Topics in Sangam literature
Sangam literature
Akattiyam	Tolkāppiyam
Patiṉeṇmēlkaṇakku
Eṭṭuttokai
Aiṅkurunūṟu	Akanaṉūṟu
Puṟanāṉūṟu	Kalittokai
Kuṟuntokai	Naṟṟiṇai
Paripāṭal	Patiṟṟuppattu
Pattuppāṭṭu
Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai	Kuṟiñcippāṭṭu
Malaipaṭukaṭām	Maturaikkāñci
Mullaippāṭṭu	Neṭunalvāṭai
Paṭṭiṉappālai	Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
Poruṇarāṟṟuppaṭai	Ciṟupāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku
Nālaṭiyār	Nāṉmaṇikkaṭikai
Iṉṉā Nāṟpatu	Iṉiyavai Nāṟpatu
Kār Nāṟpatu	Kaḷavaḻi Nāṟpatu
Aintiṇai Aimpatu	Tiṉaimoḻi Aimpatu
Aintinai Eḻupatu	Tiṉaimoḻi Nūṟṟu Aimpatu
Tirukkuṛaḷ	Tirikaṭukam
Ācārakkōvai	Paḻamoḻi Nāṉūṟu
Ciṟupañcamūlam	Mutumoḻikkānci
Elāti	Kainnilai
Tamil people
Sangam	Sangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literature	Tamil literature
Ancient Tamil music	Sangam society
edit

Civaka-cintamani (Sanskrit: Jīvaka Cintāmaṇi) is a classical Tamil language epic poem. It is a Jain religious epic, authored by the Jain saint Tirutakkatevar.

It belongs to the Sangam tradition of Tamil literature, and is considered one of the five great Tamil epics. In its form, it anticipates the Ramayana of Kamban. Civaka-cintamani was well received at the Chola court, and has since been admired for its poetic form, appealing story-line, and theological message. The story concerns a hero who through his virtue rises to become king, only to renounce his high station and pursue a life of religious merit.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Notes 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Plot

A king by the name of Caccantan loses himself in sexual enjoyment with his queen and inadvertently gives control of his kingdom to his corrupt minister Kattiyankaran. Kattiyankaran attacks Caccantan, and before the king dies he sends his now pregnant wife away on a flying peacock machine. Exiled in a cremation ground, she gives birth to Civakan, the titular character. Civakan grows up in a merchant's home and becomes the epitome of a Jain hero. He precedes through a number of adventures, marrying numerous women over the course of these events and all the while carrying on an affair with a dancing girl. Eventually, Civakan returns to take vengeance on Kattiyankaran, winning back the throne that is rightfully his. He then marries his eighth and final wife, a personification of omniscience. Soon after he becomes weary of worldly life and, after meeting with Mahavira, he renounces the world.^[1]

[edit] Notes

1. ^ James Ryan, 1998. "Erotic Excess and Sexual Danger in the Civakacintamani." In Open Boundaries: Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History, ed. John E. Cort. Albany: State University of New York Press, 68.

[edit] References

• Ryan, James. 1998. "Erotic Excess and Sexual Danger in the Civakacintamani." In Open

Boundaries: Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History, ed. John E. Cort. Albany: State University of New York Press. 67-83.

• Ryan, James, trans. 2005. Civakacintamani: The Hero Civakan, the Gem that Fulfills All Wishes. Fremont, CA: Jain Publishing Company.

[edit] External links

• The Hindu review of the epic

This Tamil-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

This article about the literature of India is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

This Jainism-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e