K. Subramania Pillai

Kaa. Su. Pillai

K. Subramania Pillai (Kaa. Su. Pillai) (Kandhimathinathapillai Subramania Pillai) (November 5, 1888 - April 30, 1945) was a Tamil scholar and a Tamil literature history teacher. He was a Shaivite, a lawyer, a Tamil professor, a translator, an orator, and a speechwriter. He was multilingual in Tamil, English, Sanskrit, and Malayalam.

Birth, Education

K. Subramania Pillai was born on November 5, 1888, to Shaiva Vellalar Gandhimathinatha Pillai and Meenakshi Pillai. He received his primary education in a thinnai (porch) school in Tirunelveli. In 1906, he bagged the first rank in the Chennai Matriculation exam. In 1908, he topped the F. A (Fellow of Arts) examination in the University of Madras. He won first place as a student in a poet examination conducted by Madurai Tamil Sangam. He won a prize for Tamil research; which was arranged by Powermurket, an Englishman. In 1910, he graduated with B.A. History. In 1913, he received his M.A. in English Literature and in 1914, he received his M.A. in TamilLiterature.

Kaa. Su. Pillai

Biography

In Chennai

In 1919, he joined the Madras Law College as a lecturer, with the help of Judge Sheshadri Iyer. In 1920, Kaa. Su. Pillai gave 12 lectures on the subject, Principles of Criminology, at the University of Calcutta; he received the “Legal Lecture Award” created by the Rabindranath Tagore family. In 1922, he became a member of the glossary terms committee created by the Madras presidency. In 1926, he was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of

South India Saiva Siddhantha Works Publishing Society Tinnevelly Limited: which was formed to publish Tamil novels that didn’t incorporate other languages. He held that position until 1932. Sir Pitti Theagaraya Chetty, who was one of the founding members of the South Indian Welfare Association, helped Kaa. Su. Pillai to become a law professor. In 1927, he resigned as a law professor due to a new regulation at the Madras Law College.

In Nellai

Kaa. Su. Pillai returned to his hometown, Nellai; after resigning as a law professor. From 1927 to 1929, he engaged in historical research on Saivakuralgal Sundarar, Seikizhar, and Manivasagar; he also engaged in writing the history of literature. In 1930, he resigned from Annamalai University and again returned to Nellai. He contested in local elections and served as a member of the Tirunelveli Municipality. He served as the trustee of the Gandhimati Amman Udanurai Nellaiyappar Temple located in Nellai. Later, he established Thevara and Saiva Agama schools to lay the foundation for Tamil worship.

In 1934, the Madras Presidency Tamil Conference convened for the first time in Nellai. Kaa. Su. Pillai took charge as the chairman of the reception committee of the conference. At the conference, he spoke about the pride of Tamil and the pride of Tamilians. In 1934, Madras Presidency Tamil Association was started at Palayankottai as decided in the conference. Kaa. Su. Pillai held the post as in-charge until 1938.

In Kanchipuram

Kaa. Su. Pillai lived in Kanchipuram from 1938 to 1940. He stayed with his friend, Isaimani Sundaramoorthy Oduvar, and reaserched about Tamil music.

In Chidambaram

He was a professor in the Tamil department, in Annamalai University, Chidambaram, during the academic year 1929-1930. Ten years later, he served as a professor again at that university for four years, from 1940-1941 academic year to 1943-1944 academic year; he retired on July 1, 1944.

He suffered from rheumatism while working as a Tamil professor for the second time at the Annamalai University. Therefore, he wrote his research papers and texts through his assistant, In 1944, he returned to Nellai, from Chidambaram.

Literary Life

Kaa. Su. Pillai wrote a novel titled Tamil Ilakiya Varalaru when he lived in Nellai, from 1927-1930; it was published as two parts. This was the first novel that defined Tamilians and the Tamil literature. He has written forewords for Thiruvasagam, Tirukural, Tirumurugatrupadai, Siva Gnanapotham. He has written biographies of Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, Manickavasagar.

Awards

• In 1940, he was awarded Palkalai Pulavar at Tirunelveli, by the Madras Presidency Tamil Association, in a meeting.
• In 1940, a member of the Needhi Katchi (Justice party), in the South Indian Welfare Association, and the prince of Chettinad, A. Muttaiah Chettiyar presented Kaa. Su. Pillai, a bronze pattayam; in appreciation of his work.

Biography, Memorials

• Kaa. Su. Pillai Varalaru- E.Mu Subramaniyapillai 1958 (Tirunelveli Saiva Siddhanantha Printing Society)
• At the Tirunelveli Junction, on the west bank of the Thamiraparani River, in the Kailasapuram Town Park, a piller was planted in memory of Kaa. Su. Pillai on October 13, 1947.
• The Kaa. Su. Memorial Literary Group was established in Kulithalai. One of the leaders of the Dravidian movement, Mee. Su. Ilamurugu founded this group. Kaa. Su. Pillai’s Centenary year was celeberated on behalf of this group, at Kulithalai.

Death

Kaa. Su. Pillai died on April 30, 1945, at the age of 56.

Literary Significance

Kaa. Su. Pillai is notable for being one of the earliest researches in Tamil literature. He did not follow the research methods like Manonmaniam P. Sundaranar, K. N. Sivaraja Pillai. It is pointed out that his studies before them were mostly written in accordance with the linguistic data of the texts. His adoption of Saiva had limited his researches. His foreword for Thirukural, which was written on the basis of Saiva, is an example.

Works

S. No	First Edition	Second Edition	Third Edtion	Books	Pages	Publisher
01	1920			Principles of Criminology
02	1923	1927, July		Indhiya Samayangalin Suruku Varalaru	42
03	1932, August			Saiva Sithandha Vilaka Surukam	16
04	1924	1927, May		Saiva Sithandha Unmai Varalaru	40
05	1924, April			Sambandar Thevaram Eyarkai Porulazhagu	2+42
06	1925		1939, July	Arivu Vilaku Vaasagam	5+66
07	1925, August			Pandara Saathiram Pathinaanku
08	1925, December	1958, August		Saiva Siddhantha Sathaanasariyarkalum Avarkalin Arul Noolgalum Saiva Sithandha Vilakamum	4+90
09	1926		1947, June	Appar Swamigal Sarithiram	164
10	1927	1953, June		Gnanasambadha Swamigal Sarithiram	10+205
11	1927			Nandhanasaariyar Sarithiram (An excerpt from the novel, Saivasithandha Uraikothu)
12	1928		1947	Natharamoorthy Swamigal Sarithiram	8+208
13	1928	1954, September		Seikizhar Swamigal Sarithiramum Periya Puranam Aaraichiyum	154
14	1928	1947, March		Manivasaga Perumal Varalaru	8+124
15	1928	1958, June		Ilakiya Varalaru (Part 1)	20+269
16	1928	1958, June		Ilakiya Varalaru (Part 2)	20+516
17	1929	1955, June		Thirukural Pozhipurai	10+370
18	1929, March			Murugan Perumai	36
19	1929, May			Metaphysics of the Saiva Siddhanta System	4+38
20	1930, June	1955, March		Thaiyumana Swamigal	4+207
21	1930	1958, February		Pattinathadigal Varalarum Noolaraichiyum	8+112
22	1932, June	1947		Kumarapura Adikal Varalarum Noolaraichiyum	4+6+134
23	1932, August	1949, November		Meikantaarum Sivagnana Podhamum	18+177
24	1933			Suthaathuvitham
25	1934			Andaal Varalarum Noolaraichiyum
26	1938	1952, December		India Varalaru Kadhaigal- Book 1	4+74
27	1938	1949, November		India Varalaru Kadhaigal- Book 2	4+92
28	1939			Pazhanthamizh Naagarigam Allathu Poruladhikara Karuthu
29	1938			Vanool
30	1939, May	1941, May		Ulagu Perumakkal, Part 1	136
31	1940, August			Ulagu Perumakkal, Part 2	6+141
32	1940, August	1948, May	1963, April	Sir P. C. Roy
33	1949, December
34	1953
35	1955, November
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