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96
Study of Civakucintāmaņi
and jealousy and devoted to magic practices and deceit, self-assertive, fick le, irascible and boastful. The Dhira-lalital hero is one who is free from anxiety, fond of arts and gentle. 2 The Dhira-śānta hero, who is a brahmin or the like, possesses all the qualities necessary for a good hero.
This kind of classification is not found in early Tamil literature. Though the Cankam poems deal with the valour, glory, munificence, compassion and charm of the hero, it has not been possible to fuse these characteristics into the personality of a single hero since they are all short isola ed verses. This is also true of longer poems like the Patt uppāțțu and the Cirupāņārruppațai.
We have already mentioned the absence of vivid characterisation of the hero in epics like the Cilappatikāram and the Manimekalai. In the Cc, however the story turns around the character of Civakan. Tēvar has delineated his character on the lines of a Dhịrodatta type of hero as defined by Sanskrit rhetoricians and depicted in Sanskrit literary works. He has also contrasted the character of Caccantan, his father, with Civakan's, by making the former a Dhira--lalita hero. Cıvakan's conscientiousness and steadfastness are lacking in the character of Caccantan. Though he is good to his subjects and noble in character he falls a prey to his passion. He faces death as a result of his dereliction of his regal duties. The qualities which bring death to Caccantā are carefully omitted in the characterisation of Civakan. Civakan is always alert in his actions and aware of what is happening around him. None of his actions bring blemish to his noble, upright character. He enjoys pleasure but at the same time he does not neglect his duty and fall a prey to his passions, Till he regains the kingdom lost by his father he does not stay with any of his wives for more than a few days, He is well versed in all arts and these talents help him to acquire some of his wives. He wios Kāntaruvatattai by showing his skill in Viņai (lute), Kunamalai by controlling the intoxicated elephant which was going to attack her, Patumai by curing her from snake-bite, Kanakamāsai and llakkaņai by showing his talent in archery, and Curamancari by his mellifluous musical talent.
In the Cc, these noble qualities are depicted by Tēvar in the form of descriptions, in the speech of his enemy Kaţtiya kāran and through the expressions of the other characters connected with Civakan. His balance of mind is weil expressed by Tēvat in the following verse, which explains the state of Civakan after being helped by Cutancapan to escape from the death sentence imposed by Kattiyankāran for pride o his Acapivēkam.
viļanki villumi sum pūņān viļuc ciraip pattapöllum alankal an tārinān vant arunc cirgi vituttapoltum pulampu makilvu nêncir politalum inrip pon arnt
ulankalant uyarnta töļān al vinaiy enru vitļāna 1. niścinto dhiralalitah kalăsaktaḥ sukhi mặdah Ibid, 2.3. 2. sāmānyaguņayuktas tu dhiraśānto dvijādikah. Dhanamjaya, op. cit. 2.4: 3, Cc. vv. 370-373. 4. Ibid, v. 1167,
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