Consider the following:

1. Assertion (A): The Aham and Puram poems of the Padinen Kilukanakku group formed a continuation of the Sangam composition.
2. Reason (R): They were included under the Post-Sangam works as against the Sangam works proper.

Select the correct answer using the code given below

1. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
2. Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. A is false, but R is true

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• The Padinen Kilukanakku (“Eighteen Lesser Texts”) belongs to the Post-Sangam period of Tamil literature. These works continued the literary traditions of Sangam literature, especially the themes of Aham (love and personal life) and Puram (war, valor, and public life). Since they were composed after the main Sangam age, they are classified as Post-Sangam works, which explains why they are regarded as a continuation of Sangam compositions rather than part of the original Sangam corpus.

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A