History • Ancient IndiaHard

Consider the following statements regarding the religious traditions and philosophical literature of ancient and early medieval Tamilakam: 1. The Jain epic 'Valaiyapati' and Buddhist texts composed in Tamil demonstrate the vibrant presence of heterodox religious traditions alongside traditional Shaivism and Vaishnavism. 2. The Bhakti movement spearheaded by Nayanmars and Alwars in Tamil Nadu synthesized regional devotional practices with Agamic traditions, challenging orthodox Vedic rituals. 3. The ancient grammar text Tolkappiyam contains explicit references to Sanskrit Vedic deities and excludes any indigenous Tamil cosmological concepts. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only✓ Correct Answer

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statements one and two are correct as heterodox traditions like Jainism and Buddhism flourished alongside indigenous Tamil culture while the Bhakti movement transformed the religious landscape through vernacular devotional poetry. Statement three is incorrect because Tolkappiyam outlines native Tamil literary conventions and indigenous deities such as Murugan, Mayon, Venthan, and Varunan rather than being purely derived from Sanskrit Vedic traditions. This classical treatise establishes the grammatical foundations of the Tamil language and poetic theory.

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