The Tale of an Anklet

The Cilappatikaram is to Tamil what the Iliad and Odyssey are to Greek--its importance would be difficult to overstate... This is an extraordinary accomplishment. -- George L. Hart, University of California, Berkeley A fine, luminous translation of an Indian classic. It is a poet's translation. Parthasarathy's poetic skills are everywhere in evidence, yet guided by his sensitive scholarship and fidelity. -- A. K. Ramanujan, University of Chicago The Cilappatikaram is to Tamil what the Iliad and Odyssey are to Greek-its importance would be difficult to overstate... This is an extraordinary accomplishment. -- George L. Hart, University of California, Berkeley

This translation of the 5th-century Indian epic love story of Kannaki and Kovalan follows the conventions of classical Tamil poetry and is told in three phases: the erotic, the mythic, and the heroic. The author provides an introduction to the poem.Originating in Tamil mythology, "Cilappatikaram" is the love story of Kannaki and Kovalan. Kannaki wears a circular anklet representing the power, strength and dignity of the goddess Pattini. Goddess status is bestowed upon Kannaki as her life undergoes the same fate as the anklet that is stolen and used as a weapon. The story of Kannaki follows the conventions of classical Tamil poetry and is told in three phases: the erotic, the mythic, and the heroic. This epic ranks with the "Ramayana" and the "Mahabharata" as one of the great classics of Indian literature.