EAP810/22/17

Title in original script: தலைப்பு இல்லை (சித்திர புத்திரர் கதை)

The manuscript is composed of a text, written in verses. It contains written palm leaves numbered from 1 to 19 and 3 blank leaves with number, indicating that the copyist did not achieve the work. The manuscript is in good condition, but is it darkened by fungus and the leaves are breakable.

The text is an ammāṉai, a type of literature in Tamil language which teaches morality through a story. The text, entitled Cittira Puttirar Ammāṉai, is the same text than that of Suneel_TN_MSS16. Although the text is incomplete, the story related in Suneel_TN_MSS16 is recopied here.

The story concerns Intiraṉ, considered by Tēvar (Tamil caste reputed as martial) as a king, and his wife, Intirāṇi. As they did not have a child, they prayed Civā. Satisfied by their prayers, Civā came on earth the full moon day of 3rd May, and taken the form of a cow with eternal quality, he gave birth to a child on the bank of a river and returned to his world. Intiraṉ took the baby that he named Cittiraputtirar and brought up it. Cittiraputtirar, who was studious and very attracted by mathematics, became a genius. When he became an adult, it got a special job which consisted to report the good and bad deeds by individuals to Yamā, the god of death. Based on these reports, the individuals, after their death, have to go to the heaven or to the hell.

The morality of this story is to induce people to do only good deeds, it is the ultimate aim of this ammāṉai. At Cittiraputtirar’s birthday, Hindus worship him by fasting, praying and doing charity in order to increase their karma.

Size of the manuscript: 43.7cm x 3.2cm. The text is formed of the leaves numbered from 1 to 19. There are 4 addtional leaves: one placed at the beginning and three leaves placed at the end of the manuscript which are blank but numbered 22, 30, 32. The manuscript is in good condition, but a few leaves are darkened.