தமிழ் இலக்கியங்களில் பனையின் சூழலியல் மதிப்பு

Abstract

The Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) holds a distinctive place among the trees closely bound to Tamil land, culture, and life. This article examines its ecological value through references in the Tolkāppiyam, Puṟanāṉūṟu, Paṭṭiṉappālai, Puṟapporuḷ Veṇpāmālai, and the Tirukkuṟaḷ, as well as in S. Venkatesan’s novel Veerayuga Nāyagan Vēḷ Pāri. It first discusses the tree’s many Tamil names, the palm-leaf manuscript tradition that preserved Tamil literature, and its role as the emblematic flower of the Cheras and the clan symbol of Pāri. It then considers the Palmyra palm as a source of food, including nungu (tender fruit), padhaneer (sap), karuppatti (palm jaggery), and toddy, and as a source of traditional medicine, drawing on the sap, tuber, and flower, with support from modern scientific studies. The ecological contributions of the tree are also analysed: soil conservation, groundwater protection, drought resistance, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation. The study concludes that the Palmyra palm is not only a valuable natural resource but also an ecological guardian that reflects the environmental wisdom of Tamil society, underscoring the need for its conservation and sustainable use.

Keywords: சூழலியல், பனைமரம், போந்தை, நுங்கு, நஞ்சு முறி, மண்ணரிப்பு