Silappadhikaram - X

Silappadhikaram

(Literary Appreciation)

10

Towering Inferno

Burning Madurai City

Kannagi established the justice in the Court of Pandian Neduncheziyan.

She proved in front of the Court that her husband, Kovalan is an innocent

and not a thief. Understanding the truth and injustice caused to them,

the King and the Queen die immediately.

With this the burning anger of Kannagi is not quenched.

She goes to the Cathedral of Madurai city.

She calls the noble men, chaste women, learned, Brahamins and

other virtuous people of the city and with anger ask them,

" Is it the justice you people have done to me ? you were

mute witness for this."

She called the gods, they were standing in front of her 

and shivering with fear.

Yes, for the chaste women, even Gods fear and it is said they

carry out their orders.

In the fit of anger, with right hand she tore her left breast

and flung it with the curse and order to the fire god to burn

the City of Madurai, sparing the children, old and good lives.
Orders of Kannagi were carried out by the Fire God.
Towering Inferno in the City of Madurai and destruction..

Though her anger quenched, with overwhelming sorrow
she walks ...walks.....directionless, keeps on walking
without any food or water. She ultimately reaches
the hilly forest region of Chera Kingdom. The place is known
as Kodungalur. She remains there for 15 days without any food
or water under a vengai tree.

Then, resurrected Kovalan, her husband descends from
the heaven along with deities in a pushpak viman and take Kannagi
along with him and goes back to heaven.
This is in the ultimate process of making a chaste woman
a Goddess. Why not ?

With this, the author, Ilango Adigal closes his pen and hands over to
Sithalai Sattanar to take up the story of Manimekhalai,
Madhavi's daughter.
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