Silappadhikaram - III

Silappadhikaram

(Literary Appreciation)

3

 Period and Place

Poompuhar Art Gallery

1.Period

With the available historical evidences the period of the epic is

understood to be between second and fifth century A.D.

Also, the historians fix the rule of the King Cheran Senguttuvan

the elder brother of the author Ilango Adigal to be between 170 to 195 A.D.

The writing of the epics Silappadhikaram and Manimekhalai during 180 A.D.

post-Tholkappium (350 B.C),

post-Sangam Literature (350 B.C-300 A.D )

and post-Thirukural (100 B.C )  period.

Here we should see the then port city Kaveri Poom Pattinam.

It means the place where river Kaveri enters the sea, Bay of Bengal

This place is in present District of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu

known as Puhar or Poompuhar.

This was under the rule of Chola Kingdom, with Uraiyur 

(present Thiruchirapalli) as their capital.

 Puhar and Nagapattinam served as twin port towns

for their flourishing local and foreign trade.

Thanjavur was also a major town in the Chola Regime.

With the flow of perennial Kaveri river the kingdom was very fertile and

was called the “ rice bowl “ of the region.

2. Place

Puhar underwater excavation

According to deep sea researcher Graham Hancock, the civilization

in this place is  approximately more than 11 000 years old.

May be this is the first civilization known in the history.

Using latest gadgets in underwater and deep sea exploration,

side scan sonar research equipment, he has found 7 meter

below the sea, ruins of a well planned beautiful city.

It is astonishing revelation in Channel 4 TV.

May be some Tsunami type sea eruption

and land erosion has submerged the city subsequently.

 Indian National Hydro-graphic Department (INHD)

National Institute Oceanography (NIO) Goa and

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

have confirmed these findings .

The civilization is more superior than Mesopotamians.

Puhar is the birth place of both Kovalan and Kannagi.

*

                                                                       .......4 

Oh, Lady Moon !

Chitra Poornima 

To-day is the full moon day in the current Tamil month of Chitrai.

This day is also known Buddha Poornima Day.

Indeed very auspicious day.
To-days Moon is nearer to earth, bigger and brighter
and is termed as " Super Moon "

Oh, Lady Moon !

Thilak adorning your crescent forehead

jasmine decorating your cloudy hair

your sparkling smile, the sharp arrow

piercing my heart

standing afar and burning me

reciting in my ears the love songs

daily and life-long !

Oh, silvery full moon!

happy to swim slowly

in the ocean of the blue sky

is it not the hesitancy redundant,

when steaming love is in abundant ?

other day in the same moon-lit night

she was close with me, right ?

hiding behind the dark clouds,

your overwhelming shy in excess,

oh moon, you were the witness !

swaying sweet fruits

carefully plucking,

with beautiful flowers

wearing colorful garlands,

reciting the love song

together we will walk along

on the stage of romance

making our happy life to commence.

nothing there now to shy or sulk

you, the angel in the softy silk.

____

*****

Pic. from net

our day

May Day

what  could  be  a  better  solution?

after  the  day’s

late  night  hard  work

deep  sleep  with

sweet  dreams

got  up  early  in  the  morning.

afresh -

detailed  planning

dedicated  designing

meticulous  developing

count  down  for  testing

performance  display

high  in  the  sky

pouring  congratulations!

it  is  our  day

it  is  May  Day!

for  the  workers, 

men  and  women,

everyone,

who  toil  in  the 

houses  and  fields

office  and  factories

trade  and  industry

roads  and  vehicles

building  and  bridges

schools and hospitals

here  and  there

everywhere

constructing and developing 

the  Nation

to  honor  the  labor

it  is  May  Day! 

it  is  Our  Day!
____
*****

Silappadhikaram -II

Silappadhikaram

(Literary Appreciation)

2

The Author

Ilango Adigal, the Author of Silappadhikaram 

is a Prince of  Chera dynasty. 

He is the younger brother of then Chera King Cheran Senguttuvan. 

At the time of  Ilango’s birth, the astrologers predicted 
that he will rule the Kingdom 

and become very famous. When Ilango came to know this, 

he renounced the worldly life and became a monk, 
thus making the predictions false. 

Astrologers may fail but not the astrology. If astrologer has the 

complete knowledge and has the intuitive acumen, 
the predictions never fails. 

It is true, Ilango Adigal in due course by reciting Silppadhikaram 

became the King in literary world and attained worldly fame.

Though the story of Silappadhikaram is a tragic narration, 
it has all elements of great epic.

The narration is poetic containing Iyal, Isai and Natakam –
prose, poetry and drama. 

Though a born Prince, who became a Jain monk later, 

fully aware of and familiar with the intricacies of 
lives and life-styles of common man. 

Even after renunciation of worldly pleasures as a monk, 

he is aware of the hard play of the fate in anybody’s life. 

Fate at its worst plays havoc and causes even death. 

This is true even in the lives of god incarnations as seen in 
Ramayana and Mahabharata. 

Also seems to be true in the lives of monks, sadhus and sanyasis, 

great saints and Rishi & Munis. 
Nobody can dodge the reach of the hands of the fate.

When the King Cheran Senguttuvan along with his younger brother, 

Ilango Adigal, visits the forest, he hears the story of 
Kannagi from the local people. 

He is moved by the story of Kannagi, desires and requests Ilango 

to record the narration of the happenings to Kannagi, 

as a record in the honor of the chaste woman. 

Ilango Adigal obliges and thus the Epic is made.

                                                                                         ............3

Intimate Explorer

A

Divine letter

Word of love, sentence of sense,

Punctuated paragraph, meaningful page,

Colorful book with inviting beauty,

But not her story or past history

And not an renowned Epic or Veda to recite

It is she whom I know and love by heart.

The

Beautiful garden with

Ever green plants and trees

Blooming with buds, flowers and fruits

Surrounded by peaky unconquered mountains,

Perennial River, dense forest and flat rich valley,

It is where I roam, relax and love and live with her for ever

Sangam of

Wavy Ocean and deep rough Sea

with turbulent emotional Bay.

Your diamond nose-stud pricking, Oh, kumari kanya !

Your smile, the flower from which plant to get? Is it maya?

Bless me with your darshan divya!

____

*****

Music of Peace and Love

Agni V

(Indian ICBM)

We, the Indians are very happy and proud.

We achieved success in test firing on April 19, 2012

Agni V, Indian ICBM, Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

with nuclear capability.

It traveled 5 000 plus kilometers in less than 20 minutes

from Wheeler Island ITR in Odisha to

a designated point in Indian Ocean

and achieved the goal by destroying the targets

with claimed precision and accuracy.

Thus, India joined the Elite Nuclear ICBM Club with with only

five other member countries

US, UK, France, Russia & China.

Agni V is an Indian Fifth Generation, Three stage

Solid fuelled, surface-to-surface Missile.

The lift-off weight is 50 tonnes,

length 17.5 meter & 2 meter diameter

with claimed range of  5000 plus kilometers,

capable of delivering 1.5 tonne nuclear warheads

with precise and accurate strike of targets.

Regarding the range, ICBM bench mark is 5500 kilometer.

For the reasons known, India underplayed the range of Agni V

as 5000 kM. China disputed the range as 8000 kM.

The strike envelope covers whole of Asia, most of the area in China,

Eastern Europe and Africa. (except America).

The Development cost is around 2500 crore rupees.

Sophisticated (RLG) Ring Laser gyroscope and Inertial guidance system,

( procured from US or Russia)

were used for accurate and precision guidance and navigation

with optional GPS system.

MIRV – Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles (2-10) is

another important feature of the Missile.

This feature enables from multiple up to 10 various

 warheads can be fired for single target or

multiple warheads can be fired on multiple targets

separated by considerable distance.

The missile is canistered, covered for long term

storage and safe transportation.

Better they remain canistered for long

for the sake of peace.

Yes, we achieved a deadly weapon with lot of

scope for improving the range and capability.

Amidst all talk, this will surely increase the arms race

in the region. China has already shown its reaction.

Whether we can answer them with this weapon ?

They possess DF 31 and DF 31 A, similar weapons

with varying ranges 7000 to 12000 km

with indigenous knowhow of

advanced technology for guidance and navigation.

If we aim the weapon towards China, they are better placed

politically, economically, technologically, geographically

with improved infrastructure.They are permanent members

of UN Security Council.

Naughty boy Pakistan is in their group with less reliability

May be Agni V will help us in various negotiations,

as talks are between equals.

Let us hope the step does not lead us to

Cry of  War & Hate;

But guide and navigate the humanity to

Music of Peace & Love.

____

*****

Silappadhikaram - I

Silappadhikaram

(Literary Appreciation)

1

Preface

World classical languages are nine. 
Of these, two are Indian languages, Sanskrit and Tamil. 
Knowing Tamil, a world classical language, makes me glad. 
I wonder why English has not deserved the status. 
I am not very proficient in Tamil. 
I just tried to make literary appreciation of one of the epics, 
Silappadhikaram.

Tamil is a South Indian Dravidian language widely spoken in 
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhrapradesh in India 
and outside in Malayasia, Singapore and Srilanka where 
Tamil is spoken and an Official Language also. 
Sanskrit is also an old Vedic Language – very less used 
for the purpose of communication presently.

The five Great epics in Tamil are Silapadhikaram, 
Manimekhalai, Sivakasinthamani, Valayapthi and Kundalakesi. 
These titles depict various ornaments worn by 
classical Tamilian lady on feet, hip, neck, hands and ears– 
silambu, mekhala, mani, valay, kundalam, respectively. 
May be the authors created these epics and 
dedicated to Tamil language as ornaments.

Silapadhikaram is written by the Prince - Poet Ilango Adigal, 
a Jain monk from Chera kings dynasty. 
Manimekhalai is written by Koola vaanigan Seethalai Sathanar. 
These two Great epics have ground and characters in common. 
The story-line of Manimekhalai follws Silapadhikaram. 
These two are contemporary epics by different authors, 
that is why Ilango Adigal calls it Silappadhikaram, 
Chapter of Anklet. May be both together planned to pen 
a single ethic in two books/volumes or chapters.

Silapadhikaram is related to 
three Tamil kingdoms - Chera, Chola and Pandiya, 
three kings - Cheran Senguttuvan, Cholan Karikalan and 
Pandian Nedunchezhiyan
three cities - Poompuhar, Madurai and Vanchi 
and three main characters - Kovalan, Kannagi and Madhavi. 
The lead role is portrayed by Kannagi. 
The epic was created by second century and is based on 
an anklet, Silambu.
Silapadhikaram= Silambu+ Adhikaram.

Adhikaram means chapter. 
So, Silapadhikaram means Chapter based on Anklet. 

With that in view, it goes to conclude that Silappadhikaram 
along with Manimekhalai goes to complete the entire 
story / theme or the book. 
These two may be volumes of the same book 
by different authors contemporary to each other.

The main three aims or objectives of Silappadhikaram 
are to highlight-

1. Arasiyal pizhaithorku aram kootru avathum         

For those who commit injustice in ruling/politics, 
the justice itself will turn as demon of death.

2. uraisaal pathini uyarnthor yetralum,

Noble people adore chaste woman

3. uzhvinai uruthtu vantuttum enbathum

The fate plays its hard role in ones life.

Justice in ruling a country, chastity of women in family, 
fate in ones life are the three factors that they form 
main theme of the story of Silapadhikaram. 
How these objectives are portrayed in the episodes 
of the story, we may see.

In a nutshell the story of Silapadhikaram goes like this-

Kovalan is the son of a wealthy grain merchant 
from Poompuhar in chola kingdom. 
He married to a chaste woman Kannagi but falls in love with 
a Court dancer, Madhavi and loses all his wealth. 
Penniless he returns back to Kannagi. 
For livelihood and for doing some business they proceed to Madurai,
in Pandiya Kingdom 
For the finance, while trying to sell the anklet of Kannagi, 
Kovalan was charged with stealing of the anklet of the queen 
and beheaded by the order of Pandiya king. 

Kannagi goes to the court of the king, argues 
and proves the innocence of her husband and in 
the fire of her anger and chastity;
 she burns Madurai by toring and throwing one of left breast. 
Due to the guilty conscious for the injustice done to Kovalan, 
killing him on false charges without proper investigation, 
the Pandiya king Nedunchezhyan and his queen die spontaneously. 
Kannagi then goes to Chera kingdom. She ascends the hill top. 
Her resurrected husband Kovalan comes in a phuspak viman 
and takes her to heaven and thus attaining her Divinity.

While Kannagi had no child, Manimekhalai is 
the daughter of Madhavi.
*

                                                                                                                       .......... 2