தஸ்தகீர் சதகத்தின் உள்ளடக்கமும் இலக்கியச் சிறப்பும்

The Structure and Literary Significance of Thastakeer Sathakam

Abstract

This article examines the structure and distinctive features of ‘Thastakeer Sathakam’, a work belonging to the Islamic Tamil Sathakam literary tradition. It first outlines the general characteristics of Sathakam literature, including its association with one hundred verses, the recurring invocation or refrain, the use of different metrical forms, colloquial and mixed linguistic expressions, proverbs, and social themes. The study then focuses on the way these conventions are reflected in Thastakeer Sathakam, particularly its repeated address to the presiding figure Thastakeer, its use of Arabic and Sanskrit-derived vocabulary, varied viruttam metres, and numerous proverbs. The article further highlights the work’s distinctive social consciousness, especially its observation of social inequalities, the influence of money on human relationships, and the need for morality and justice. Through similes, proverbs, and a simple, popular style, the poet presents social problems in an accessible manner. The study concludes that Thastakeer Sathakam combines Islamic spiritual tradition with social, ethical, and popular literary concerns, thereby functioning as a significant example of social and moral literature within Islamic Tamil literary studies.