Pathiṟṟuppaththu is a classical Tamil poetic work. It is the fourth book in the Ettuthokai

Ettuthokai

Ettuthokai– 'The Eight Anthologies' - Classical Tamil poetic work - form part of the Pathinenmaelkanakku anthology series of the Sangam Literature...

, an anthology of Sangam literature

Sangam literature

Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...

. The name Pathiṟṟuppaththu means 'ten tens', referring to the ten sets of ten poems the book contains. The first and the last ten poems have been lost beyond recovery. The poems extol the richness of the Chera

Chera dynasty

Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

 realm.

Second Ten

These ten poems were written by Kumattur Kannan about the Chera king Imayavaramban Nedunceralaathan

Imayavaramban Nedun-Cheralatan

Imayavaramban Nedum Cheralatan was a Chera king of the Sangam period in ancient South India, contemporary to Perunarkilli. He is considered as the second Chera King belonging to the First Chera dynasty ruled some part of the Southern India as per the literary works during Sangam Era and...

. As a reward for writing the poems, the author received the revenue rights from an area of crown land for a period of thirty-eight years.

Third Ten

Paalai Gauthamanaar composed these ten poems about Celkezhukkuttuvan. According to the annotations to the poem, the king offered the poet anything he wanted as a reward for his compositions. The poet requested a way to go to heaven. The king conducted a series of ten Vedic sacrifices. At the tenth sacrifice the poet and his wife disappeared.

Fourth Ten

The poet Kappiyatru Kaapiyanaar composed these poems about the king Nanmudi Cheral and 'received 40,000 gold coins and a part of his kingdom'.

Fifth Ten

Baranar composed these ten poems about the Chera king Cenguttuvan and 'received the prince Kuttuvan Ceral'.

Sixth Ten

King Aadukotpattu Ceralathan rewarded the poet Kakkaipatiniyar Nacchellayar for these poems with gold and land and made him his court poet.

Seventh Ten

The famous poet Kapilar

Kapilar

Kapilar was a Sangam poet. He was a contemporary of Karikala Chola, Irunkōvēl and Vēl Pāri. He was the close friend and confidant of Vēl Pāri, one of the Vēlir kings.-Life:He was born into a Brahmin family in Tiruvadavur in the Pandyan Kingdom...

composed these poems about Cheran Celvakkadungo Vazhi Aathan. The king presented the poet with a town named 'Sirupuram' and gave him all the land the poet could see from the top of a hill.

Eighth Ten

Chera king Perunceral Irumporai was the subject of these ten poems. Poet Arasikizhar received 'much land and the administrative rights of a number of temples' in exchange for his compositions.

Ninth Ten

These poems were written about the Chera king Perunceral Irumporai (possibly the brother of the king in the previous ten poems eulogised by Perunkunrurkizhar).