Tamil poet kambar autobiography meaning

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

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Kambar.—A celebrated Tamil poet. He was born in a poor family. At the orders of the King many poets wrote the story of Rāmāyaṇa in Tamil. But Kambar’s work was accepted as the best. This is the renowned Kamba Rāmāyaṇa. Kambar has written many other poems of which the important ones are Sarasvatī Antādi and Kāñcī Purāṇa. It is said that unintelligent children of Tamil nādu are even now given sand from the burial ground of Kambar to induce intelligence into them. The (—r) suffix in Kambar is plural denoting respect. (See under 'Bhadrakālī').

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Discover the meaning of kambar in the context of Purana from relevant books on Exotic India

Starts with: Kambara, Kambaragitti, Kambarahi, Kambarajagire, Kambarasa, Kambarem, Kambarike, Kambarmodi, Kambaroca, Kambarti, Kambaruna, Kampar, Kampara, Kamparamayanam, Kamparici, Kamparru.

Full-text: Shringaravalli, Kampacuttiram, Iramayanam, Kampar, Iramavataram, Copanam.

Search found 8 books and stories containing Kambar; (plurals include: Kambars). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

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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