According to V R Ramachandra Dikshitar, the title Silappatikāram – also spelled Silappadikaram – is a combination of two words, "silambu" ( See more

Structure of Cilappatikaram
The Cilappatikaram is divided into three kantams (book, Skt: khanda), which are further subdivided into katais (cantos, Skt: katha). The three kantams are named after the capitals of the three major early Tamil kingdoms: See more

U. V. Swaminatha Iyer (1855-1942 CE), a Shaiva Hindu and Tamil scholar, rediscovered the palm-leaf manuscripts of the original epic … See more

The Tamil tradition attributes Cilappatikaram to the Iḷaṅkō Aṭikaḷ ("the venerable ascetic prince"), also spelled Ilango Adigal. He is … See more

In the modern era, some Tamil scholars have linked the Ilango Adigal legend about he is being the brother of king Cenkuttuvan, as a means to date this text. A Chera king … See more

The manuscripts of the epic include a prologue called patikam. This is likely a later addition to the older epic. It, nevertheless, shows the literary value of the epic to later … See more

To some critics, Maṇimēkalai is more interesting than Cilappadikaram, but in terms of literary evaluation, it seems inferior. According to … See more