Silappatikaram has been dated to belong to the 1st century CE, although the author might have built upon a pre-existing folklore to spin this tale. The story involves the three Tamil kingdoms of the ancient era, the Chola, the Pandya and the Chera. Silappatikaram has many references to historical events and personalities, although it has not been accepted as a reliable source of history by many historians because of the inclusion of many exaggerated events and achievements to the ancient Tamil kings.

Regarded as one of the great achievements of Tamil genius, the Silappatikaram is a poetic rendition with details of Tamil culture; its varied religions; its town plans and city types; the mingling of Greek, Arab, and Tamil peoples; and the arts of dance and music.

Story of Silappatikaram

Kovalan, the son of a wealthy merchant in Kavirippattinam, married Kannagi, the lovely daughter of another merchant. They lived together happily, until Kovalan met the beautiful Madhavi, a courtesan, and fell in love with her. In his infatuation he spent all his wealth on Madhavi. A quarrel between the lovers sent Kovalan back to his wife. Repentant and penniless, he returned to Kannagi, who had been patiently waiting for him. Their only asset was a pair of gem-filled anklets (Tamil: cilambu), which she gave to him to raise some money. They went to the great city of Madurai, where Kovalan hoped to restart their lives.

On their arrival at Madurai they found shelter in a cottage, and Kovalan went to the market to sell the anklet. The Pandya queen's jeweler, who had stolen the queen's anklet, saw Kovalan trying to sell Kannagi's anklet at the market place. The cunning jeweller decided to use Kovalan as a scapegoat. He informed the Panya King that he had caught the thief and identified him as Kovalan. Guards were sent to apprehend Kovalan, who was then killed on the King's orders, without a fair trial. On hearing this news, Kannagi rushed to the king's palace with the second anklet as proof, filled with rage at the King for denying justice to Kovalan. She asked him what the queen's anklets contained to which the king replied "pearls". Kannagi said her anklets had precious gems in them and broke it to reveal the gems , thus proving her ɺhusband's innocence. The king and the queen realising their blunder fell down dead as justice was the first requisite for Kings in those days. Still filled with contempt for the injustice, Kannagi tore out her left breast and flung it on the city, cursing it. A fire erupted and spread through Madurai and destroyed the city. Meanwhile, weakened, Kannagi made her way to a hillock in the Chera country, where she ascends to heaven with Kovalan and a host of deities.

Structure of Silappatikaram

• Puharkkandam (புகார்க் காண்டம் – Puhar chapter), which deals with the events in the Chola city of Puhar, where Kannagi and Kovalan start their married life and Kovalan leaves his wife for the courtesan Madavi,this contains 10 sub dvisions
• Maduraikkandam (மதுரைக் காண்டம் – Madurai chapter) , is situated in Madurai in the Pandya kingdom where Kovalan loses his life, incorrectly blamed for the theft of the queen's anklet, this contains 7 sub divisions
• Vanchikkandam (வஞ்சிக் காண்டம் – Vanchi chapter), is situated in the Chera country where Kannagi ascends to the heavens, this contains 13 sub divisions

Each of these chapters are made of several sub chapters called kaathais. Kaathais are narrative sections of the chapters.

Historical and social setting

At the end of the Sangam epoch (second – third centuries CE), the Tamil country was in political confusion. The older order of the three Tamil dynasties were replaced by the incursion of the Kalabhras. These newcomers encouraged the religions of Buddhism and Jainism. Ilango Adigal, probably lived in this period and was part of the vast number of Jain and Buddhist authors in Tamil poetry. These authors perhaps influenced by their monastic faiths, wrote books based on moralistic values and illustrating the futility of the materialistic pleasures. These poets freely borrowed from Sanskrit literature, which had numerous books of didactic nature, as well as narrative plays by Bhāsa and Kalidasa. These authors went beyond the nature of Sangam poems, which were content to describing human emotions and feelings in an abstract fashion, and employed fictional characters in a well conceived narrative incorporating personal and social ramifications. Tamil epics were thus invented by these poets.

The author of Silappatikaram was Ilango Adigal (lit. Prince Ascetic). He is reputed to the brother of Chera king Senguttuvan, however there is no evidence in the Sangam poetries of such brother of the famous king. There are also claims that Ilango Adigal was a contemporary of Sattanar, the author of Manimekalai. The prologues of each of these books tell us that each were read out to the author of the other [Silappatikaram, pathigam 90]. From comparative studies between Silappatikaram and certain Sanskrit Buddhist and Jain works such as Nyayaprakasa, the date of Silappatikaram has been determined to be around the fifth and the sixth centuries CE.

The story of Silappatikaram is set during the first few centuries of CE and narrates the events in the three Tamil kingdoms: Chera , Chola, and Pandya. It also mentions the Sinhala king Gajabahu and the Chera Senguttuvan. It confirms that the northern kingdoms of Chedi, Uttarakosala, and Vajra were known to the Tamil people of the time. The epic also vividly describes the Tamil society of the period, its cities, the people's religious and folk traditions and their gods.

Objectives

அரசியல் பிழைத்தோர்க் கறங்கூற்றாவதூஉம்

உரைசால் பத்தினிக் குயர்ந்தோ ரேத்தலும்

ஊழ்வினை யுருத்துவந் தூட்டும் என்பதூஉம்

சூழ்வினைச் சிலம்பு காரண மாகச்

சிலப்பதி காரம் என்னும் பெயரால்.

பதிகம், 55 - 59.

• Aram, (Sanskrit:Dharmam) or righteousness will be the avenger of those who commit wrongs from high positions (esp. politics)
• The chaste women (called pattinis) will be upheld by the great.
• One cannot escape the effects of one's oozhvinai,(Sanskrit:karmam) in the previous birth

Main characters

• Kovalan - Son of a wealthy merchant in Puhar
• Kannagi - Wife of Kovalan
• Masattuvan - A wealthy grain merchant and the father of Kovalan
• Madhavi - A beautiful courtesan
• Vacavadattai - Madavi's female friend
• Kosigan - Madavi's messenger to Kovalan
• Madalan - A Brahmin visitor to Madurai from Puhar
• Kavunthi Adigal - A woman ascetic
• Neduncheliyan - Pandya king
• Kopperundevi - Pandya Queen

Folk art and music in Silappatikaram

Literary value

Pattini Cult

Trivia

• As per the legend, Kannagi travels to Attukal after burning Madurai. Today she is worshipped as the primary goddess in the famous Attukal Bhagavathi Temple.
• As per another legend ,the temple at Kodungallur was built by Cheran Senguttuvan for Kannagi as a manifestation of Goddess Kali or Durga

Further reading

• The Silappatikaram of Ilanko Atikal: An Epic of South India (Translations from the Asian Classics) by R. Parthasarathy (1992)
• An Introduction to Cilappathikaram
• Cilapathikaram in Tamil Unicode - pukaark kaaNtam, maturaik kANTam, vanjcik kANTam
• English Translations of Sangam Literature and Silapathikaram

Notes

References

Further reading

• R. Parthasarathi. The Chilappathikaram of Ilanko Atikal. Columbia University Press, 1993.

External links

• Attukal Devi - The Mother of Love Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is a popular temple that belongs to the prehistoric era. The temple is considered as one of the most famous ancient temples in the whole of south India. Temple is more popularly known as the Sabarimala of the Women. The reason is that most of the devotees are women in this temple. The Pongala Mahotsavam is the most important festival of temple. Pongala festival has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest attendance of women. Visit: www.attukaldevi.com
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