Most of these books were written to propagate the Christian religion and to spread its influence ; incidentally they also pointed out the differences and drawbacks of the native religion.5 Robert-de-Nobili’s works are disadvantageously filled with Sanskrit words and entangled with outdated words and phrases. His books available today have undergone a metamorphosis by the respective editiors.⁶ Rev. Rajamanickam says that is attributed to Robert-de-Nobili was manily taken down by others while he dictated.⁷ Here it is necessary to point out that Rajamanickam accepts that he has overlooked passages in which Robert-de-Nobili has denounced religious other than Christianity in his book Ñaṉōpatēcam.⁸

Rober-de-Nobili has in his book Aññāṉivāraṇam (Dispelling of Ignorance) introduced the epoch making discoveries of Gaileo to India and also gives the distances of planets.

Due to the transformation undergone by de-Nobili’s books, it is well nigh impossible to comment on his style. Caldwell writes “Robert-de-Nobilivus and the Jesuit writers endeavoured to naturalise in Tamil the Sanskirt superlative particle, “Tama” but the Tamil adhered resolutely to its own idiom and the attempt failed.”⁹ Certain phrases are very frequently repeated by him which are not wielded by the natives in literature. For example pattum pattāy;¹⁰makā makappaṭṭa.¹¹ To observe his style, I furnish below a few lines in which the underlined words are not easily comprehended by the common people :

பின்னையும் இந்த மேரையைப் பத்தும் பத்தாய் விசாரித்தமானாற் சுதனாயிருக்கிற மேரைக்கது போதாதென்று கண்டு பிடிப்போமென்கிறதற்குத் தப்பாது.

5. Robert De. Nobili, Ñanōpatēca Kāṇṭam, III Part Pp. 5-7

7. Ibid. P. XI

8. Ibid. P. 10

9. Caldwell: Comparative Grammar; 1956, P. 318

10. Robert-de-Nobili, Ibid. 1907, Pp. 32, 33, 34 etc.

11. Ibid. Pp. 48, 355