Thirukkural he takes the risk of explaining the evolution in detail. We can bring that explanation here in order to comprehend the passage of Paripaadal. - The conscious purusa has no origin and brings forth nothing. Prakrti which has no origin of its own brings out buddhi (ups, 63r). From buddhi arises the akamkara. The akamkara begets tanmatras which in turn gives rise to manas, jnanendriyas, karmendriyas and pancabhuta. Kapila the author of the Samkhya philosophy lived before Buddha (Ibid p. 251, 254). The Samkhya philosophy is proVedic but atheistic. Here the poet connects this a theistic system with God : The poet says “O ! Thirumal throughout the ages you remain in a high position so as to be pursued by the twenty-five principles of Samkhya philosophy. Next comes a Carvaka thought. The fifth poem of Paripaadal, sung in praise of Murukan, gives a list of persons who went against the will of Murukan (V 73 77). Here we come across the only reference in Sangam literature which informs us about the existence of a group of pel scns who did not believe in rebirth. Who were they 2 Evely system of philosophy in India have faith in rebirth except Carvakas. They ;ure !ndian materialists. According to Dr. Radhakrishnan “Gcrims of it arc sound in the hymns of the Rig-Veda”. (Indian Philosophy 1 p. 277). Disbelievers of rebirth mentioned in Paripaadal may be the carvakas. (Puram 29:1 – 12; Thirumurukaarruppadai : 243). But there is another possibility of attributing it to the Christian Philosophy. St. Thomas stepped in Indian soil and that too in the ancient Cheranad in the dawn of the Christian era. (Enc. Britanica Vol. 21 , p. 1062-3). His mortyrdom took place in Mylapore. From these points we can derive at a conclusion that he travelled from Malabar to Mylapore. During his mission the Tamilnadu people-atleast the learned scholars-must have had the opportunity of hearing his sermon. The impact of disbelief in rebirth found in Paripaadal 483
