From his Cūttiram 199, one may gather that he was acquainted with the traiditonal way of looking at subjective and objective aspects of poetry. He has choosen deliberately to deviate from it. The novel way of dealing with the subject may serve as a spur to the deeper investigation of his lines of research.

9. BESCHI’S COMMENTARY

The commentaries on the first edition of Toṉṉūl Viḷakkam have been revised by Vedagiri to whom the publisher expresses his debt of gratitude for incorporating in the work almost all the rules of the grammarians and also the relevant passages of the ancient Tamil classics. The quotations from Rāmāyaṇam, Cintāmaṇi, Tēmpāvani and Tirukkāvalūr Kalampakam must have been woven by Beschi himself into the texture of his commentary. The commentaries that present themselves to us must have been the joint endeavour of the two authors.

The four-fold caste system, the denial of the study of the Vedas to men belonging to the last rung of the ladder, the treatment of several Gods and Goddesses – all this is revolting to the spirit of Christianity. Still Beschi deals with them, for he wants to be true to the tradition of the Tamils.³⁴⁶ He might have treated of love in an elaborate manner but there is only a passing reference to it. However, the Jain grammarians who are ascetics have not refrained from portraying the theme of love. So far as the scientific approach to studies is concerned, one must be disinterested in one’s pursuit of learning.

Art consists in the selection of significant details. One must have complete mastery over them and marshall them in a clear luminous manner. It is like the formation of the battle array. It is like the painting of a picture on a wall. It is like the unfolding of a picture that has been rolled up. It is like the flashing of a mighty sword drawn out of its scabbard. The similes, which he has handled, have enriched our literature.³⁴⁷

346. Ibid. S. 175-180

347. Ibid. S. 162