprinted by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi (1983)
* http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/
* http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/pathinen/pm0048.pdf "Thirikatukam" eText at Project madurai