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spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
I have no idea as to the accuracy of the translation (since I don't speak Tamil), but the story itself is fascinating. From the sixth century! That's incredible.
சிலப்பதிகாரம் [cilappatikāram]: சிலம்பு (anklet) [cilampu] + அதிகாரம் (story, chapter) [atikāram].
சிலப்பதிகாரம் [cilappatikāram]: சிலம்பு (anklet) [cilampu] + அதிகாரம் (story, chapter) [atikāram].
avinsh10's review against another edition
4.0
Kingdoms come & go,
Emotions rise & fall,
Characters enter & exit.
This is the way of life.
Kannaki's life might have been tragic but it is a fierce warning against excess indulge. In fact, Silappadikaram is a fantastic parable similar to great tragedies like the Oedipus cycle and Shakespeare's Hamlet. It's a tale of two cities: Puhar(Chola) & Madurai(Pandayan). One in its nascent stage of corruption, while the other is at the verge of collapse. It serves as a warning to the Cera king, who decides to build a shrine for Kannaki(Pattini) as a goddess of Chastity.
Ramaswamy Dikshitar's translation is a little dated but his footnotes, introduction, and appendices are excellent scholarship. He manages to transport you to a distant land & culture. He translates the epic with fine details of flora-fauna, music, dance, and drama without losing the track of the plot. The introduction focuses on the kingdoms of Tamil Nadu, the appendix turn the focus towards
1. Usage of Sanskrit words.
2. Dating of the text.
3. Music in Silappadikaram
4. Pattini cult through the ages.
and finally, the footnotes add context to superstitions and folklore. For example,
1. "The invisible deity[of Puhar] guarding the place would make the thief go round and round the open plain, with a heavy burden on his head but would not permit him to pass away from there."
This premonition foreshadows the psychological state of the Pandyan king. Who steals the life of Kovalan from Kannaki and instantly pays for it with his life.
2. "Tradition affirms that every palace had such a bell in front of it, for the use of people and even animals whenever injustice was done to them by the state, so as to bring it to the king's notice."
When Madurai is up in flames, The deity of Madurai says to Kannaki that she hasn't heard it been rung till now. She pleads her to forgive the injustice done to her.
3. Ashtadiggajas:
"Legend has it that the universe lies balanced on the tusks of elephants, each elephant supporting a quarter of the world."
Here it alludes to the extensive conquest of the Cera King. Cera king upon hearing Kannaki's story decides to embark on a campaign to acquire a stone slab from the Himalayas. On his march, he battles and wins over those who oppose him.
Ilango Adigal(the author) juxtaposes nature along with human emotions. For example, Madavi's song at the seashore causes Kovalan's latent emotions to surface. Thus, making him realize his mistake. Beautiful descriptions of nature also anchor the readers among the turmoils of the story. The author also manages to show the cohabitation of Jains, Hindus, and Buddhist philosophies. The way he manages to create aesthetics is astonishing. The only thing that is hard to comprehend is the musical & theatrical aspects of the play.
Regards,
Vinay A
You have entered the Zone (Inadequately researched Madman's rambling):
Tamil poetry is comprised of four major meters characteristic of the Varna system.
1. Venpa/Venba (Brahmin)
They don't permit the usage of other meters.
2. Aciriyam (Kshatriya)
Similar to Venpa but allows other meters to be combined, Sweet sounding and great for longer poems.
3. Kali(Merchant)
Similar to Acriyam, but more flexible in the usage of other meters.
4. Vanci(Farmers)
Shorter lines compared to other meters.
This epic was composed using Aciriyam, maybe it was the intention of the author to signify its target audience?
Dikshitar highlights stanzas where the meter changes.
djoshuva's review against another edition
4.0
“If you wish to know of deeds done in the past, do you not look for them in the present birth?”
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