Beschi’s தேம்பாவணி

Constantine Joseph Beschi (8 November 1680 – 4 February 1747), also known under his Tamil name of Vīramāmunivar, was an Italian Jesuit priest, missionary in South India, and Tamil language literature.

Beschi came to India in 1710 made south India his new home. He helped build the Poondi Matha Basilica at Poondi near Thanjavur, Vyagula Matha Church at Thanjavur, The Perianayagi Madha Shrine, Konankuppam at Mugasaparur in Konankuppam, and Adaikala Maadha Shrine at Elakurichi. These churches are now Catholic pilgrim centres.

Poondi Madha Basilica,
built by Beschi…

Poondi Madha

Lourde Madha replica

Contribution to Tamil literature

Constantine compiled the first Tamil lexicon – a Tamil-Latin dictionary. He also compiled the comprehensive Chaturakarati (சதுரகராதி), a quadruple lexicon containing words, synonyms, and categories of words and rhymes.

He translated and explained in Latin the “Thirukkural“, an epic poem of Thiruvalluvar. This Latin work was an eye opener for European intellectuals, enabling them to discover truth and beauty in Tamil literature. He also translated into European languages several other important Tamil literary works such as Devaaram (தேவாரம்), Thiruppugazh (திருப்புகழ்), Nannool (நன்னூல்) and Aaththichoodi (ஆத்திசூடி).

Besides composing literary Tamil Grammar work, he also wrote a grammar for the common use of Tamil (Urai nadai illakkiyam – உரை நடை இலக்கியம்), which at times led to him being referred to as the ‘Father of Tamil Prose’.

Earlier Tamil scripts were written without the tittle (புள்ளி) for consonants, and the symbol ர was used to indicate long vowels. It was Veeramamunivar who introduced the system of dotting the Tamil consonants (க், ங், ச், … ) and writing the long vowels as ஆ instead of அர, கா instead of கர, etc.

தேம்பாவணி

His biggest poetical work is the Thembavani (தேம்பாவணி – The Unfading Garland – an ornament of poems as sweet as honey), 3615 stanzas long on salvation history and the life of Saint Joseph. He also wrote a prabandham (a minor literature) called Kaavalur Kalambagam (காவலூர் கலம்பகம்), a grammatical treatise called Thonnool (தொன்னூல்), a guide book for catechists with the title Vedhiyar Ozukkam (வேதியர் ஒழுக்கம்), and Paramarthaguruvin Kadhai (பரமார்த்த குருவின் கதை – The Adventures of Guru Paramartha), a satirical piece on a naive religious teacher and his equally obtuse disciples. His prose works include polemical writings against the Lutheran missionaries and didactic religious books for the instruction of Catholics.

Here is a poem from his magnum opus…

Nattup

#60
பட நாகம் தோல் உரித்த பான்மையின் கல் ஊடு உரிஞ்சி
தட நாகம் தூங்கு அருவி தாவு அழகு ஆர் நாடு இதுவே
தாவு அழகு ஆர் நாடு இதுவேல் தரங்கம் இலாது அருள் பவ்வம்
வாவு அழகு ஆர் திரு நிலைத்த வான் உலகம் நாடேமோ

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Reference’

Beschi, Costantino Giuseppe, 1680-1747
தேம்பாவணி | Tēmpāvaṇi
சன்மவிராக்கினிமாதாகோயில் அச்சுக்கூடம், Can̲mavirākkin̲imātākōyil Accukkūṭam, 1851

http://tamilconcordance.in/THEMBA-1B.html