Kaniyan Pungundranar

Kaniyan Pungundranar
BornUncertain; probably around 6th century BCE.
Philosophical work
RegionMahibalanpatti, Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, India
Main interestsEthics, ahimsa, justice, virtue, politics, education, family, friendship, love
Notable worksPurananuru
Naṟṟiṇai
Notable ideasCommon ethics and morality

Kaniyan Poongunranar, also Poongundranar or Pungundranar (Tamil: கணியன் பூங்குன்றனார், Kaṉiyan Pūngunṟanār), was an influential Tamil Just World philosopher from the Sangam age from around 6th century BCE. His name Kaniyan implies that he was an Kaala Kanithar (astronomer) (kaala kanitham in Tamil literally means mathematics of date, time and place). Kaniyan was born and brought up in Mahibalanpatti, a village panchayat in Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district. He composed two poems in Purananuru and Natrinai.