Tamil poet kambar autobiography vs biography

Tamil Hindu epic based on the Ramayana

The Ramavataram, popularly referred to as Kamba Ramayanam, is a Tamilepic that was written by the Tamil poet Kambar during the 12th century. Based on Valmiki's Ramayana (which is in Sanskrit), the story describes the legend of King Rama of Ayodhya. However, the Ramavataram is different from the Sanskrit version in many aspects – both in spiritual concepts and in the specifics of the storyline. This historic work is considered by both Tamil scholars and the general public as one of the greatest literary works in Tamil literature.

Kambar wrote this epic with the patronage of Thiruvennai Nallur Sadayappa Vallal, a chieftain of the Pannai lineage. In gratitude to his patron, Kamban references his name once in every 1,000 verses.

Early references in Tamil literature

Main article: Ramayana in Tamil literature

Even before Kambar wrote the Ramavataram in Tamil in the 12 century CE, there are many ancient references to the story of Ramayana, implying that the story was familiar in the Tamil lands even before the Common Era. References to the story can be found in the Sangam literature of Akanaṉūṟu,(dated 200 BCE–300 CE) and Purananuru (dated 200 BCE–300 CE), the twin epics of Silappatikaram (dated 6th century CE) and Manimekalai, and the Alvar literature of Kulasekhara Alvar, Thirumangai Alvar, Andal and Nammalvar (dated between 8th and 10th centuries CE).

Structure

The book is divided into six chapters, called Kandam in Tamil. The Kandams are further divided into 113 sections called Padalam (படலம்) in Tamil. These 113 sections contain approximately 10569 verses of the epic.

• Bala Kandam (Chapter: Childhood)
• Ayodhya Kandam (Chapter: Ayodhya)
• Aranya Kandam (Chapter: Forest)
• Kishkindha Kandam (Chapter: Kishkindha)

And the Kamba Rasam polemic of polymath Anna

by Sachi Sri Kantha

September 15th being the 98th birth anniversary of polymath and DMK founder-leader C.N. Annadurai (aka Arignar Anna, 1909-1969), in this essay, I focus my attention on a not-so irrelevant topic: one of Anna’s influential tracts named Kamba Rasam. This I contribute as a component of the continuing series on the broad theme of the DMK’s influence in the politics and culture of Tamils, to mark the 50th anniversary of the DMK’s entry into Tamil Nadu politics and the 40th anniversary of the DMK’s first ascent to power. The title of Anna’s tract, Kamba Rasam, can be literally translated into ‘Kambar’s Soup,’ but in an elegant sense, it means ‘The Taste of Kambar.’ It provides one of the most stinging criticisms of epic poet Kambar’s masterpiece, Kamba Ramayanam, which in his times was referred to as ‘Rama Avathaaram.’

If there is one medieval Tamil intellectual for whom I have deepest sympathies, it is for Kambar, the legendary emperor of Tamil poets (Kavi Chakravarthi). By any literary scale of evaluation, Kambar was one of the greats – on par with Publis Vergilius Maro aka Virgil (70 BC – 19 BC), Kalidasa (~ 4th cent.), Omar Khayyam (1048-1131), Dante (1265-1321), Shakespeare (1564-1616), and von Goethe (1749-1832). But will you care to check any decent encyclopedia of world literature? There would be lengthy entries on the six poets I have just noted, but an entry on Kambar will be missing.

Despite Kambar’s lack of recognition in popular English biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias, he does receive p

12th-century Indian poet of Tamil language

This article is about the poet. For the lean process method, see Kanban.

Kambar, or Kavichakravarthy Kamban (1180 CE–1250 CE), was an Indian poet and the author of the Ramavataram, popularly known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of the epic Ramayana. Kambar also authored other literary works in Tamil, such as Tirukkai Valakkam, Erelupatu, Silai Elupatu, Kangai Puranam, Sadagopar Antati and Saraswati Antati.

Life

Kambar was born in Therazhundur. His father was a wealthy farmer named Sadaiyepa Vallal. He grew up in the Chola Empire under the reign of Kulothunga III. Having heard of this talented bard, Kulothunga summoned him to his court and honoured him with the title Kavi Chakravarty (The Emperor of Poets).

Kambar flourished in Therazhundur, a village in the culturally rich Mayiladuthurai district in the modern state of Tamil Nadu in South India.

Kambar is generally dated after the Vaishnavite philosopher, Ramanuja, as the poet refers to the latter in his work, the Sadagopar Antati.

Kamban was a great scholar of both Tamil and Sanskrit—two of India's oldest and richest languages in terms of literary works. In a scholarly biography, Kavichakravarty Kamban, Mahavidwan R. Raghava Iyengar wrote in detail about Kambar.

Kambar spent his last days in Nattarasankottai (known for Kannathal temple) near to Sivagangai town and his tomb is situated there. It is said that Kambar after having differences with Kulothunga's son, Rajaraja III, he left the Chola kingdom and moved from place to place. When he reached at Nattarasankottai, he was very thirsty and asked water in one house at Nattarasankottai. He was offered buttermilk in return and he became very happy and decided to stay there itself and spent his l

After having the privilege of publishing this sublime essay on Andal Devi, it is only appropriate to devote this post to Kamban, the emperor of poetry and devotee of Nammalwar.

Background

Kamban was born in Thiruvazhundur in the Thanjavur area of the Chola kingdom. Multiple scholars and historians place him in the 9 century CE, while others trace Kamban to the 12-13century CE. A 9 century birth may locate Kamban after Adi Sankara and before Sri Ramanujacharya, while the latter date places him after the two great Acharyas. In any event, Kamban belongs to the third great wave of Tamizh literature that started with the Sangam period (dated before the Common Era), followed by the widespread impact of Bhakti literature of the Alwars and Nayanmars between the 6th-9th century CE [4] (noting that many trace the start of the Alwars to a few thousand years ago or to the early part of the 1st millennium). The are many popular stories about how Kamban got his name. It has been mentioned that Kamban’s father, Athavan was a priest, although some claim that he was a temple drummer. Growing up within a temple environment would have aided his learning of Hindu scriptures and contributed to his expertise in both Sanskrit and Tamizh. It is known without doubt that his patron was Sadayappan Vallal (possibly a landlord or chieftain) of Thiruvennainallur as he is acknowledged several times in Kamban’s works. Kamban was a devotee of Nammalwar and his Kula Deivam (family deity) was Sri Narasimha. It is said that he finalized his Ramavataram Mahakavyam in Srirangam and presented the கம்ப ராமாயணம் to the world. The story of how this divine poem came about is a quintessentially Indian one.

There were other literary luminaries in the Kamban era include Ottakuttan and Pugazhendi. The story [3] goes that Ottakuttan, a poet in the Chola court was a noted critic of poetry and a master of the prevailing norms of grammar, syntax, and prosody. None were able