Silappadikaram (
Tamil ?????????????;
IPA&_160;[sil?pp?d?ig??r?m]),
[1] is one of the
five epics of ancient
Tamil Literature. The poet prince
Ilango Adigal, a
Jaina monk, is credited with this work. He is reputed to be the brother of
Senguttuvan from
Chera. As a literary work, it is held in high regard by the
Tamils. The nature of the book is narrative and has a moralistic undertone. It contains three chapters and a total of 5270 lines of poetry. The epic revolves around
Kannagi, who having lost her husband to a miscarriage of justice at the court of the
Pandya king, wreaks her revenge on his kingdom.
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[3].
It is the first Indian epic written about the life of an ordinary Hindu Chola country man, written by a Jain Chera country Prince who turned to Ascetic, and in a simple understandable literature. It was written during the times,when only complex literature were prevalent for epics and were written only in praise of Religions and Kings, by ordinary poets.
The story evolves in terms of Three, at least of the following
