A. Dakshinamurthy

Professor A. Dakshinamurthy (born 1938 in Neduvakkottai, Mannargudi Taluk, Thiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu, India) is an eminent Tamil scholar, writer, and an English translator of classical, medieval and modern Tamil literature. He is a pioneer in the field of translation of Classical Tamil works. He is best known for his complete and faithful English translations of 19 ancient classical Tamil literature for the very first time in history between the period of 1999-2012. The Government of India honored him with the Presidential Award for lifetime achievement in Classical Tamil, 'The Tolkappiyar Award' for the year 2015.
Career.
Dakshinamurthy became interested in Tamil studies under Tamil scholars including T. P. Meenakshisundaran and Mahavidwan S. Dhandapani Desikar. 
He started his career in 1962 at V. S. Boys High school, Thiruvarur. Since then, he has served in many institutions like the A. V. C College, Mayiladuthurai, A. V. V. M Sri Pushpam college, Poondi and the Madurai Tamil Sangam, Madurai. He currently lives in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
His first publication was a scholarly book in the Tamil language entitled, "Tamilar Nagarikamum Panpadum" (). It pointed out all aspects of Tamil culture, civilization and development from the ancient Sangam period to the contemporary age. The work has remained popular since its publication in 1973 and has been reprinted several times.
His Ph. D dissertation "'Sanga Ilakkiyangal Unarthum Manitha Uravugal'(1997)", which was published as a book in 2001 deals elaborately with all the kinships between men and women, rulers and the ruled, parents and children, masters and servants, crowned kings and the chiefs, patrons and bards including poets, individuals and the society, based on cultural anthropology.
His first translation work, "The Poems of Bharathidasan – A Translation", was recognized and honored by the government of Tamil Nadu during the centenary celebrations of the poet in 1991 and inspired him to start working in the field of translation. His first major translation work was the Sangam literature Akananuru in 1999, which is the first full translation of all the 400 poems of the literature.
His translation of the Sangam anthology Natrinai (2001), is the first faithful translation of the classic. He gave the second complete translation of the Sangam work Kuruntokai in 2007, after 31 years since the first work by the duo "M. Shanmugham Pillai" and "David Luden" appeared in 1976. He gave the second complete translation of all the ten books belonging to the Pattuppaattu collection in 2012, after a wide gap of 66 years since the first translation by J. V. Chellaih appeared in 1946. Six books from the Patinenkilkanakku division published in 2010, are the first and the only complete translations of the classics available. 
He has written several scholarly research articles on language, literature, history, culture, place names, personal names and the art of translation. He has established in his research that among the early Tamil society, cross cousin marriage was the order and love between a girl and a boy drawn from two different geographical regions was not treated in the Sangam classics; he has proved that the word “நும் (Num)” was derived from “நிம் (Nim)”, an idea which is in contrast to Tholkappiyam which says "நும் (Num)" is the source for the word “நீயிர் (Neeyir)”; he has established that the one lettered words, ‘ஆ (Aa), மா (Maa), பா (Paa), நீ (Nee), etc., were once two lettered and in course of time had lost the final nasal consonant which are a few noteworthy findings.
Having served as a teacher for 33 years in various institutions in Tamil Nadu, he retired in 1996 as the principal of the Senthamizh Arts College, Madurai Tamil Sangam, Madurai.
Translations.
Classical Tamil literature.
"Akananuru – The Akam four hundred" published in three volumes by the Bharathidasan University, Thiruchirappalli, 1999, (first complete translation of Akananuru).
"The Narrinai Four Hundred", International Institute of Tamil Studies, Chennai, 2001.
“Kurunthokai – An Anthology of Classical Tamil Poetry”, a complete translation of Kurunthokai, Vetrichelvi Publishers, Thanjavur, 2007.
“Patinenkilkkanakku – Works on the Akam Theme”, a translation of 6 books from the Patinenkilkanakku collection, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli, 2010.
"Ancient Tamil Classic Pattuppattu In English (The Ten Tamil Idylls)", Thamizh Academy SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulattur, 2013.
Tamil Modern literature.
He is one of the very few scholars who have contributed to the propagation of Bharathidasan's works through translation.