LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 22:8 August 2022
ISSN 1930-2940

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         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

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Comparative Mythopoetic Strategies in the Cilappatikaram

Richa Dawar, M.Phil.

Abstract

Tamil Classical Literature employs myriad linguistic strategies in conjunction with discursive sangam poetic conventions for the creation of the mythical narratives as seen in the circa 5 C.E. kappiyam (epic) The Cilappatikaram. This paper analyses the usage of the comparative mythical superstructure invoked at various moments in the Tamil epic to establish the text’s mythical underpinnings in relation to larger world of mythological discourse inhabited by myths of battles fought “at the time of churning/The ocean, and in seablown La?ka, and the one/In which the seablue god drove the chariot” (A?ika? 236), the last two being references to the major Sanskrit epics The Ramaya?a and The Mahabharata. The comparative use of mythical references as a textual strategy also sheds light on the ideological frameworks within which the text was composed. The mythopoetic impulse in the Tamil epic is ideologically pluralistic in nature, staying in tune with the thematic concerns of the epic which draws from Jaina, Buddhist as well as Hindu traditions. This is significant as the socio-political tensions of the battle between the southern Chera kingdom ruler King Ce?ku??uva? who leads an army to subdue the hubristic northern Kings in the pu?am-domain in Book III, are also resolved within the larger mythical framework of the Patti?i goddess. Thus, The Cilappatikaram’s usage of comparative mythical superstructure, especially in Book III acquires significant ideological underpinnings that situate the worldview embodied by the significant Tamil epic.

Keywords: Cilappatikaram, myth, linguistic strategies, comparative, epic

Introduction

The Tamil classical era composition The Cilappatikaram or The Tale of an Anklet is notable for its indigenous poetics. I?a?kõ A?ika?, the composer of the epic tale, has been widely recognized by critics as a prince who renounced his royal status to become a Jain ascetic, and drew together influences from Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism as well as other minor folk traditions to compose the tale of Kovala?, Ka??aki, and Matavi. A tale that narrates the apotheosis of a woman from the merchant class into a mythical goddess, the Tamil classic has come to be associated with and to establish the antiquity of Tamil culture and language. The circa 5 C.E. text employs myriad linguistic strategies in conjunction with discursive sangam poetic conventions for the creation of the myth of the goddess Patti?i. The epic consists of three books divided in thirty cantos and is notable for the non-androcentric protagonist Ka??aki as well as for its use of non-Sanskritic poetic conventions which combine elements of poetry, music and dance with the prose narrative. This paper analyses the usage of the comparative mythical superstructure invoked at various moments in the Tamil epic to establish the text’s mythical underpinnings in relation to the larger world of mythological discourse inhabited by myths of battles fought “at the time of churning/The ocean, and in seablown La?ka, and the one/In which the sea blue god drove the chariot” (A?ika? 236), the last two being references to the major Sanskrit epics The Ramaya?a and The Mahabharata. As this analysis will highlight, the comparative mythopoetic strategies inherent in The Cilappatikaram, especially in the Book III acquire ideological significance through the relational juxtaposition of myths from the Tamil and Sanskrit context in the Tamil epic, and also provides insight into the worldview that the epic germinates.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Richa Dawar, M.Phil.
Assistant Professor, Daulat Ram College
University of Delhi
richaadawarr@gmail.com
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