FOŘEWORD By Professor Dr. K. R. SRINIWASA IYENGAR Former Vice-Chancelior, Andhra University, Vice-President, Sahitya Akademy. £r N. Sanjeevi, who heads with distinction the Department of Tamil Studies in the University of Madras, has already several books and learned papers to his credit. His interests are wide-ranging, and he brings to his writing the discipline of hard-headed research as well as the clarity that flows from close conceptual analysis. While he is steeped in ancient and modern Tamil literature and his commitment to the culture of the Tamils is unswerving, he is no parochialist. The world's richest veins of thought have a fascination for him, and he would, if he could, integrate the seminai findings of the satest Western research with what is perennial in the Tamil heritage. - - In his latest book, Hakkiya Iyal, Dr. Sanjeevi's laudable aim is to outline a scientific approach to the art of literary creation and literary appreciation. It may appear that there is little in common between science and art which are sustained respectively by the reasoning intellect ard the play of feeting or imagination. But it is the way of wisdom both to differentiate between things and to infer the deeper filiations between them. While it is convenient to demarcate th: diverse continents of knowledge, it would not do to forget what Dr. Savijeevi imagines might one day corne to be known as “the Faculty of Fundamentals”.
