Four Hundred Songs of War and Wisdom cover

Four Hundred Songs of War and Wisdom

by Hart, George L.

"Two prominent translators present the first complete English-language edition of one of India's greatest works of classical literature: the Purananuru. This anthology of four hundred poems composed by more than 150 poets in old Tamil - the literary language of ancient Tamilnadu - was compiled between the first and third centuries C.E. before Aryan influence had penetrated the south; it is thus a unique testament to pre-Aryan India."--BOOK JACKET. "Reflecting accurately and profoundly the life of southern India 2,000 years ago, the Purananuru is immensely important both as a literary work and as a guide to the development of South Asia's history, culture, religion, and linguistics. One of the few classical Indian works that confronts life without the insulation of a philosophical facade, making no basic assumptions about karma and the afterlife, the Purananuru has universal appeal. The poems face the world as a great and unsolved mystery, delving into living and dying, despair, love, poverty, and the change able nature of existence."--BOOK JACKET.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?