Kar Narpathu, also known as Kar Narpatu, is a Tamil ethical poetic work of didactic character and belongs to the Patinenkilkkanakku collection of Ethical Tamil Literature. Patinenkilkkanakku or Pathinenkilkanakku is a compilation of 18 poetic works in Tamil which were composed in the era after the Sangam age, between 100 CE and 500 CE. Kar Narpathu was written in the post-Sangam age equivalent to between 100 CE - 500 CE. The Tamil word Kar literally means rain and the rainy season. The poetic work comprises of forty verses that were composed by the prominent Tamil poet Kannan Koothanaar (Kannankoottanar), who resided in the great city of Madurai. The poetic work of Tamil literature is much admired and well accepted for its composition style and its intelligibility; uncomplicated and easy readability and presentation. The literary work of Kar Narpathu or Kar Narpatu contains several didactic messages that were the most excellent characteristics of that epoch.
The poetic work is approved as text for many institutes in the state of Tamil Nadu. The verses of Kar Narpathu are exceptional in the execution of similes which help to teach the moral codes with the employment of basic occurrences from daily life.
Composition of Kar Narpathu
Kar Narpathu (Kar Narpatu) is an assemblage of ethical Tamil verses which were written by the Tamil poet Kannan Koothanaar or Kannankoottanar. This post Sangam work is one of the 18 minor literary works in Tamil which are incorporated in the Patinenkilkkanakku anthology series. The venpa in its variation forms constitutes as the metre of the Tamil poetic work. The numerous poems in Kar Narpathu were constructed in the Akam or Agam tradition of Tamil literature from Sangam age, which vividly narrates the internal or subjective concepts and topics. The Akam tradition implemented in the Sangam literature refers to the different subject matters which are related with the intangible concepts of life such as love, human emotions and feelings, disagreement between lovers, severance, desperate desire to meet lover etc.
The most of the poems in the literary collection of Kar Narpathu describe the female protagonist of the tale being consoled after being grief struck by some unfortunate incident. The friend of the heroine comforts her by elaborately narrating the inherent natural splendour and exquisiteness of the monsoonal season.
The work of Tinaimoli Nurru Aimpatu, in a simple and concise way, mentions a number of moral and ethical codes that are compulsory for regular life of every individual, as well as for the betterment of the society.
