Feminist Thoughts in the Five Great Epics
ஐம்பெரும் காப்பியங்களில் பெண்ணிய சிந்தனைகள்
Abstract
The five great Tamil epics — Silappatikaram, Manimekalai, Seevaga Sinthamani, Valayapathi, and Kundalakesi — place female characters at the very center of their narratives. Women in these works are portrayed as autonomous decision-makers, seekers of justice, practitioners of penance, and voices of social transformation. Characters such as Kannaki, Manimekalai, and Kundalakesi stand as powerful symbols of feminist thought. Composed by male authors, these epics champion the cause of womanhood by highlighting women’s unique talents, courage, and dedication. The epics collectively affirm that the world’s progress is entwined with the strength of women. This paper examines the feminist ideas embedded in the five great Tamil epics and explores how womanhood is foregrounded as a central force of moral and social significance.
References
Alagu Krishnan, Po., Culture and Social History as Depicted in Silappatikaram, Ainthinai Pathippagam (1988).
Somasundaranar (Ed.), Chulamani, Tirunelveli Tennindiya Saiva Siddhantha Nootrpathippu Kazhagam (1962).
Ibid., Neelakesi (1964).
Somasundaranar (Ed.), Seevaga Sinthamani, Tirunelveli Tennindiya Saiva Siddhantha Nootrpathippu Kazhagam (1992).
Thandapani, Durai, Manimekalai, Uma Pathippagam (2005).
Duraisami Pillai, Su. Avvai, Research on Silappatikaram, Tirunelveli Tennindiya Saiva Siddhantha Nootrpathippu Kazhagam (1957).
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