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{{About|the poet|the lean process method|Kanban}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox writer
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| image = Kambar 1.jpg
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| caption = A modern [[artist's impression]] of Kambar
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| birth_date = {{birth year|1180}}
| birth_place = [[Therazhundur, Thanjavur district]], India
| death_date = {{dya|1250|1180}}
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| occupation = Poet
| period = 12th century CE
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| notableworks = [[Ramavataram|Kambaramayanam]]
}}

'''Kambar''' or '''Kavichakravarthy Kamban''' (1180–1250)<ref>"Kamban." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2011. Web. 23 December 2011. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kampan</ref>{{full citation needed|date=May 2019}} was a medieval [[Tamils|Tamil]] poet and the author of the [[Ramavataram]], popularly known as ''Kambaramayanam'', the Tamil version of the epic [[Ramayana]].<ref name="The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia">The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia By Edward Balfour</ref> Kambar also authored other literary works in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], such as Thirukkai Vazhakkam, ''Erezhupathu'', [[Silaiyezhupathu]], ''Kangai Puranam'', ''Sadagopar Anthathi'' and ''Saraswati Anthathi''.<ref name="The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia"/>{{full citation needed|date=May 2019}}

==Life==
Kambar was born in [[Therazhundur, Thanjavur district]] and brought up in the household of a wealthy farmer named Sadaiyepa Vallal in [[Thiruvennainallur|Vennai Nellur]] in [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref>India's Communities by Kumar Suresh Singh, Anthropological Survey of India – Ethnology – 1992 – 4146 pages</ref>{{full citation needed|date=May 2019}} The [[Legendary early Chola kings|Chola king]]—having heard of this talented bard—summoned him to his court and honoured him with the title ''Kavi Chakravarty'' (''The Emperor of Poets'').<ref name="The Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia"/>{{full citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Kambar flourished in [[Therazhundur]], a village in the culturally rich [[Nagapattinam District]] in the modern state of Tamil Nadu in South India.

Kambar is generally dated after the [[vaishnavite]] philosopher, [[Ramanuja]], as the poet refers to the latter in his work, the Sadagopar Andhadhi.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian Or South-Indian Family of Languages|year=1875|url=https://archive.org/details/comparativegramm00caldrich|author=Robert Caldwell|publisher=Trübner, 1875|page=[https://archive.org/details/comparativegramm00caldrich/page/136 136]}}</ref>

Kamban was a great scholar of both [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]—two of India's oldest and richest languages in terms of literary works. In a scholarly biography, ''Kavichakravarty Kamban'', [[Mahavidwan R. Raghava Iyengar]] wrote in detail about Kambar.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Kambar spent his last days in [[Nattarasankottai]] (known for Kannathal temple) near to [[Sivagangai]] town and his tomb is situated there. It is said that Kambar after having differences with the Chola king, left the Chola kingdom and moved from place to place. When he reached at Nattarasankottai, he was very thirsty and asked water in one house at Nattarasankottai. He was offered buttermilk in return and he became very happy and decided to stay there itself and spent his last days there. He lived there till his death. There is tomb in Nattarasankottai and every year a celebration called ''Kamban vizha'' is conducted at this place to felicitate Kambar.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

==Literary works==
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2019}}
[[File:Kamba_Ramyanam_Mandapam_at_The_Ranganathasamy_Temple,_Srirangam.jpg|thumb|210px|Kamba Ramyanam Mandapam at [[Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam|The Ranganathasamy Temple, Srirangam]], the place where Kambar is believed to have first recited the epic]]

* [[Kamba Ramayanam]] (also called ''Ramavataram'') - Retelling of the Indian epic Ramayana in Tamil. Work covers 11,000 stanzas.
* Saraswati Andhadhi - Literary work of style [[Andhadhi]] in praise of Hindu Goddess [[Saraswati]]
* Sadagopar Andhadhi - Literary work of style [[Andhadhi]] in praise of Vaishnava Saint [[Nammazhvar]]
* [[Silaiyezhupathu|Silaiezhupathu]] - Work in praise of 11th century [[Pallava]] king [[Karunakara Tondaiman]]
* [[Thirukkai Vazhakkam]]
* Erezhupathu
* Kangai Puranam
* [[Kongu Vellalar|Mangala Vazhthu]], a lengthy song composed by Kambar, is usually sung on the wedding ceremony of [[Kongu Vellalar]] community. In that wedding ceremony, the brother of the bride and sister of the groom play significant roles.

==Kamba Ramayanam==
[[File:MarinaBeach Kambar cropped.jpg|thumb|210px|Statue of Kambar at the [[Marina Beach]]]]
The original version of ''Ramayana'' was written by [[Valmiki]]. It is an epic of 24,000 verses which depicts the journey of [[Rama]], a prince of [[Ayodhya]] who belonged to [[Raghuvamsa (dynasty)|Raghuvamsa]] (Solar dynasty). In [[Hinduism]], Rama is the seventh [[Avatar|incarnation]] of Lord [[Vishnu]], one of the [[Trimurti]] (the Hindu holy trinity which includes [[Brahma (god)|Brahma]] and [[Shiva]]).

The ''Ramavataram'' or ''Kamba Ramayanam'' of Kamban is an epic of about 11,000 stanzas.<ref name="Legend of Ram">Legend of Ram By Sanujit Ghose</ref>{{full citation needed|date=May 2019}}<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/212 212]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=May 2019}} The ''Rama-avataram'' or ''Rama-kathai'' as it was originally called was accepted into the holy precincts in the presence of [[Nathamuni|Vaishnava Acharya Naathamuni]].<ref name="Rays and Ways of Indian Culture">Rays and Ways of Indian Culture By D. P. Dubey</ref>{{full citation needed|date=May 2019}}

''Kamba Ramayana'' is not a verbal translation of the Sanskrit epic by Valmiki, but a retelling of the story of Lord Rama.<ref name="Rays and Ways of Indian Culture"/>{{full citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Legend has it that the entire episode was written in one night by Lord [[Ganesha|Ganesh]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} Ganesha is said{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} to have written the poems that Kambar dictated to him during the night, as Kambar procrastinated the work till the day before the deadline set by the King.

''Kamba Ramayana'' was first delivered in [[Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam]] at the court hall (Kambar Arangetra Mandapam) near Thaayar sannithi.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Legend says that when contemporaries objected to ''Hiranyavadaipadalam'' ("Story of [[Hiranyakasipu]]", which occurs as [[Vibhishana]] telling Ravana while warning against his false sense of invincibility), Kamban read it in front of the [[Narasimha]] Swami temple in Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. The Swami applauded by laughing out aloud from his Sanctum Sanctora (Mettu Narasimhar Sannidhi), and this was taken as proof of approval.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

==Kambar's praise==
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2019}}
{{Hindu scriptures}}
Many Tamil poets, statesmen, kings, and common people have praised Kambar for his ''Kambaramayanam'', which has more than 10,000 songs and 45,000 lines, forming one of the greatest of Tamil epics.

A common word of praise attributed to Kambar is that even the mill in his house would sing ("Kambar veettuk kattuththariyum kavipadum"; "கம்பர் வீட்டுக் கட்டுத்தறியும்
கவி பாடும்"). He is considered special in singing poems under "Viruthapa".

"Kamba Sutram" (கம்ப சூத்திரம்) is a phrase used by Tamil people in their day-to-day activity. It was originally "Kamba Chithiram", denoting Kamban's art. However, over a period of time, it came to be rendered as "Kamba Sutram". The phrase is used just like "rocket science", which clearly denotes that skills of Kambar in writing poem with viruthapa is as difficult as "rocket science".

==References==
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{{Ramayana}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kambar}}
[[Category:Tamil poets]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:Hindu poets]]
[[Category:12th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Poets from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:People from Thanjavur district]]
[[Category:Translators of the Ramayana]]
[[Category:1180 births]]
[[Category:1250 deaths]]

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