A GREAT TAMIL TEACHER

A GREAT TAMIL TEACHER


Come to think of it, many scholars and writers have left behind unfinished works. There would have been several reasons why the works were unfinished.


The Thamil Thatha, UVSwaminatha Aiyar had his Tamil education under several scholars. But the most ourtstanding amongst them was MahaVidvan MinatchiSundaram Pillai. UVS has remarked that while the others gave education as if taking a gold coin and examining it carefully and giving it one by one, little by little. But in the case of PiLLai,
he taught as if laying open a treasure chest full of gold and gem stones and letting the student take his fill as much as possible.


The compositions and creations of PiLLai were many.
Among them were - 


22 puranas; 
historical works 2; 
kavyas 2; 
padhikams 4; 
padhiRRu paththu andhaadhi 6; 
thiripandhadhi 4; 
yamaka andhaadhi 3; 
veNbaa andhaadhi 1; 
maalai 10;
piLLai thamilz 10; 
kalambakam 2; 
kOvai 3; 
ula 1; 
thuudhu 2;
kuRavanji 1; 
silEdai veNbaa 1; 
miscellaneous 7.


Apart from these, he has sung separate stanzas and laudatory pieces. These were innumerable. Tamil schoalrs conclude that there are no class of poetry that has not been sung by PiLLai.


He has created his puranas elaborately. They are very lengthy. They would range from 2000 to 10000 verses.
Among the puranas, the best composition is said to be 'Thiru Nagaai KarONa PuraNam'.
He has sung more that 100000 verses. 
Kamban's Ramayana is 12000. 
But MinatchSundaram PiLLai sang more than 100000.
Hence the scholars of his times and soon after, called him as 'Paththu Kamban' - 'Ten Kambans'.
Among all his creations, PiLLai wanted to create a Magnum Opus - his master-piece.
So he started on a work called 'ThiyagaRaasa Leelai'.
It was left unfinished. Had it been completed, it would have been among the best works in the Tamil literary world. He had composed 699 verses. He never proceeded to the 700th.
Many of his students and well-wishers exhorted him to complete the work. But PiLLai would not answer them. He seemed dejected or dissuaded into proceding with the work.


This work was based on the original Sanskrit version. 


The first thirteen and a half chapters of that original version is available. The rest of the originial piece is lost. It was never found. 
Because of this, PiLLai was not able to finish the Tamil version.
The disappointment and unhappiness was always with him till the last.


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