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The Unknown Pilgrims
prince, aţika!: ascetic), a prince of the Cēras who, having renounced all claim to the throne, became a Jaina nirgrantha. The prince's erudition and culture have both contributed to the richness of the poem which contains a wealth of most interesting details concerning the social and cultural life of the three kingdoms of that period from the end of the Ilnd to the Vth century. However, many passages must have been added later. 282
The drama unrolls in an atmosphere that is profoundly spiritual and void of any sectarian spirit. In it worship is performed in honour of Śiva and of Vişnu, dances are performed in honour of Krsna, his elder brother Balarama is also accorded veneration, as are also goddesses such as Manimēkalai, the guardian of the sea. There are frequent important references to Jaina docirine and to its ascetics; mention is also made of the Ajivikas and of the Buddha. We are plunged into the very lively atmosphere of the age and enter into close contact with all classes of society: the princes amid all the pomp and ceremony, the rich and prosperous merchants, the artisans, the village-dwellers. The whole gives us an impression of general prosperity. Dance and ritual accompanied by music, songs which hymn the sea, the mountains and the rivers, bespcaking thus a harmony with nature, all form part of daily life and imbue it with religious feeling. The description of the country scenes is exquisite poetry, while that of the towns conveys beautifully the lively atmosphere prevalent in them.
Here is an outline of this great epic poem in which the ascetic Kavunti Aţika! plays a leading part. Kõvalan and Kannaki, a young couple from the wealthy merchant-class of the seaside town of Pukārt
same time to the original. This poem includes 30 songs arranged in 3 main sections, each with the name of a large city, capital of a kingdom:
I - Pukārk Kāņtam, named after Pukār (Puhār) capital of the Coļas; II - Maturaik Kantam, named after Madurai, capital of the Pandyas; III - Vañcik Kāņtam, named after Vañci, capital of the Cēras, the family of the author, their kingdom being in the coastal area of present-day Kēraļa.
282 Opinions are divided on this question.
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