There is a kind of universalism that is prevalent in Tamil literature from very ancient times here including the SumeruTamil period that is the era of the First Tamil SaGkam of the Tamil historians.
I have been puzzled by such great clauses like KaNiyan PuuGkunRanaar’s famous “yaathum uuree yaavarung keeLir’ meaning ‘The whole world is my own city and all are my brethren”.
Here we have a Sociopolitical Universalism that sees no national and political boundaries as well as the tribal alienations among people. Coming as does from the land of Brahamananical Varnasrama Dharma and the tribal casteism that has led to it, this is immensely surprising.
KaNiyanaar lived probably around 200 B.C or so, But in a further development of such universalisms is the 7th Cent Tirumular declaring “OnRee kulamaum oruvaneet teevanum” meaning BEING is One and so are the whole of mankind.
This typically Saiva universalism is Metaphysical Universalism that is a product of very profound metaphysical reaches. The Saivite metaphysics even in the times of Tirumular has reached depths that no other Indian groups seems to have reached.
This may apply also to the whole world- the various kinds of universalisms in the world does not seem to match the depths of the Tamilian and stands peculiarly unique.
Dr K Loganathan Krishnan @ Ullaganar
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