https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=K._Vadivelu_ChettiarK. Vadivelu Chettiar - Revision history2026-07-31T16:09:18ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=K._Vadivelu_Chettiar&diff=194837&oldid=prev>GoingBatty at 15:43, 10 September 20212021-09-10T15:43:09Z<p></p>
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'''K. Vadivelu Chettiar''' (1863–1936) was a [[Tamil language|Tamil]] scholar of the early twentieth century. He is best known for his exegesis on the [[Parimelalhagar]]'s commentary to the [[Tirukkural]].{{sfn|Chellammal, 2015|p=123}}{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=15}}<br />
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==Biography==<br />
Chettiar was born in 1863 and was a merchant in [[Chintadripet]] in [[Chennai]], where he was running a grocery store selling cigars. His interest in the [[Tamil language]] and literature was kindled by the Tamil scholar [[Ramanuja Naicker]] who was one of his regular customer. Soon Chettiar launched into a regular exposition of Tamil literary works at his grocery store, absorbing several stanzas of Tamil poetry recited by Naicker while smoking his cigar.<ref name="MerchantToTirukkural">{{cite news<br />
| last = Kolappan <br />
| first = B. <br />
| title = From merchant to Tirukkural scholar <br />
| newspaper = The Hindu<br />
| location = Chennai<br />
| pages =<br />
| language =<br />
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons<br />
| date = 18 October 2015<br />
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/from-merchant-to-tirukkural-scholar/article7775746.ece<br />
| access-date = 9 July 2017}}</ref><br />
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Soon he lost interest in his family vocation and instead took to studying Tamil from various scholars under the guise of purchasing provisions from the [[Kothawal Chavadi]] market in the city. This made him pursue a career as a Tamil pundit in the Hindu Theological Society High School. Eventually, he emerged as one of the greatest scholars of his time. In 1904, he published his work on the Tirukkural, which included, along with his own commentary, notes of medieval commentator [[Parimelazhagar]].{{sfn|Chellammal, 2015|p=123}}{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=15}} With his knowledge in Sanskrit literature, he had also quoted from works such as [[Bhagavad Gita]], the [[Upanishads]], and the [[Manusmriti]]. The work was praised by contemporary scholars including [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer|U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer]], [[Maraimalai Adigal]], [[Vaiyapuri Pillai]], [[R. Raghava Iyengar|Ra. Raghava Iyengar]], [[Thiru Vi Ka]] and [[Mu. Varadarajan]].<ref name="MerchantToTirukkural"/><br />
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The book was republished in 1919 by Chettiyar's disciple [[T. P. Meenakshisundaram]] with his own English renderings. Chettiar had also published his notes for [[Sivagnana Bodham]] with his own commentary. Chettiar died in 1936.<ref name="MerchantToTirukkural"/><br />
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In 2015, Chettiar's Tirukkural translation was republished in two volumes running into 2,500 pages.<ref name="MerchantToTirukkural"/><br />
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==See also==<br />
{{Portal|India|Tamils|Literature|Poetry}}<br />
* [[Commentaries in Tamil literary tradition]]<br />
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==Citations==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{refbegin}}<br />
* {{cite book |author= G. P. Chellammal |title= திருக்குறள் ஆய்வுக் கோவை [Tirukkural Research Compendium] |year= 2015 |edition= 1|publisher=Manivasagar Padhippagam | location= Chennai |language=ta |ref={{sfnRef|Chellammal, 2015}} }}<br />
* {{cite book |author=R. Mohan and Nellai N. Sokkalingam |title= உரை மரபுகள் [Conventions of Commentaries] |year= 2011 |publisher= Meiyappan Padhippagam |location= Chidambaram|ref={{sfnRef|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011}} }}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
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{{Tirukkural}}<br />
{{Tamil language}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chettiar, K. Vadivelu}}<br />
[[Category:1863 births]]<br />
[[Category:1936 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Scholars from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Tamil people]]<br />
[[Category:Tamil scholars]]<br />
[[Category:Tirukkural commentators]]<br />
[[Category:Translators of the Tirukkural into English]]</div>>GoingBatty