Ilango Adigal
Topic: Sangam Age and Early South India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Ilango Adigal is the author of the Silappadikaram, one of the great Tamil epics. Tradition says he was a Chera prince and the younger brother of the Chera king Senguttuvan. He gave up the throne and became a Jain monk. "Adigal" is a title of respect for a holy man.
Example
His epic tells the story of Kannagi and Kovalan. It moves through all three Tamil kingdoms. It starts in the Chola port of Puhar, moves to the Pandya capital Madurai, and ends in the Chera kingdom. Its main theme is justice and the king's duty, or dharma, to protect it.
Don't confuse with
- Sattanar: he wrote the Manimekalai, the companion epic about Kovalan's daughter. Ilango Adigal wrote the Silappadikaram.