Values in ‘Perunkathai’ Family System

Abstract

In the world of Tamil poetry, Perunkathai is held in equal esteem with the five great epics. The original text of Perunkathai was written by Gunadithiyar in the Paisasam language, a vernacular dialect of Prakrit, in the name of Pragatatha. After that, it was written in Sanskrit under the name Prigathkathai by a Ganga king named Durvineethan in the fifth or sixth century AD. Konguvelir wrote it in Tamil under the name of Udhayanan Kathai. He is considered to belong to the Velalar class of Kongu Country. This book, which was written in the seventh century AD by Konguvelir, is also known as Udhayanan Kathai, Konguvel Maakathai, and Perunkathai. This epic poem is composed by focusing on the lives of the kings. The grammar, literature, and epics of the Tamil language are all written with the aim of making the readers refined and virtuous. The aim of this book is that man should live a long time with perfect human nature. A family is a system in which one has children and lives together. This system undergoes many changes from time to time. Family structure is determined based on occupation, job, preference, need, etc. They classify family systems as joint family systems where grandfather, grandmother, paternal aunt, maternal uncle, elder paternal uncle, elder maternal aunt, younger maternal aunt, younger paternal father, grandson, granddaughter, etc., live together and classify them as single family systems where mother, father, and child live together. No matter what the system is, the family system will gain specialness and value only if it accepts the personal feelings, desires, needs, obligations, and duties of each individual. Many changes occur in human characteristics according to the living conditions of the changing and growing living conditions of people. The purpose of this article is to highlight the family values that are mentioned in the story in order to properly refine these changes and make us live in a good way.