The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature
Topics in Tamil literature
Sangam Literature
The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature
Silappatikaram Manimekalai
Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi Valayapathi
Kundalakesi
Bhakthi Literature
Tevaram Divya Prabandha
Tirumuṟai
Tamil people
Sangam Sangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literature Ancient Tamil music
edit
The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature (Tamil: ஐம்பெரும்காப்பியங்கள் Aimperumkāppiyaṅkaḷ) are five large narrative Tamil epics according to later Tamil literary tradition, namely Cilappatikāram, Manimekalai, Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi, Valayapathi and Kuṇṭalakēci.[1] The first mention of the "Aimperumkappiyam" (lit. Five large epics) occurs in Mayilainathar's commentary of Nannūl. However, Mayilainathar does not mention the names of the five epics. The names of the epics are first mentioned in the late 18th century – early 19th century work Thiruthanikaiula. Earlier works like the 17th century poem Tamil vidu thoothu mention the great epics as Panchkavyams.[2][3] Among these, the last two, namely Valayapathi and Kuṇṭalakēci are not extant.[4]
These five epics were written over a period of 1st century CE to 10th century CE and act as the historical evidence of social, religious, cultural and academic life of people during the era they were created. Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi introduced long verses called virutha pa in Tamil literature,[5] while Cilappatikāram used akaval meter (monologue), a style adopted from Sangam literature.
Great Epics of Tamil Literature Edit
According to the great Tamil commentator Atiyarkkunallar (12th–13th century BCE), poems were of two kinds – Col thodar nilai ceyyuḷ (சொல் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள்) or poems connected by virtue of their formal properties and Poruḷ toṭar nilai ceyyuḷ (பொருள் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள்), or poems connected by virtue of content that forms a unity.[6][7] Cilappatikāram, the Tamil epic is defined by Atiyarkkunallar as Iyal icai nāṭaka poruḷ toṭar nilai ceyyuḷ (இயல் இசை நாடக பொருள் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள்), poems connected by virtue of content that forms a unity having elements of poetry, music and drama.[6][7] Such stanzas are defined as kāvya and kappiyam in Tamil. In Mayilainathar's commentary (14th century CE) on the grammar Nannūl, we first hear the mention of aimperumkappiyam, the five great epics of Tamil literature.[6]
Each one of these epics have long cantos, like in Cilappatikāram, which has 30 referred as monologues sung by any character in the story or by an outsider as his own monologue often quoting the dialogues he has known or witnessed.[8] It has 25 cantos composed in akaval meter, used in most poems in Sangam literature. The alternative for this meter is called aicirucappu (verse of teachers) associated with verse composed in learned circles.[9] Akaval is a derived form of verb akavu indicating to call or beckon. Cilappatikāram is also credited to bring folk songs to literary genre, a proof of the claim that folk songs institutionalised literary culture with the best maintained cultures root back to folk origin.[9] Manimekalai is an epic in ahaval metre and is noted for its simple and elegant style of description of natural scenery.[10] Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi is one of the earliest works of Tamil literature in long verses called virutha pa.[5]
No Name Author Notes
1 Cilappatikāram Ilango Adigal Non religious work of 1st century CE[4]
2 Manimekalai Sīthalai Sāttanār Buddhist religious work of 1st or 5th century CE[4]
3 Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi Tirutakkatevar Jain religious work of 10th century CE[4]
4 Valayapathi Unknown Jain ascetic Jain religious work of 9th century CE[4]
5 Kundalakēci Naguthanar Buddhist religious work of 5th century CE[4]
Topics in Tamil literature
Sangam Literature
The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature
Silappatikaram Manimekalai
Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi Valayapathi
Kundalakesi
Bhakthi Literature
Tevaram Divya Prabandha
Tirumuṟai
Tamil people
Sangam Sangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literature Ancient Tamil music
edit
The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature (Tamil: ஐம்பெரும்காப்பியங்கள் Aimperumkāppiyaṅkaḷ) are five large narrative Tamil epics according to later Tamil literary tradition, namely Cilappatikāram, Manimekalai, Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi, Valayapathi and Kuṇṭalakēci.[1] The first mention of the "Aimperumkappiyam" (lit. Five large epics) occurs in Mayilainathar's commentary of Nannūl. However, Mayilainathar does not mention the names of the five epics. The names of the epics are first mentioned in the late 18th century – early 19th century work Thiruthanikaiula. Earlier works like the 17th century poem Tamil vidu thoothu mention the great epics as Panchkavyams.[2][3] Among these, the last two, namely Valayapathi and Kuṇṭalakēci are not extant.[4]
These five epics were written over a period of 1st century CE to 10th century CE and act as the historical evidence of social, religious, cultural and academic life of people during the era they were created. Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi introduced long verses called virutha pa in Tamil literature,[5] while Cilappatikāram used akaval meter (monologue), a style adopted from Sangam literature.
Great Epics of Tamil Literature Edit
According to the great Tamil commentator Atiyarkkunallar (12th–13th century BCE), poems were of two kinds – Col thodar nilai ceyyuḷ (சொல் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள்) or poems connected by virtue of their formal properties and Poruḷ toṭar nilai ceyyuḷ (பொருள் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள்), or poems connected by virtue of content that forms a unity.[6][7] Cilappatikāram, the Tamil epic is defined by Atiyarkkunallar as Iyal icai nāṭaka poruḷ toṭar nilai ceyyuḷ (இயல் இசை நாடக பொருள் தொடர் நிலை செய்யுள்), poems connected by virtue of content that forms a unity having elements of poetry, music and drama.[6][7] Such stanzas are defined as kāvya and kappiyam in Tamil. In Mayilainathar's commentary (14th century CE) on the grammar Nannūl, we first hear the mention of aimperumkappiyam, the five great epics of Tamil literature.[6]
Each one of these epics have long cantos, like in Cilappatikāram, which has 30 referred as monologues sung by any character in the story or by an outsider as his own monologue often quoting the dialogues he has known or witnessed.[8] It has 25 cantos composed in akaval meter, used in most poems in Sangam literature. The alternative for this meter is called aicirucappu (verse of teachers) associated with verse composed in learned circles.[9] Akaval is a derived form of verb akavu indicating to call or beckon. Cilappatikāram is also credited to bring folk songs to literary genre, a proof of the claim that folk songs institutionalised literary culture with the best maintained cultures root back to folk origin.[9] Manimekalai is an epic in ahaval metre and is noted for its simple and elegant style of description of natural scenery.[10] Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi is one of the earliest works of Tamil literature in long verses called virutha pa.[5]
No Name Author Notes
1 Cilappatikāram Ilango Adigal Non religious work of 1st century CE[4]
2 Manimekalai Sīthalai Sāttanār Buddhist religious work of 1st or 5th century CE[4]
3 Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi Tirutakkatevar Jain religious work of 10th century CE[4]
4 Valayapathi Unknown Jain ascetic Jain religious work of 9th century CE[4]
5 Kundalakēci Naguthanar Buddhist religious work of 5th century CE[4]
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