Inna Narpathu

Inna Narpathu is a Tamil poetic work of didactic nature belonging to the Pathinenkilkanakku anthology of Tamil literature. This belongs to the 'post Sangam period corresponding to between 100 - 500 CE. The poems of Inna Narpathu are written in the Venpa meter. Inna Narpathu is a collection of 40 poems written by Kapilar describing the most undesirable things one should avoid. One of the meanings of the Tamil word Inna is one that brings unhappiness. Inna Narpathu includes four categories of harmful things one should avoid: a beautiful but disloyal wife, the wealth of a miser, a life under a tyrant, beauty of a flower without fragrance. Inna Narpathu, together with Iniyavai Narpathu spells out in simple and succinct terms moral codes essential for daily life of the individual and for the society. They both emphasise the importance of education and individual responsibility in society.