Description

Silapathikaram is one of The Five GreatEpicsof Tamil Literature according to later Tamil literarytradition. AJain poet-prince from Kochi (in modern Kerala) referredto by thepseudonym Ilango Adigal is credited with this work. He isreputedto have been the brother of Vel Kelu Kuttuvan, the Cheradynastyking.

As a literary work, Silappatikaram is held in high regard bytheTamil people. The nature of the book is non-religious,narrativeand has a moralistic undertone. It contains three chaptersand atotal of 5270 lines of poetry. The epic revolves aroundKannagi,who having lost her husband to a miscarriage of justice atthecourt of the Pandyan Dynasty, wreaks her revenge onhiskingdom.