Book Review : 'Silappadhikaram' by Ilango Adigal - An Indian Classical Literature

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Ever wondered why Statue of Justice is a female? Well, if you read Silappadhikaram, you will probably know why. When we think of Indian Classical Literature we often wonder of Mahabharata and Ramayana but to your knowledge Silappadhikaram is also an Indian Classical Literature though not written in Sanskrit like that of Mahabharata and Ramayana, Silappadhikaram is a Tamil text that introduces Goddess Patthani in South India.

Silappadhikaram is a unique epic where you will not find heroes fighting war instead you will encounter a female protagonist who stood as epitome of chastity and justice.

Introduction

Book’s name - Silappadhikaram

Author - Ilango Adigal

Genre - Epic

Language - Originally : Tamil; Translated : English

About the Author

Ilango Adigal or 'Prince Ascetic', no direct verifiable information is available about him but it is said that an oracle predicted that he would be better king as against his elder brother, to prove the prophecy wrong he embraced monk-hood and allowed his elder brother to ascend the throne. 

Subsequently he wrote Silappadhikaram, a review by George L. Hart, a professor of Tamil language at the University of California, Berkeley, "the Silappadhikaram is to Tamil what the Iliad and Odyssey are to Greek — its importance would be difficult to overstate."

About the Book

The Silappadhikaram showed some deep rooted traditions of India that can still be seen today. A main theme in the story is karma which is still a modern principal present in India today. 

In the book not only was Kovalan warned about his actions in the present causing bad future Karma, a murder he committed in the past life brought him an unfortunate end.  

Various other traditions, such as Kannagi and Kovalan's arranged marriage, finding an auspicious day for the ceremony and consulting astrologers reflects part of Indian Culture that is still prevalent today.

Another interesting aspect of Silappadhikaram was the portrayal of the ideal woman. Throughout the whole story Kannagi proved how pure and true she was. Through her husband's infidelity and misconduct she stated fateful and chaste. 

When Kovalan comes back to her, Kannagi is willing to do anything to help her husband including selling the anklet that was from her mother as a wedding gift. When Kovalan is murdered, Kannagi would have killed herself willingly for husband immediately if she hadn't had the duty to uphold his honor by clearing his name. 

In the end, Kannagi destroys a whole city for her husband and remained loyal throughout. It is because of this that King Senguttuvan is so impressed by her story that he erects her statue in her honor, making it clear that Kannagi was a  version of the ideal woman of that time.

The Silappadhikaram by Prince Ilango Adigal, is a story about a woman and her husband as they struggle with the problems of fidelity, right and wrong, and justice. 

The core themes of Silappadhikaram are very relevant to human experience, which is probably why it is still a well read story today. It is a tale that produces good insights to the culture, lessons, Karma and ideals of Tamil people who holds it dear.

Personal Verdict

This book is an Indian classical epic without war. It has its historical significance and glimpses of ancient India. But unlike any other epics, it also has a female protagonist which makes it rather more interesting and readers look upto it with a different intensity.

My Ratings for the book - 3 on 5 

Get your copy from Amazon - Silappadhikaram

Written By - Vaidehee

Edited By - Pavas Shrigyan