llango Adigal

llango Adigal was a Chera prince supposed to live in the 2nd century AD/CE, and is the author of
Cilappathikaram, one of the ve great epics of Tamil literature. He was the brother of Kodungallur or
Muziris-based Chera king, Cheralathana Chenguttavan, who had ruled parts of what is now known as
Kerala, but formed a part of the Tamil Land.
He was also among those who challenged astrology and became a monk. According to a legend, an
astrologer predicted that he would become the ruler of the land and to obviate such a happening,
especially when his elder brother, the rightful heir was alive, the prince became a Jain monk taking the
name of llango Adigal. It is believed that once when the king was traveling through the mountains, some
tribal girls told him of a mysterious woman. The king assigned his brother, llango, the responsibility to
collect the full story of the mysterious woman and to write it as a book of verse, and Cilappathikaram
was written.
He was an ascetic who renounced the world. He embraced the principles of Jainism and lived outside
the city of Vanci, inspired by Kavunti, a Jaina nun and Kovalan's spiritual guide. As a result, this epic
revolves around Jainism and its principles, too.
There are also claims that llango Adigal was a contemporary of Sattanar, the author of Manimekalai,
another great Tamilian epic.
An Introduction
The story of the Cilappathikaram (or, the Epic of the Anklet), the ancient text was written in verse. This
text is attributed to Prince llango Adigal and considered dated as having been written approximately
1,600 years ago. He brings a stolid sensuality and all-embracing humanity to his tale of a woman's
vengeance.
The written version has its origin from the oral traditional tales spoken by people from the village of Tamil
Nadu and it is said that Prince llango Adigal wrote down the events of the story as they were told to him
by eye-witnesses. In any case, the varying details of the different versions as we get to see, tell us about
people's different perceptions of the story. The additional episodes that revolve round the main stories
depict the versions from different regions of the state.
The whole poem revolves around the value of chastity. Also it is a ne synthesis of mood poetry in an
ancient Tamil Sangam tradition and the rhetoric of Sanskrit poetry, including the dialogues of Kalittokai
(poems of unrequited or mismatched love), chorus folk songs, descriptions of city and village, lovingly
technical accounts of dance and music, and strikingly dramatic scenes of love and tragic death.
One of the great achievements of the Tamil genius, the Cilappathikaram is a detailed poetic witness to
Tamil culture, its varied religions, its town plans and city types, and Tamil people, and their arts of dance
and music. The epic consists of around 5000 verses and is considered as a long poem that describes
the achievements of Kannaki, the heroine and of a Pandya and a Chera King, who are considered as
the heroes of the epic.
Three story elements that are found here, are:
1)"A king punishes himself or his family members for misdeeds".
2) "A woman is miraculously served by nature due to her sel ess devotion (her chastity) in relation to
her husband".
3) "A woman in fury gets justice and becomes a goddess".
Story
The story revolvs round the heroine, Kannaki, the virtuous wife of Kovalan, a rich merchant of
Poompuhar, who suffered two personal disasters in her life. The rst misfortune she pardoned gracefully
but to the second one, she countered and retaliated. She was all through guided by her chastity
(Pativrata Dharam) as her motivator.
Kannaki, after getting married to Kovalan with all the pomp and glamour, within a very short spell, lost
him to an artful dancing courtesan, Madhavi, who was well versed in classical music and dance but her
family only had eyes on his wealth. Within three years of time, Kovalan lost all his wealth and returned to
his wife Kannaki. As a virtuous wife (Pativrata), Kannaki accepted him and offered her only the
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remaining jewellery, a pair of anklets (Cilambu) that he could sell to establish a new business. To begin a
new life the couple, being escorted by a Jain nun, left for Maturai the capital of Pandiyan king.
At Maturai, Meenakshi, Goddess of Maturai, warned Kovalan not try to sell Kannaki's anklet there.
Kovalan did not listen and fell into another trap of the chief goldsmith of the city, who had stolen the
queen's gold anklet. The goldsmith impeached Kovalan as the thief and gave away the anklets to the
king. The king, out of his anger and annoyance, without much investigations dictated execution order of
Kovalan without trial, and that order was carried out immediately.
Kannaki became infuriated after she found out the bitter truth about her husband's fate and the injustice
meted out to her husband. She set out to prove Kovalan's innocence to the ruler of Maturai. She rushes
to Pandiyan's court, accuses the king of injustice, and proves her case by breaking the cilambu that was
recovered from her husband, as the anklet of the queen was lled with pearls whereas Kannaki's anklet
was lled with rubies. The shock of remorse killed the king and the queen on the spot in shame.
But Kannaki was still not satis ed and demanded justice. She tore out a breast and threw it on the city
and cursed that the city of Maturai will be burnt to ashes and only the elderly, the disabled and the
children will be spared. The curse came true due to her supreme chastity. Kannaki's rage turned to the
city of Maturai and she burnt it down by her spiritual powers of a chaste wife.
The city of Maturai was engulfed in ames which resulted in huge losses both in terms of human lives
and economy. Finally, Meenakshi, the Goddess of the city requested her to withdraw her curse, which
she did and later achieved salvation. After the incident at Maturai city, Kannaki left Maturai and reached
Kodungalloor and lived in Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple, south of Guruvayoor.
The story actually ended with this tale of two cities. As an extension, the third city Vanji of Chera dynasty,
on the west coast, came into the epic. The Chera king portrayed the story into a poetic literature and
glori es the incident in the adoration of Kannaki as the goddess of Chastity (Pattinidaivam). The Chera
king built a temple for Kannaki. His younger brother llango, a Jain monk, composed the poem. The story
itself was built around two main beliefs- the uprightness of Tamil kings and the divine power of chastity of
married women.
The beauty of the epic lies in the portrayal of the life-style and traditions of Tamils 2000 years back along
with the high cultural levels of Tamil civilization. It also indicates that the mixture of Tamil and Sanskrit
cultural practices that appear in many a place in the epic poem. The wealth of the three regions of
royalty is portrayed in three places beautifully
The rst region was Chola country (Cholavala nadu) in the east, famous for its rice cultivation in the
Cauvery river basin.
The wealth of the second region of royalty of Pandiya country in south was pearl (the saying goes,
"Pandiya nadu muthudaithu"'). Pearl collection (Muthukkulithal) from the Southern Ocean was the
ancient primary business activity of Tamils of this region.
The wealth of the third region of Chera royalty in the west was of course 'elephants'. When the Chera
king Chenguttuvan returned from his campaign (Digvijayam) of the north and brought the Himalayan
stone for sculpting Kannaki's idol, people greeted him with elephants in the forefront.
Main Characters of the Epic
Kovalan
Kovalan is the one of the main characters of the epic. He, the son of a wealthy merchant, Machattuván,
married Kannaki, the lovely daughter of another rich merchant, Manayakan. At the time of his marriage,
he was sixteen years old. They lived together happily in the city of Kaveripattinam. Kovalan met the
courtesan Madhavi and infatuated by her beauty, fell in love with her. He was so obsessed that he
completely forgot his wife and spent his time with Madhavi and in this way Kovalan spent all his wealth,
inherited from his parents, on his base beloved. During the annual festival held in the honour of Indra,
they had a misunderstanding and being completely dejected, Kovalan returned to his chaste wife,
Kannaki, who welcomed him whole-heartedly, despite his being penniless. They decided to start a new
life in Maturai city.
Kovalan, along with his wife Kannaki, started their journey towards the Maturai city at the stroke of rst
light. A Buddhist nun also accompanied them in the journey. After walking for many days, they reached
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the city. In the middle of the journey, Kovalan had sent word to his parents about his intentions of starting
a new life in a new city. Upon arrival, impressed by the grandeur of Maturai city, Kovalan set out to sell
one of Kannaki's anklets, the only left-over asset they owned, with which he intended to start the
business. Kovalan entrusted the anklet to be sold to the Palace's Chief jeweller, who promise to fetch
him good money from the king. The king, being tricked by the Chief Jeweller, ordered to behead Kovalan
without a trial, on account of stealing the Queen's anklet. Thereby, Kovalan died in the city of Maturai.
Kannaki: Wife of Kovalan
Kannaki is a legendary Tamil woman who forms the ctional central character of the epic. She is
eulogised for her tremendous dedication and loyalty to her husband Kovalan despite his disloyal
behaviour. Kannaki, according to the epic, took vengeance on the ruler of Maturai for mistakenly
punishing her innocent husband, Kovalan, by imposing a death penalty on him for a theft, not at all
committed by him. She, as a symbol of purity and womanhood, cursed the entire city of Maturai with a
grave disaster.
Kannaki was an innocent woman who had a virtuous life. Even when Kovalan went back to her, she
welcomed and accepted him with no complaint. She was a chaste woman who had been co-opted by
patriarchy and did not question her husband.
Kannaki was also idolized as a brave woman who demanded justice directly from the King of Maturai
and even taunted him as the unenlightened king. Kannaki, later on, was revered as a goddess because
she stood for justice. No doubt, her victory over the king was a moral one. As a result, Kannaki is
inscribed and glori ed as the quintessence of womanly chastity and is worshipped as a goddess by all
the Tamilians. She is worshiped as Attukal Bhagavathy and Kodungallur Bhagavathy in the South
Indian state of Kerala. In Sri Lanka, Kannaki is adored and worshipped as goddess Pattini by the
Sinhalese The virtue and justice are the founding principles of everything. The transformation of Kannaki
from an ordinary.woman to a dei ed woman is a contrast to the presentation of Ram and Krishna in The
Ramayana and The Mahabharata respectively.
Madhavi
Madhavi is an important character in the epic. She was a beautiful courtesan dancer by profession, at a
time when such women were considered of low status: who were considered to be a little more than the
playthings of rich and sensual men with ample means to indulge the universal human appetite. Madhavi,
however, was different - not one of the dancing girls who sold themselves to supplement their meagre
earnings: even though she was born into the dancing-girl caste Parathiyar, she practiced chastity. She
lived with Kovalan happily for some time. During that period, Madhavi's mother stole all the wealth of
Kannaki, the wife of Kovalan by using Kovalan's ring Kannaiyali, without the knowledge of Madhavi and
Kovalan. After three years, Kovalan learned the truth about Madhavi's mother's crime, during the festival
of the god Indra. He grew angry with Madhavi and again returned to Kannaki. After Kovalan left her,
Madhavi came to know of her mother's theft and showed her moral worth by returning all the wealth of
Kovalan to his father and renouncing the world to become a Buddhist nun.
Other Characters
Machattuvan : A wealthy grain merchant and the father of Kovalan and, as presented, led a life of
peace and piety.
Chitravathi : Madhavi's Mother, a rather wicked and covetous woman.
Vasavadaththai : Madhavi's female friend.
Kosigan : Madhavi's messenger to Kovalan.
Madalan : A Brahmin visitor to Maturai from Kaveripattinam, Puhar.
Kavunthi Adigal : A Jain nun.
Neduncheliyan : Pandya king.
Kopperundevi : Pandya Queen.
Manimegalai : The daughter of Madhavi and Kovalan, who is the main character of another epic called
"Manimegalai".
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Canto 24 - The Round Dance of the Hill Dwellers
The rst canto of the Vanci begins with the dwellers of the hill, giving an account of what they witnessed
when they went to the mounlains to enjoy and play in waterfalls and springs. They encountered a
woman with one breast, who looked like Valli (a goddess and a divine consort of god Murugan). The
woman whom they encountered was none other than Kannaki. She told them about the unhappy fate of
hers that made her lose her husband on the day when fate also had the king of Maturai, along with the
entire city, destined to burn to ashes. Upon hearing this the hill dwellers adored her with open hands and
witnessed a miracle. They saw the gods raining owers for Kannaki, and then in their very presence,
those gods took Kannaki to heaven with her husband. The hill dwellers decided that since they did not
have a goddess, like Kannaki until then, they should worship Kannaki as their goddess. They asked the
other people to sound the drums and blow the horns and honour the goddess Kannaki so that they will
always have plenty to survive for in the mountains. Then it was followed by the conversation between
two girls: while praising the beautiful nature around, one invited the other to bathe in the waterfall that
always seemed to sparkle like Indra's bow.
"We see no reason to envy the fresh waters The swirl, bearing the owers of his mountain With whom
else, shall we play, friend, if not the fresh waters The swirl, bearing the owers of his mountain....." She
continued her speech saying that they would continue playing in the water till their eyes would turn red.
Even she invited her to join in a round dance singing the praise of the spear that always would bring in
death of demon. That spear looked bright and was held by the God who had six faces and twelve hands
and would ride on a peacock, and it was he who had killed the demon in the form of the mango tree in
the midst of the ocean.
The other girl replied to her friend that her mother thought she was possessed and therefore had called
for a shaman so that she could get rid of her "illness", which according to her (the rst girl) had been
caused by the man who came from cool mountain where grows peppercorns and it was not illness but
due to some supernatural in uence that she would remain ever lovesick for the man from the mountain.
The friend continued praising the son of the God of Mount Kailash and his wife Valli, seeking their
blessings of the love marriage with the man from the mountain. "Son of the Lord of Mount Kailash! We
adore Your feet red as asoka owers and your wife, Valli, daughter of the mountainfolk, with a crescent,
On her forehead, the colour of peacock, We ask you to bless our love marriage with this man!" She also
expected that the man they wanted to get married with should talk about the marriage with the people.
They could locate the man who was around and she went to him, touched his feet telling him that he
came to the village with cadamba garland and spear, but he lacked peacock, Valli and broad shoulders,
and therefore the villagers would not recognise him as the God who would hold spear and wears
cadamba garland. This revelation made the man heartbroken and he left. The girls felt sad as they
thought of the marriage.
The Canto ends with the girls dancing and singing in praise of the chaste woman, who burnt down the
City of Maturai with her breast, and whom the God showed her husband and who was worshipped
thereafter by people. And nally, they prayed for joy and prosperity to the King of the west county, who
inscribed the emblem of his bow in the Himalayas. May the king from the west Who ruled over the kolli
Hills And inscribed bow embalmed on the Himalayas Live in endless joy in the days to come." Note: It is
a beautiful narrative description of the location along with exposure to social beliefs and practices. It also
gives an opportunity to identify the glori cation of purity and womanhood as well as womanly dreams.
Canto 25 -The choice of a stone
Cenkuttuvan, the Ceral king, who amazed the Gods with the impossible feat of tearing apart the
cadamba oak, also engraved his bow emblem on the Himalayas. Once, when he was with his queen
llanko Venmal, he thought of visiting the mountain where the clouds made the groves thicker and where
waterfall made the sounds of the roar of the drums.
"An image of her should be made With stone brought from Potiyil hills Or from the great Himalaya where
the bow emblem Is engraved. Both are holy: one is washed By the ood of the kaviri, and the other by
the Ganga." He left Vanci, the capital of his kingdom and travelled the distance of twelve hundred and
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 sixty miles crossing avenues of trees, river banks, thick groves, and public halls to nally reach the
Periyar river, and stopped at the ne sand dunes that made its bank.
The songs sung by the hill dwellers lled the air along with the hymns said by the priests in the honour of
the Gods who held the red spear, the vallai songs, the clamour of guards in the eld, the cries of men
trying to split the honeycomb, the roar of waterfall, the trumpet of elephant as they encounter the tigers,
the shouts of watchmen, and SO ON.
The hill dwellers paid a visit to the King Cenkuttuvan at the bank of river Periyar, offered him various gifts
and praised the king. The villagers informed him that they witnessed a woman with one breast standing
under the shade of a kino tree in the forest, and whose distress was beyond explanation. She was
praised by the Gods, with whom she ascended to the heaven. Her identity could not be traced but the
truth was that she came to the king's kingdom. The Tamil poet Cattan, famous for his poetry, listened to
all these with a sense of wonder. He spoke to the king. He told him that the story of the woman with
radiant bangles and her husband who was killed because of an unfortunate anklet. She then went to the
king demanding justice, and then the old glorious city of Maturai was burnt to ashes from the re that
kindled from the breast of that chaste woman that she tore off from her young body. Before leaving the
king she ung that unfortunate anklet and left crying. Ashamed of his injustice, the Pandiya king died,
and the queen followed her husband as if she were trying to reach him. The poet expressed to the king
that, perhaps, Kannaki came to his kingdom to tell him what injustice had been done to her by the
Pandiya king, and that was why she might not have gone to her own hometown.
Angered at the injustice of the Pandiya king, Cenkuttuvan said to the poet that the Pandiya king did well
in giving his life before the news reached the former else he would have killed him for the injustice done
to Kannaki. He added that it is a king's duty to make sure that his subjects are safe and well. King
Cenkuttuvan then discussed with his wife and asked her who would be better- Kannaki, who came to
their kingdom in a rage of the injustice done to her husband, or the queen, who gave up her life after her
husband, Pandiya king died. The queen replied that the joys of heaven would wait upon the chaste
queen who gave up her life after the death of her husband and that they should honour the chaste
woman who came to their kingdom.
The king's councillor said to the king that they must install the image of the chaste woman who burnt the
city of Maturai with her breast engraved on a stone brought either from the Potiyil hills or from the great
Himalayas, for both the places are holy. The former is washed by the river Kaveri while the latter by the
river Ganga. King replies that if they would try to get the stone from the Potiyil hill, it would not contribute
to the valour and strength and good name of the family from which he was born.
Therefore, they must get the stone from the Himalayas. But if the Himalayan rulers would refuse them to
take the stone to engrave the image of the Goddess of chastity, they would wage a war upon the
Himalayan king who survived their earlier military attack. Then the king graced his elephant-soldiers with
the garlands of willows, and celebrated the day of the success of Ceral, the excellence of gaining the
title of the "Great King". He then gave orders to his soldiers to put on the battle- suit and said that they
would put off the garlands of willows outside the city of Vanci, which would befriend their erce swords.
None could forget King Cenkuttuvan's courage that he had showed when he escorted his mother to the
river Ganga and fought with the thousands of Aryas which made even the God of death stunned. If he
wants to impose the Tamil rule all over the world there is no one who can stop him. renounced for
elephants
"Inform their kings That are richly caparisoned? We shall therefore announce Your expedition by
drumbeats within our own city...
"The minister suggested to the king to send a message closed by his of cial seal informing about the
of cial trip to the Himalayas to get the stone so that the image of the Goddess can be engraved upon it
to the kings of the north. Alumpil vel, the commander in chief of the King's army, suggested that in case
the spies of every country remain hidden in the outskirts of the city of Vanci, they would inform their
respective kings about the journey that Cenkuttuvan would about to take and Vanci could be at a stake.
The king agreed with Alumpilvel's suggestion. The King returned to the city of Vanci and the news that
the King Cenkuttuvan had decided to march to the Himalayas to get the stone from the Himalayas
engraved with his bow emblem was announced in the city by drumbeats from the back of an elephant.
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The announcement also urged the kings in the north to pay tribute to Cenkuttuvan. The announcement
threatened the northern kings by saying that if they would not listen, it would be advisable that they
should leave their wives and become hermits. "May the army live forever, Dear as his own face to the
King of victorious anklets."
Note: It brings out the socio-political picture of the Tamil dynasty. Also this Canto lights up on socio-political
contrast between the Aryan and Tamilian culture and practices. Not only the living styles of those eras could
be felt but also there is a depiction of monarchial life-style of those days.
Canto 26 - Removing the Stone:
The councillors, including the priests, ministers and astrologers, came to the King and blessed him. They
asked the king regarding his intention to go to the north. The king spoke in the public that they could no
longer ignore the talks of northern kings as have been reported by the sages of the Himalayas, who had
travelled to their country. For ignoring any more would mean humiliation for kings, such as himself. He
added that if his sword is not able to make the kings of north carry the stone on which the image of the
Goddess is to be carved, and if he himself is not able to win the rebellious kings, then may his scepter
become the tool of destruction of the people of his land.
The king ordered his sword and his royal parasol to be moved in the direction of the north. The entire
atmosphere was supportive and the serpent Adisesa, who supported the entire earth, bent down his
head. Everyone, the councillors, the army, the priests, the tax-collectors and so on, spoke in a loud voice
"May the ruler of the entire world live for ever!"
"The sepent, Adisesa who supports the earth Bent down his head. Jewelled lamps trimmed The
darkness of night….”
The king went on to address his army who seemed much excited at the very idea of a possible war.
Cenkuttuvan placed the sandals of the Lord Siva on his head and bowed his head at the holy shrine, the
head which never bowed to anyone. After that he climbed his elephant, as the Brahmanas appeared to
him with offerings from Vishnu. They blessed him to be victorious. The king accepted the offerings, and
since he had placed the sandals of the Lord Siva on his head, he put the offerings on his shoulders. As
he was about to depart for his journey, the dancing girls came and praised him. All the poets and bards
sang in his praise and described his valour in the battle eld. And the soldiers of all kings, foot soldiers,
elephant soldiers, and so on praised the power and strength of King's sword. The king left the capital of
his kingdom with his massive army that it seemed to have spread to the seashore. The sages stopped
by his tent, for they were curious to see this mighty ruler of the spacious world. The king bowed to them,
and they said to him that they would be going to the Malya hills and it should be his responsibility as a
king to protect the Brahmanas on that hill. After the Brahmanas left, many came to pay tribute and the
King rewarded everyone with open heart especially who sang in his praise. After a while, a guard
reported to him that Samjaya had come with news. The king ordered the guard to let Samjaya in. He,
after greeting the King, informed him that King Satakami had sent a message that if the Ceral king would
want a stone from the Himalayas to engrave the image of a Goddess, then they could bring the stone
from the mountain and present it to the Ceral king. The king told the messenger that during a banquet,
sons of Balakumara, Kanaka and Vijaya, insulted the Tamil kings without knowing the courage they
possessed. So, his army would march ahead with untamed fury, and he asked the messenger to tell
King Satakami to arrange for a large eet of boats so that they could cross the river Ganga. Cenkuttuvan
asked his scribes to send a sealed message of his intends to all the kings through these messengers.
The local chief received Cenkuttuvan with respect and honour, and then he went to the river Ganga,
which he crossed by the boats arranged by the kings, and reached the northern bank where he was
received with respect and awe. He marched further with his army to the land of his enemy and there he
camped with his soldiers. Northern kings marched with a massive army as big as the boundless sea.
They wanted to see the courage of the Tamil kings. The sight of his enemy marching towards him made
Cenkuttuvan joyous.
"Like the God of death, this army Marches forth with untamed fury."
The earth shook with the roaring of the war drums. As the war began the warriors of the Arya kings who
were known for their chariot ght fell and corpses were destroyed by the warriors of Ceral king.
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Cenkuttuvan appeared like the God of death himself to the mighty Arya kings, capable of destroying all
their lives. Cenkuttuvan threshed his enemies with his sword and was applauded by the Goblins who
danced with the crowned heads in their hands in the battle eld. After achieving the victory, the Ceral king
asked his messengers to go and tell those in the northern country who respect and honour the Vedas,
that they would have the Tamil King's support and that they were set free to live awless lives.
Cenkuttuvan along with Villavan Kotai went to the Himalayas with several of his regiments to get the
stone on which the image of the Goddess Pattini was supposed to be engraved.
"Who had won the war and achieved his end With Villavan Kotai, led several regiments of his army To
the gold- browed Himalaya to get a stone To engrave the image of the goddess Pattini."
Canto 27 - The Lustration:
Cenkuttuvan successfully brought the stone and then he went to the bank of holy river Ganga and paved
the stone enraged with the image of the goddess as had been instructed in the scriptures, assisted by
the Brahmanas who were well versed in the sacred rituals. On the southern bank of the river,
Cenkuttuvan parked with his soldiers in the camps which the Arya kings of the north had him built. These
camps contained everything to cater to the needs of the Ceral king. Cenkuttuvan then sent for the sons
of the warriors of his army who had slain the enemies on the battle eld before falling to the ground after
being hacked themselves by the swords and arrows of the enemies and had them wed with the
heavenly nymphs. Those warriors who had died were praised in a round dance and then the king sent
for those who had survived the battle eld and had shown to the enemies the power and strength of the
southern kings.
He addressed to his soldiers and gave them sirissa owers. He then adorned himself with a wreath of
palm leaves and white dead nettle and took his place on the throne. At this point, he was approached by
Matalan, the brahmana, who had earlier been with Kannaki and her husband, Kovalan. The brahmana
said to the king the following words: king live forever! The song "May our Of Matavi in the seaside grove
burdened the crowns Of Kanaka and Vijaya. Ruler of the world, Puzzled by the Matalan's speech,
Cenkuttuvan asked him to explain himself. Matalan told the king that whole story of Kannaki and
Kovalan. He told him that after having a lover's quarrel with Kovalan. Madhavi sang the song of the
seaside grove, which instead of uniting them, drove them further apart. Kovalan came back to her
chaste wife Kannaki and together they left for the city of Maturai, where Kovalan was killed by the order
of the Pandiyan king, who himself died when he realized the injustice he has done. It was Kannaki,
Kovalan's wife who came to Cenkuttuvan's kingdom and who was witnessed by the hill dwellers, who
had been placed on the crowned heads of Kanaka and Vijaya.
"by the sea, may you live forever!"
The brahmana continued his story and narrated to the king that he had gone to the Potiyil hills, to bathe
in the renowned waters of the Kumari, and when he was returning he heard about Matarti, who upon
hearing what happened to Kannaki and her husband and the injustice done by the Pandiyan king, threw
herself in re and died. When Kavunti heard about the incident she was greatly enraged, but later was
paci ed when she learned about the death of Pandiyan king. But grieved because of the death of her
companions she decided to starve to death, and thus ended her life.
When Matalan heard all this in detail he was grief- stricken. He went to the city of Pukar, the capital of
Cola kings, and told about the entire incident to the people. When Kovalan's father heard what
happened to his son and his daughter-in-law, he decided to give up all his wealth and entered the
sevenfold monastery of Indra, where he took severe vows to renounce the earth and escape the cycle of
rebirth. His mother gave up her life in grief. Kannaki's father also gave up his wealth and took holy vows
before Ajivikas, and her mother also gave up her life in grief after some time. When Madhavi became
aware of the entire incident she decided to lead a life of virtues, and therefore she entered Buddhist
hunnery, where she learned the holy word.
Matalan said to the king that because they all died after they heard the news from him, he had come to
absolve himself by bathing in the river Ganga. Cenkuttuvan asked him about the Pandiya kingdom and
what became of it. "Her hair, wreathed in owers, She removed, and entered a Buddhist Nunnery And
was taught the holy word..." The Brahman Matalan informed the king that the throne of the was
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ascended by a Pandiya king of moon's lineage, which was renowned for the way it protected the people
who lived in the kingdom. The new Pandiya was like the sun mounted on his one-wheeled chariot by
seven horses.
Cenkuttuvan listened to the wondrous tale of the brahmana whole night, and when the sky turned red
announcing the dawn, Cenkuttuvan's told him that it has been thirty-two months since they left the city of
Vanci. Later in that day, the king sat on his royal throne and asked the Brahmana Matalan, to whom he
asked if the new Cola king be just and kind. Matalan told him that it would not be possible for the spear
of Cola to stray from the right path. The king wino once gave away his own esh to satisfy the hunger of
a hawk and to the life of a limping dove can never do injustice to his subjects. 'The Ceral king gave the
brahmana fty measures of gold equal to his (own weight. Next day, Cenkuttuvan began his journey
south with his victorious army. Back in the city of Vanci the queen was sorrowful because of (her parting
with her husband. The maidservants had heard the news of Cenkuttuvan's victory and went to the
queen, praised her and told her that Cenkuttuvan had been victorious in the battle and returned home.
They sang songs in the praise of the king and his victory in thebattle. Cowherds played on their utes
and the sherwomen sang the Tove song,
“…The conches Sounded. Throned atop a speedy elephant, Under a wreathed parasol, Cenkuttuvan
With a chaplet of white dead nettle on his crown, And cheered by his subjects, in a procession of carts
Drawn by elephants, entered Vanci."
Canto 28 - The Dedication of the Memorial Stone
As the evening approached the City of Vanci and the subjects eagerly awaiting the return of their
beloved King and loved ones, as they entered, there was a sense of jubilance that ran around the city.
"The lover and their women obeyed The commands of the God of Love, the archer Who shot ower-
tipped arrows…"
The lovers got united following the command of the God of love, the chaste queen met her husband and
appraised him for his success. At this point the king and queen were visited by Cakkaiyan from Paraiyur.
He was famous and renowned for his dancing skills. For the pleasure of the king he performed the
dance known as "kotticcetam', a dance of brilliant skill said to be performed by Siva. Brahmana Matalan,
Nilan and the messenger have come to see the king. To meet them the king went to his audience hall.
First Nilan paid him respect and honour, and then said that while they were in the city of Cola king with
the Arya kings who had ed the battle eld and sat in the audience hall which was built by the kings of
Vajra, Avanti, and Magadha, the Cola king upon seeing the Arya kings who ed the battle eld in
disguise, reacted. As a result, they took leave of the Cola king, and went to the king of the city of
Maturai.
The Pandiyan king of Maturai also considered this strange that Cenkuttuvan would abuse the princes
and warriors who ed the battle eld in the disguise of monks. He considered it stranger even that
Cenkuttuvan would use the staff of the white parasol used by the Arya kings to place on the neck of
elephants as the sacred scepter of Jayanta, and that he would offer prayers to Siva and Uma in the
Himalayas. Upon hearing the indiscreet comments of the two great Tamil kings, Cenkuttuvan began to
laugh though it was the laugh of anger. At this point, the brahmana Matalan stood up and addressed the
king. At rst he praised the king as someone who destroyed Viyalur, fought nine kings alone on the
outskirts of Itumpil, fought an amazing battle on the sea and followed his enemy to a great distance, and
also fought and defeated the Arya kings. Matalan then wished him long life and long rule and then
reminded that it had been fty years that he ascended the throne, and since then he had performed
various sacri ces of war but yet to perform sacri ces of religion.
Matalan reminded him that one of his ancestors earned glory after uprooting the cadamba oak from the
sea, while other by engraving his bow-emblem on the Himalaya, and yet another helped a brahmana
versed in the Vedas as a reward for composing poems to ascend to heaven and so on. He recited the
long list of his ancestors' heroic deeds and nally expressed to him that none of them were able to
escape death. He reminded the king that wealth and youth do not last forever.
The brahmana continued and said that based on their actions the souls of heavenly body can reborn as
mortals, and souls of human body can reborn as animals, and similarly, the souls of animals can take
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 birth as demons. One's life after death would be determined by one's action of the former birth. The
brahmana told that he was speaking thus not out of greed for some gifts, but because he could not see
a good soul take a path suitable only for common people. Therefore, he suggested the king to perform
the great sacri ce assisted by the brahmanas as versed in the four Vedas to choose the path approved
by the Gods.
No one knows the future, and therefore his soul may leave his body even today, and therefore he must
walk on this path suggested by him (Matalan) as soon as possible. Matalan ended his speech by
wishing long life for the king and queen and the princes.
"The king of loud anklets, invited Sacri cial priests, instructed by teachers Expert in four Vedas…"
The king received the wisdom thus given to him by the brahmana versed in Vedas, kindly and
respectfully. As the idea sowed by the brahmana sprouted, the king summoned the sacri cial priests and
asked to begin the festival of rites, as Matalan had suggested. He gave the order to release the Arya
kings from the prison by taking them outside the city of Vanci, where they were told that they could leave
for their respective states and cities once the sacri ce was over. He also asked Villavan Kotai to arrange
for their comforts and luxury. The Goddess Pattini was now worshipped by the whole world, who proved
to the Cola King that "The virtue of women is useless of the king/Rules unjustly". And to the Pantiyan
king that "The king cannot survive if his scepter/Is crooked". And nally to the Ceral king that the wrath of
the kings will not be appeased till their vows are ful lled and made known to the kings of the north".
"She was adorned with ornaments Exquisitely crafted and worshipped with owers. Images of the
guardian deities stood At the entrance to the temple.....Worship The Goddess every day with offerings
and festivities."
Canto 29 - The Benediction:
This Canto repeated the story of Cenkuttuvan. He was the son of Ceralatan, the King who defeated
Konku. He then returned to the city of Vanci where he received many holy men, who informed him that
several northern kings gathered on the occasion of a princess' marriage, insulted the valour of southern
King. Stimulated by this incident, Cenkuttuvan decided to bring the stone from the Himalayas, after
ghting and defeating the Arya kings. After getting the stone, he dedicated and installed the image of
Kannaki, whose breast had burned the city of Maturai.
When her foster mother, her close friend and Tenvanti heard the news of Kovalan's death, they were
deeply agitated, and went to Maturai to see Kannaki, but they heard the news of the destruction that her
breast had caused. After that they went to Aiyai, the daughter of Matarai, who hurled herself in re
because she could not save Kannaki who was in her care. Together they travelled and came to the
palace of Cerikuttuvan and told him about their relationship with Kannaki Tenvanti introduced herself to
Cenkuttuvan as a friend of Kannaki from Cola country. The foster mother introduced herself to the king
as the foster mother of Kannaki who did not bore any grudge towards Madhavi, the courtesan for whom
Kovalan left her. And her friend introduced herself to king as the friend of Kannaki. Tenvanti lamented in
front of the image of Kannaki and said that her mother died after hearing the troubles that she went
through, and so did her mother-in-law. The foster mother cried and told her that Macattuvan, ater
hearing the injustice done to his son, renounced the world and gave away all his wealth, and so did
Manayakan, Kannaki's father.
Kannaki's close friend wailed in front of Kannaki's image and said that Madhavi after hearing about what
happened with Kovalan, gave away all her wealth and went to a Buddhist nunnery, and Manimekalai, the
daughter of Kovalan and Madhavi, also renounced the world. Tenvanti told her about Aiyai, the
unmarried daughter of Matarai, who gave up her life after hearing about Kannaki by jumping into re. At
that moment he saw a gure appeared in the sky with gold anklets, and other ornaments of golds and
diamonds. This gure was Kannaki herself. She said to her friends that the king Pandiyan should not be
blamed for he now is the guest of the Gods in their palace. She asked them to come to the Venvelan's
hill.
"O girls of Vanci, girls with waists Like the willow. Girls whose feet are painted With lace, who are a part
of the kings' following. Let us all sing of the lovely woman. Come, let us all sing of the Pantiyan's
daughter."
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The girls of Vanci come together and ask each other to sing in praise of Kannaki who burnt down the city
of Maturai with her breast, and the king. The song of the chorus is followed by the blessing which
praises the Pandiyan king who admitted his error in judgement and died of shock. Then the king who
went to the Himalayas to bring the stone to engrave the image of Kannaki is praised and well wished.
The blessing was followed by the "Song of the Wooden Ball', a song is in the form of questions and
answers. The answer of each question celebrated the heroic feat performed by the Cola king. First they
mention that Cola king ruled over the world and guarded the tall fortress of the king of Gods. The song,
as in the traditional practice, had been described as a game wherein the girls would run and strike the
ball saying and wishing for the kings to live forever.
'The Song of the Ball' was followed by "The Song of the Swings". This song was in the honour of the
Ceral king, describing his different heroic feats in different stanzas. In the rst stanza we were told that
he pulled apart the cadamba oak. In the second stanza, we were told about the Ceral king Poraiyan,
who offered huge quantity of food during Kurukshetra war between Pandavas and Kauravas. And in the
third stanza the Ceral king was described as the ruler and guardian of earth with bow, sh and tiger
banners.
The nal song of this Canto is "The Song of the Pestle'. This song glori ed all three kings, i.e. Cola
kings, Pandiyan kings, and Ceral kings. The rst stanza was about Cola king who had broad shoulders,
and an emblem of the wheel. The second stanza was about the Pandiyan king whose shoulders were
bright with the garland of king of Gods, and whose banner had the emblem of sh. The third stanza was
about the Ceral king who used to wear the garland of palm leaves, and whose feat of pulling apart the
cadamba oak was celebrated everywhere. The nal stanza of the song warned that those who would not
worship the holy feet of Poraiyan would nd it dif cult to bless our lord of good earth. The song ended
with the following words: "The renowned daughter of our king, Kannaki, spoke the benediction: "May our
Cenkuttuvan live forever." This song is the song Of the Ceral king with a garland of palm leaves... This
song is the song Of his palmyra garland that excites the heart."
Canto 30 - The Granting of a Favour:
After looking at the divine form of the Goddess Kannaki, Cenkuttuvan turned to Tevantikai and asked her
about Manimekalai and her act of renunciation of the world. Tevantikai after blessing the king told him
the story of Manimekalai. Manimekalai was born to Madhavi, and was famous amongst dancers. Her
eyes were cool and she herself was unaware of the simple charm that she possessed. Her breast was
risen, and her waist was slender. Her teeth were pearl white and her mound of love was widened Her
thighs were rounded and feet were tender. And because she had not yet been taught the art of dancing,
the men of noble families did not consider her a dancer.
"Actions had their own reward. Those who are born, Die, and those who die are reborn."
After the death of Kovalan and the incident of burning of Maturai, Madhavi entered the nunnery and she
said to her mother that Manimekalai should not be a courtesan, for it is a life of troubles. She then
removed the lock of hairs of Manimekalai braided with owers, which enraged the God of love and in his
rage, he threw down his bow and ower arrow. Manimekalai entered a Buddhist nunnery, which made
the king and other people very unhappy. The monk who received her said that it makes him sad that she
is giving her life at the prime of her youth Once the story was over, she went into the state of trance and
stood up. She spoke to the king being unaware of what she was saying. She said that amongst the
women who have come for the dedication of the Goddess Kannaki, there are twin girls born to the wife
of some Arattan Cetti, and a little daughter of Cetakkutumpi. She said that near the temple of Manklatevi
there was a hill, where there were many water-bodies from where springs leaped. Those who would
bathe in the water of these pools could also remember their past life. Her voice then addressed to the
Brahmana Matalan and told him that he gave the water to Matalan while he was resting at the gate of
that temple. The voice then asked the brahmana to sprinkle the water on three little girls mentioned
above. The voice then revealed its identity as God Pacantan. The entire incident amazed the king
Cenkuttuvan. Matalan said to the king that once a woman named Malati was offering milk to the child of
her husband's second wife, and the child died. In her despair, she pleaded to the God Pacantan, who
took the form of the child and came to her. He grew up in the care of her foster mother, and married
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 Tevantikai and lived with her for eight years. And after eight years he showed her his divine form and
asked her to come to his temple. Matalan said that while he was in the temple the God came in the form
of brahmana and gave him the water which he kept. "Few are the days of your life You cannot escape
from your fate. The best help to reach heaven. Follow these Perhaps, O people who live on this good
earth." And then he asked to sprinkle the water on the little girls and as a miracle they remembered their
past life. One was the mother of Kannaki, and she began to cry for her daughter. Another was the
mother of Kovalan, who lamented the loss of her son and daughter-in-law and asked her son to come
back to her. The third was Matari who said after she returned from the river Vaiyai, she heard the news
and she couldn't nd Kannaki in her house.
It was further told that they could not follow Kannaki to heaven, for they did not perform any other
virtuous acts. But since they loved Kannaki very much the two of them took birth as twins and the third,
Matari, was born to Cetakkuttumpi, who had rendered his life in the service of Vishnu. Matalan added
that people who would do good acts would go to heaven and people who were attached to earthly things
would have rebirth. Matalan nishes his speech by praising the king. Pleased with the words of Matalan,
the king offered various grants for the temple of Pattini and gave Tevantikai the responsibility of offering
owers and perfumes and incense. The Arya kings who were released from the captivity were also
present. They prayed to the Goddess and asked her to grace their countries. Cenkuttuvan and all the
other kings praised the Goddess. Matalan and the king went to the sacri cial hall. The poet says that he
also entered the hall with them. There in the hall stood Tevantikai who was once again under the
possession of a God. She said to the poet that he was sitting with his father in the audience hall when
an astrologer predicted that he would ascend the throne and not his elder brother Cenkuttuvan, which
made him renounce the world and he took holy vows, so that his brother could become the king. The
poèt says to the audience that they had now heard his story by the daughter of gods, and then asked to
choose the right path by disregarding both pleasure and pain. He also gave certain instructions such as
not to tell lies, neither to spread rumours, nor to give false evidence, nor to hurt living beings, to avoid
bad, to care for ailing ones, and so on.
Epilogue
Here ends the Cilappathikaram. It ends in truth, With the story of Maniuekalai. Like a mirror Re ecting
the far hills, it re ects the essence Of the cool Tamil country, enclosed by Kumari And Venktam, and by
the eastern and western seas. It comprises of ve landscapes of pure and impure Tamil Where live
Gods and humans following their duty. And practicing virtue, wealth and love. Its noble language
expressing in perfect rhythm Good sense, theme of love and war, Exquisite songs, the lute, musical
mode, chants, Drama, acts and scenes, dances That conformed to the established rules of the vari
Round dance and Cetam, put in simple and perfect Tamil.
What did king Satakarni offer to the Chera king Senkuttuvan while he was preparing for
expedition to the north?
During his preparation for the military expedition to the north in Canto 26 the Chera king Senkuttuvan
had consulted his royal astrologers and received assurance and inspiration for unquestionable victory.
Many poets, bards, noblemen and panegyrists had praised the king and wished him victory in the
battle eld. Wise sages on their way to the Malaya hills had also paid a visit to the king and blessed him
with words of success and protection. Beautiful dancers from the Konkana country also had contributed
to this appraisal. Then came the folk from the Kutaku country with their dancing girls with ne bangles
and wide shlike eyes. They chanted beautiful songs of encouragement for the king and his army. Then
we nd Samjaya, a messenger from king Satakarni to attend the tent of Senkuttuvan with a very large
number of dancers, singers, jests, chariots, elephants, horses and carts as military support. He bows to
the king and delivers the message from Satakarni who is friendly relation to Chera kingdom. King
Satakarni, apart from sending such a huge number of entertainment and military assistance as a gift to
Senkuttuvan, had also respectfully expressed his wish that Senkuttuvan may not need to take the pain
of paying a visit to the north for bringing the sacred stone from the Himalayas, but he (Satakarni) would
be delighted to do this entire task on his own on Senkuttuvan's behalf. Senkuttuvan, however, did not
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need this help, but he expressed his gratitude by asking Samjaya to get a large eet of boats ready by
Satakarni's men, for his (Senkuttuvan's) army to cross the holy Ganga.
How is the theme of loss and death poignantly dealt with in Silapathikaram?
Almost all epics in the history of human civilisation have dealt with a grand salutation to the Dionysian
instruct. Death of dance is a centrality too in The Book of Vanci. The deaths of the rebellious northern
kings in the battle against the army of Senkuttuvan, innumerable soldiers belonging to both sides, the
supernatural interventions by the dance of death by the goblins all contribute to the grotesque side of the
Puram domain. Repugnance and violence walk hand in hand in Ilango's description. But this is not all;
there are resonances of death in every corner of the epic. It begins with the unjusti ed execution of
Kovalan; then leads to the eventual deaths of the Pantya king and queen; then by the curse of Kannaki
the entire city of Maturai burns into re. Kannaki dies after fourteen days. Matarai who was taking care
of Kannaki previously, dies at the grief of the fate of this couple. Kavunti, the Jain ascetic also starves
herself to death at the sad news of Kannaki and Kovalan. Kovalan's and Kannaki's mothers die in grief
too. Their respective fathers become monks. Even towards the end of the text the brutal "sacri ce of one
thousand goldsmiths in a single day to the goddess Pattini" by the new Pantya king evokes the sense of
extreme bloodshed and cruelty. Thus both in Akam and Puram domains death lurks as a prevailing
theme in the entire epic.
Narrate both the Akam and Puram aspects as revealed in the welcoming of the victorious king
and his army back in Vanci.
According to the ancient Tamil literary tradition Akam means 'private' and Puram means public'. Here in
Silapathikaram both of these sides of the king and other characters are portrayed with precision. Canto
28 opens with the homecoming of the triumphant king Senkuttuvan and his army. He is now wealthier
and more renowned, so much so that his stock epithet the white parasol is now replaced by the golden
one.....
What is the name of Kannaki as Goddess?
After transformation, Kannaki is better known as the goddess Pattini, the goddess of chastity.
What is the meter used in the Cilappatikaram?
The meter that is used in the Cilappatikaram is 'akaval' meter.
What is the meaning of the word Cilappatikaram?
It means the story of an anklet.
Wherefrom the story of Cilappatikaram originated?
The Cilappatikaram is considered to be originated from Tamil folklore which, at a later stage, was
converted by the great poet llango Adigal into a great Tamil Epic.
Which is the oldest epic form in India?
The oldest form of Epic is 'Akhanya' which is a kind of tale that has a combination of verses as well as
prose.
Where was the King Cenkuttuvan camping?
The King Cenkuttuvan was camping at the bank of Periyar river along with the famous poet Cattan who
told the king about the unfortunate series of events happened with Kannaki at Mathurai.
What is the commonality between the folklore version and the Epic Poem?
There are similarities as well as dissimilarities in the folk tales and Cillappatrikam. The differences, with
a few exceptions, reveals a condition to suggest that it shares in common with the Kovalar katai, the
possibility that the written form might have been ultimately derived from the folk ballad.
Who were defeated by King Cenkuttuvan?
As the war began, Cenkuttuvan and his warriors destroyed the warriors of Arya kings who were known
for their chariot ght. Cenkuttuvan appeared like the God of death himself to the mighty Arya kings,
capable of destroying all their lives.
In how many stages does Kannaki's apotheosis Occur?
Kannaki's apotheosis occurs in three stages:
(1) she is a chaste and uncomplaining wife who is deserted by her husband;
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(2) she turns into a destructive force;
(3) she becomes a tutelary deity whose cult is institutionalized.
What does the name of 'Kannaki' symbolize?
The name 'Kannaki' is the Tamil form of the Sanskrit word 'Kanyaka' which means a 'virgin' or a woman'
who is worthy of worship.
According to the poet what was the objective of this Epic Poem?
In the Pathigam, the prologue to the book, Ilango Adigal gives the reader the gist of the book with the
précis of the story. He also lays the objectives of the book We shall compose a poem, with songs, To
explain these truths: even kings, if they break The law, have their necks wrung by dharma; Great men
everywhere commend Wife of renowned fame; and karma ever Manifests itself, and is ful lled. We shall
call the poem The Cilappatikaram, the epic of the anklet, Since the anklet brings these truths to light.
The poet emphasizes the importance of truthful and honest service of a king towards his subjects. He
portrays the fact that a King's strength is not wealth but devotion to his people. Simultaneously the
revelation of truth can transform a mortal soul into a goddess of truth and sacri ce.
What are the key story elements in The Cilappathikaram?
As referred in the great epic, The Cilappathikaram, the key story elements are the following:
1) "A king punishes himself or his family members for misdeeds".
2) "A woman is miraculously served by nature due to her sel ess devotion (her chastity) in relation to her
husband".
3) "A woman in fury gets justice and becomes a Goddess".
What are the three dynasties that get referred to in The Cilappathikaram?
The epic reveals the lifestyle and traditions of Tamils 2000 years back along with the high cultural as well
as traditional practices of Tamil civilization. It also shows the mixture of Tamil and Sanskrit cultural
practices that appear in many a place in the epic poem. The wealth of the three regions of royalty, too, is
portrayed in three places beautifully The Cilappatikaram, by llango, is in three books, set in the capitals
of the three Tamil kingdoms: Pukär (the Còla capital), Maturai (i.e., Madurai, the Pântiya (Pândya)
capital), and Vañci (the Cèra capital).The rst region was Chola country (Cholavalanadu) in the east,
famous for its rice cultivation in the Cauvery river basin. This is the ancestral place of Kovalan. The
wealth of the second region of royalty of Pandiya country in south was pearl (the saying goes, "Pandiya
nadu muthudaithu"). Pearl collection (Muthukkulithal) from the Southern Ocean was the ancient primary
business activity of the Tamils of this region. This is the second region where Kovalan and Kannaki
wanted to start their second life.
The wealth of the third region of Chera royalty in the west was of course 'elephants'. When the Chera
king Chenguttuvan returned from his campaign (Digvijayam) of the north and brought the Himalayan
stone for sculpting Kannaki's idol, people greeted him with elephants in the forefront. This is the ultimate
place where the temple of Kannaki was established.
How does the anklet hold its signi cance in Tamiltradition?
Symbolically, in Tamil culture, the cilappatharikam, an anklet represents various things. In folklore, it is
considered that an anklet is an effective protection against evil and so, women wore it not only as a
jewelry but also in a ritualistic manner. It is this belief that renders apotropaic signi cance to anklet.
When a person is robbed of an anklet, it is believed that the person has been robbed of his strength,
dignity and connection. Anklets as girded, were believed to be both the symbol of their strength and
control over their sexual energy. And once a girdle or an anklet is broken, it is a sure sign of devastation
and destruction. So, anklets were always protected and kept as a symbol of something auspicious for
the family as well as something protective for women.
Who was Madhavi? Highlight her character.
Madhavi is an important character in the epic. Madhavi was a beautiful courtesan, dancer by profession,
at a time when such women were considered of low status: who were considered to be a little more than
the playthings of rich and sensual men with ample means to indulge in the universal human appetite.
Madhavi, however, was different - not one of the dancing girls who sold themselves to supplement their
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 meagre earnings: even though she was born into the dancing-girl caste Parathiyar, she practiced
chastity. She lived with Kovalan happily for some time. During that period, Madhavi's mother stole all the
wealth of Kannaki the wife of Kovalan by using Kovalan's ring Kannaiyali without the knowledge of
Madhavi and Kovalan. After 3 years, Kovalan learned the truth about the mother's crime, during the
festival of the God Indra. He grew angry with Madhavi and again returned to Kannaki. After Kovalan left
her, Madhavi came to know of her mother's theft and showed her moral worth by returning all the wealth
of Kovalan to his father and renouncing the world to become a Buddhist nun.
Why does the Tamil society still regard Kannaki as an ideal of chastity?
Tamil society to this day regards Kannaki as an ideal of chastity. For the Tamils, chastity represents
sacred power and is much beyond mere sexual self-restraint. A phrase in Akancluftru 73, for instance,
makes this explicit: "chastity lled with sacred power" with reference to a woman who is disconsolate in
her husband's absence.Tamil literature is replete with examples of chaste women who are held up as
ideals. Kannaki represents this ideal best. She is a resonant cultural symbol that has remained
unchanged for two thousand years. Pattini, whom the whole world now worships, had proved the truth of
the Tamil saying: "The virtue of women is useless if the king rules unjustly!"
What would you consider as an ethical and what as a political bias in this Epic Poem?
The myth also has an ethical and political bias: the chastity (karpu) of a woman is inviolable, and it is the
duty of a king to protect and uphold it; he can do so only if he rules justly. If he swerves from justice, he
puts his kingdom in danger. We observe here the con ation of the domestic and the public, of akam and
puram. Further, her chastity empowers her to dispense justice as she humbles the Pandya king and
burns down Maturai. Her spiritual authority thus supersedes the purely temporal one of the kings,
notwithstanding the gender and class differences between subjects and rulers. There is a scope for
delity that goes beyond vocabulary and form as it speaks, "We are entering the realm of the 'spirit of
the law' rather than the letter."
Discuss the Twin Apotheosis: Madhavi and Kannaki in llango's "The Cilappatikaram".
The story of Kovalan and Kannaki - which forms the core of the great Tamil epic poem The
Cilappatikaram by llango Adigal - is a grand and magni cent tale. But in Madhavi and Kannaki we have
two female characters of great profundity and power who dominate the story- if truth be told, considering
that Kovalan only loses his head because he's accused of stealing the queen's anklet, the whole story
could be said, with justice, to be dominated by women. And of these, it is the innocent Kannaki and the
courtesan Madhavi who mostpowerfully arrest our attention.
In the beginning of the tale, they are hardly alike; Kannaki is beautiful but innocent, while Madhavi is
charming, witty and well cultured - we know that she can sing and dance well for example. But, she
lacks the evil qualities which a patriarchal society usually attributes to the courtesan class. An accurate
appraisal of Madhavi should ultimately conclude that she found herself in a society where she was
treated as an equal by men only while she was a courtesan were she to leave it, she would be at the
mercy of men, like Kannaki. The poet, by introducing Madhavi as a courtesan, launches a powerful
critique of his society; what sort of society is it where women are unequal to men- unless they're
courtesans, in which case they'reconsidered morally corrupt?
But as the tale progresses, we nd Madhavi renouncing her wealth and riches and penitently retiring to a
monastery. The poet, who has till now painted this woman with all the vivacious color of Tolstoy's Anna
Karenina, and who has nurtured in petty and prudish minds a decided antipathy against Madhavi, now
humbles us all by showing us that her moral compass is stronger than ours. She humbly bows out of the
stage, but does so in so surprising a manner that she, too, attains an apotheosis, if only in our
imagination. But it is Kannaki who undergoes the more radical transformation. She, who has been silent
and modest throughout this entire poem, now unleashes the full wrath of her persona. She confronts the
king, demonstrates the righteousness of her cause and proves her husband innocent. Her cold fury,
which has sustained her throughout this argument now gives way to tempestuous rage, and the city
burns - unable to withstand her ire. A dancing girl humbles us by her superior moral sense, and an
innocent young girl, once oppressed and taken advantage of by all, now faces down a king and his court
with all the authority of a Hebraic prophet and attainsgodhood.
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How does the poetic sequence evolve in the Epic poem?
The Cilappatikaram exhibits precisely a fusion of the akamand puram. Moreover, descriptive and
narrative modesalso overlap to produce an indeterminate form that bears a family resemblance to both.
The Cilappatikaram comprises three books-each book consists of story-songs or cantos, kiitais (Ski
katha, "story:" gathci, "song, poem"). The earliest Tamil poems are short isolated lyrics invariably spoken
by one person. Gradually, they were strung together and organised thematically into clusters. In this way
they expanded in length and assumed the shape of long poems. This was possibly how a poetic
sequence originated. And we see this form emerging in the Cilappatikaram, the rst great unmistakable
exemplar of the genre. It would not, therefore, be inappropriate to regard the Cilappatikaram as a
collection of thirty distinct long poems, twenty- ve of which are story-songs or cantos, and ve of which
are song cycles that appear at critical junctures and function as choruses unobtrusively commenting on
the action. The cantos only comment, explain, and amplify the storyline. In fact, each canto is more or
less static. It does not always evolve from the previous canto because there is no compulsion from the
plot to do so. Of course, each contains hints and allusions to the story. When these are read
sequentially, they form a composite whole.
The ways the Cilappatikaram achieves these poetical effects are the following:
1. The stanzaic structure was doubtless in part responsible for the fact that in such epics the actual
narrative is, typically, not dominant.
2. Although two or more stanzas are not infrequently linked syntactically to form a single sentence, the
tendency is to have a series of descriptive verses on one point of the story, and then a few linking verses
to carry the narration onto the next important point, where another topic is similarly elaborated.
3. It would appear that the great narrative poem in both Sanskrit and Tamil evolved from the lyric. The
long poem is an ongoing form embodying the knowledge of a culture.
4. The epic process is encyclopedic and inclusive, though the epic itself may not be so. In the beginning,
the epic was a multiform; now, it is not.
What are the factors that get manifested in the Book of Vanci?
In the Book of Vanci the following get manifested very distinctly:
i) Ordinary folks as heroes and heroines :
At a time when it was customary to make the King or some other patron as the hero, llango had made
the ordinary folks the key gures in his dramaKannaki and Kovalan along with Madhvi. In addition to the
main characters, he had created two more individuals to the cast - the rst was a woman ascetic,
Kavunthi, who, every now and then, reiterated the principles of righteousness and the other was a
learned brahmin, Madalan, whose role was to interpret the traits attributed to each character in the
proper perspective with respect to social and religious contextualisation.
ii) Fine arts :
llango imparted the values of virtue to the common folk by taking up two moral principles-chastity and
virtue-and incorporated them into a theatrical style episode so that everyone in the society will get the
message of virtue. The poetic skills of the writer in capturing human emotions have made it an
exceptional literary piece.
iii) Women's status and value of chastity:
Though Kovalan is supposed to be the hero, the author in his unique style has elevated the two women
characters, Kannaki and Madhavi, to the highest status in the eyes of the society for ever. Kannaki's
exaltation as the Goddess of chastity was unquestionable; the repentance and renunciation of Madhavi,
after realizing her mistakes, made her no less noble and virtuous.
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