Kambar (poet)

Kambar, or Kavichakravarthy Kamban (1180–1250),<ref>"Kamban." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2011. Web. 23 December 2011. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kampan</ref> was an Indian poet and the author of the Ramavataram, popularly known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of the epic Ramayana.<ref name="The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia">The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia By Edward Balfour</ref> Kambar also authored other literary works in Tamil, such as Tirukkai Valakkam, Erelupatu, Silai Elupatu, Kangai Puranam, Sadagopar Antati and Saraswati Antati.<ref name="The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia"/>Template:Full citation needed

Life

A depiction of poet Kambar

Kambar was born in Therazhundur. He was supported by his close friend Sadayappa Vallal.<ref>India's Communities by Kumar Suresh Singh, Anthropological Survey of India – Ethnology – 1992 – 4146 pages</ref> He grew up in the Chola Empire under the reign of Kulothunga III. Having heard of this talented bard, Kulothunga summoned him to his court and honoured him with the title Kavi Chakravarty (The Emperor of Poets).<ref name="The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia"/>Template:Full citation needed

Kambar flourished in Therazhundur, a village in the culturally rich Mayiladuthurai district in the modern state of Tamil Nadu in South India.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kambar is generally dated after the Vaishnavite philosopher, Ramanuja, as the poet refers to the latter in his work, the Sadagopar Antati.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Kamban was a great scholar of both Tamil and Sanskrit—two of India's oldest and richest languages in terms of literary works. In a scholarly biography, Kavichakravarty Kamban, Mahavidwan R. Raghava Iyengar wrote in detail about Kambar.Template:Citation needed

Kambar spent his last days in Nattarasankottai (known for Kannathal temple) near to Sivagangai town and his tomb is situated there. It is said that Kambar after having differences with Kulothunga's son, Rajaraja III, he left the Chola kingdom and moved from place to place. When he reached at Nattarasankottai, he was very thirsty and asked water in one house at Nattarasankottai. He was offered buttermilk in return and he became very happy and decided to stay there itself and spent his last days there. He lived there till his death. There is tomb in Nattarasankottai and every year a celebration called Kamban vizha is conducted at this place to felicitate Kambar.Template:Citation needed

Literary works

Kamba Ramyanam Mandapam at The Ranganathasamy Temple, Srirangam, the place where Kambar is believed to have first recited the epic

• Kamba Ramayanam (also called Ramavataram) - Retelling of the Indian epic Ramayana in Tamil. Work covers 11,000 stanzas.
• Saraswati Antati - Literary work of style Antati in praise of Hindu Goddess Saraswati
• Sadagopar Antati - Literary work of style Antati in praise of Vaishnava Saint Nammalvar
• Silai Elupatu - Work in praise of 11th century Pallava king Karunakara Tondaiman
• Tirukkai Valakkam
• Erelupathu
• Kangai Puranam

Kamba Ramayanam

Statue of Kambar at Chennai

The original version of Ramayana was written by Valmiki. It is an epic of 24,000 verses which depicts the journey of Rama, a prince of Ayodhya who belonged to Raghuvamsha (Solar dynasty). In Hinduism, Rama is the seventh incarnation of Vishnu, one of the Trimurti (the Hindu holy trinity which includes Brahma and Shiva).

The Ramavataram or Kamba Ramayanam of Kamban is an epic of about 11,000 stanzas.<ref name="Legend of Ram">Legend of Ram By Sanujit Ghose</ref>Template:Full citation needed<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Unreliable source? The Rama-avataram or Rama-kathai as it was originally called was accepted into the holy precincts in the presence of Vaishnava Acharya Nathamuni.<ref name="Rays and Ways of Indian Culture">Rays and Ways of Indian Culture By D. P. Dubey</ref>Template:Full citation needed

Kamba Ramayana is not a verbal translation of the Sanskrit epic by Valmiki, but a retelling of the story of Rama.<ref name="Rays and Ways of Indian Culture"/>Template:Full citation needed

In popular culture

He is portrayed by Serukalathur Sama in the Tamil-language film Ambikapathy (1937).

Yet another film titled Ambikapathy (1957) has M. K. Radha playing Kambar.

See also

Kambarmedu - an archaeological site located in Therizhandur, associated with the settlement of the Tamil poet Kambar.