Tolkappiyam in Tamil, dated not later than the third century before the advent of the Common Era, is, arguably, the earliest complete work of linguistics in the ancient classical traditions of the world. It is complete in the sense that it encompasses both the written and the spoken languages, and it is a grammar of graphology, phonology, syntax, semantics, poetics, prosody and rhetoric. As such, it marks sui generis, towering presence without a comparable work in any of the primary classical languages of the world in range and perspective.
This apart, Tolkappiyam contains several concepts and ideas that are futuristic in content and spirit and several others that are pragmatic in character. It also embodies features which are in the nature of pioneering later developments in other languages and literatures, both classical and modern. It is no wonder then that Prof. A.L. Becker of the University of Michigan comments thus: "Tolkappiyar was someone whose bust they should be putting in American university libraries". Equally revealing is the observation of Prof. A.K. Ramanujan of the University of Chicago: "He is very close to what you would call a linguistics' ultimate guru".
The Central Institute of Classical Tamil has, therefore, taken upon the translation of Tolkappiyam into many languages of the world including the scheduled languages of India among its primary academic projects, currently published in 10 languages (four Indian languages, six Foreign Languages), first because Tolkappiyam has a lot to share with the other linguistic traditions of the world, secondly because it foreshadows several contemporary linguistic and applied linguistic principles, and thirdly because it is crying to be placed among the finest and the best of the books of the world. Again, Tolkappiyar's insights into cultural linguistics, lexicography, semantics, case system, TG Grammar and so forth are capable of being juxtaposed with modern conceptualizations in these spheres of scholarship.
I record the Institute's profound appreciation of the labour of the eminent translators who are the true transmitters of Tamil culture across space and time.
The National Education Policy 2020 has brought out a new curriculum for schools, colleges and universities with a focus on popularizing Indian languages. arts and culture, grammar and literature, civilizational elements and so on. Arts. culture, ethics, historical narratives, etc. are the defining features of Classical Tamil, the antiquity and uniqueness of which deserve to be popularized and disseminated to the discerning readers of the country and abroad through their own languages. The role of Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) in translating the ancient Tamil texts into various Indian languages as also foreign languages would, no doubt, expand the literary frontiers of Tamil as a classical language with rich literary history and heritage.
Classical Tamil Grammar 'Tolkappiyam' by Tolkappiyar and Classical Sanskrit Grammar 'Ashtadyayi' by Panini are two gems of the classical languages of India which remain as gifts to the literary world. Thus, disseminating ancient Tamil Grammar to the larger section of educators, researchers and students in other States and abroad remains an abiding theme in the Action Plan of the CICT. Chennai as approved by the Government of India. 'Tolkappiyam' has now been translated into 10 languages viz, four Indian languages (Odia, Assamese, Urdu and Tulu) and six Foreign Languages (Arabic. Hungarian, German, Spanish, Malay. Burmese). This magnum opus captures in vivid detail the exquisitely poetic and epigrammatic statements on phonology, morphology, syntax, rhetoric, prosody and poetics. Its reputation as the earliest complete work of linguistics in ancient classical literature has been indeed formidable.
The continued efforts of the CICT in translating and making available the classical literature of Tamil to other languages would enhance the innate beauty and intrinsic richness of Tamil, I commend the contributions of the academics and editorial team of CICT for this laudable initiatives and wish them all success in their endeavours to bring the classical Tamil language to the doorstep of other language speakers.
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