Theme
The epic trio of Silappatikaram, Manimegalai and Civaka Cintamani gives a full account of Tamil concept of womanhood by powerfully and poignantly delineating the character of a chaste wife Kannagi, a brave and dutiful daughter Manimekalai and an affectionate mother in Vijayai, mother of Jivakan in the three epics respectively. Silappatikaram explains the inexorable working of fate where in spite of being innocent, the hero Kovalan gets punished and the queen of Pandya loses her life along with the king when the king realises his mistake of punishing Kovalan. Kannagi is regarded as a symbol of chastity and she is always associated with chasteness in Tamil literature across ages. In Manimegalai, the protagonist, Manimegalai is instructed in the various truths expounded by the teachers of different faiths. Civaka Cintamani is adoped from Sanskrit Mahapurana, is predominantly sensuous, though Jain philosophy is brought to practical aspects of life.
Read more about this topic: The Five Great Epics Of Tamil Literature
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