Question

Who wrote Silappadikaram?
A. Tolkappiar
B. Sattanar
C. Niakkirar
D. IIango Adigal

Answer 1

Hint:
- It was written in Tamil.
- It is one of the epics stories of the ancient Sangam period written by Tamil Jain.


Complete step by step solution:

What?
- The title Cilappatikāram, also spelt Silappadikaram, is a combination of two words, 'silambu' (anklet) and 'adikaram' (the story about), according to V R Ramachandra Dikshitar. Hence, it connotes a "Story around an anklet."

- It is a tragic story of a merchant, Kovalan of Puhar, who falls in love with a dancer, Madhavi, who neglects his own wife, Kannagi, who eventually takes revenge on the death of her husband at the hands of the King of Pandyan and becomes a goddess.

- According to later Tamil literary traditions, it is considered one of the five Great Epics, the others being Manimegalai, Civaka Cintamani, Valayapathi and Kundalakesi.

- As a literary work, it is held by the Tamils in high regard. The core of the novel is non-religious, descriptive and has a spiritual undertone. It comprises three chapters and 5270 lines of poetry in total. The epic revolves around Kannagi, who, having lost her husband in the court of the Pandya king to a miscarriage of justice, wreaks her vengeance on his kingdom.

Author:
- Prince Ilango Adigal, the Jain poet, is credited with this work. He is reputed to be the brother of Senguttuvan, a Chera dynasty warrior king, although there is no evidence in the poetry of Sangam that the famous king had a brother. In Tamizh, 'Ilango' means 'Prince' and 'Adigal' means 'Ascetic'. So 'Ilango Adigal' is literally 'Prince Ascetic'.

- He is known as Jain Monk and Chera King Cenkuttuvan 's brother, whose family and rule are mentioned in the Sangam literature's Fifth Ten of the Pati-uppattu.


Hence, the correct answer is option D.

Note:
- Three of the five greatest Tamil epics of the ancient Sangam period were written by Tamil Jains — Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi, Silappatikāram, and Valayapathi.

- Manuscripts from Silappadikaram and Manimekalai were found preserved in a Hindu temple at Kumbakonam in the 19th century. They're both sequels.

- Ilango Adikal, a Hindu poet, wrote Silappadikaram holistically, without ridiculing any religion, and Seeththalai Saththanar, a Buddhist, wrote Manimekalai. A Buddhist (Mahayana) epic ridiculing other religions is Manimekalai.