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{{More citations needed|date=February 2018}}
{{Hindu scriptures}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
[[File:Rama and Hanuman fighting Ravana, an album painting on paper, c1820.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[Rama]] and [[Hanuman]] fighting [[Ravana]], <small>an album painting on paper from Tamil Nadu, ca 1820.</small>]]
[[File:Kamba Ramyanam Mandapam at The Ranganathasamy Temple, Srirangam.jpg|thumb|250px|The Mandapam at [[Ranganathaswamy_Temple,_Srirangam|The Ranganathasamy Temple, Srirangam]] where Kambar is believed to have first recited the epic]]
'''''Ramavataram''''', popularly referred to as '''''Kamba Ramayanam''''', is a [[Tamil language|Tamil]] [[Tamil mythology|epic]] that was written by the [[Tamil people|Tamil]] poet [[Kambar (poet)|Kambar]] during the 12th century. Based on [[Valmiki]]'s ''[[Ramayana]]'' (which is in [[Sanskrit]]), the story describes the life of King [[Rama]] of [[Ayodhya]]. However, ''Ramavatharam'' is different from the [[Sanskrit]] version in many aspects – both in spiritual concepts and in the specifics of the storyline.<ref name="Sundaram2002">{{cite book|author=P S Sundaram|title=Kamba Ramayana|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EPTcCd32pJIC&pg=PT18|date=3 May 2002|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-93-5118-100-2|pages=18–}}</ref><ref name="Aiyar">{{cite book |last1=Aiyar |first1=V V S |title=Kamba Ramayanam - A Study with translations in verse or poetic prose of over four thousand of the original poems |date=1950 |publisher=Delhi Tamil Sangam |location=Parliament Street, New Delhi |url=https://archive.org/details/Kamba.Ramayanam-A.Study |access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref> This historic work is considered by both Tamil [[scholar]]s and the general public as one of the greatest literary works in [[Tamil literature]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/Focus-on-Kamban-poet-extraordinaire/article16302761.ece |title=Focus on Kamban, poet extraordinaire |date=23 May 2010 |work=The Hindu |access-date=8 February 2018}}</ref>

Kambar wrote this epic with the [[Patronage#Arts|patronage]] of [[Sadayappa Vallal|Thiruvennai Nallur Sadayappa Vallal]], a Pannai kula chieftain.<ref>{{cite book|title=Alexander's Lesson and Other Stories|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zBqGhgqAEhgC&pg=PA44|year=2006|publisher=Sura Books|isbn=978-81-7478-807-8|pages=44–}}</ref> In gratitude to his patron, Kamban references his name once in every 1,000 [[Verse (poetry)|verses]].

==Early references in Tamil literature==
{{main|Ramayana in Tamil literature}}
Even before Kambar wrote the Ramavataram in Tamil in the 12 century CE, there are many ancient references to the story of Ramayana, implying that the story was familiar in the Tamil lands even before the Common Era. References to the story can be found in the [[Sangam literature]] of [[Akanaṉūṟu]],(dated 200 BCE–300 CE)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dakshinamurthy |first1=A |title=Akananuru: Neytal – Poem 70 |url=https://adakshinamurthy.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/akananuru-neythal-poem-70/ |website=Akananuru |access-date=22 July 2019|date=July 2015 }}</ref> and [[Purananuru]] (dated 200 BCE–300 CE),<ref name="Hart">{{cite book |last1=Hart |first1=George L |last2=Heifetz |first2=Hank |title=The four hundred songs of war and wisdom : an anthology of poems from classical Tamil : the Puṟanāṉūṟu |url=https://archive.org/details/fourhundredsongs00 |url-access=registration |date=1999 |publisher=Columbia University Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Kalakam |editor1-first=Turaicămip Pillai |title=Purananuru |date=1950 |location=Madras}}</ref> the twin epics of [[Silappatikaram]] (dated 2nd century CE)<ref name="VRRDikshitar">{{cite book |last1=Dikshitar |first1=V R Ramachandra |title=The Silappadikaram |date=1939 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Madras, British India |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.201802/page/n5 |access-date=22 July 2019}}</ref> and [[Manimekalai]],<ref name="PPP">{{cite book |last1=Pandian |first1=Pichai Pillai |title=Cattanar's Manimekalai |date=1931 |publisher=Saiva Siddhanta Works |location=Madras |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.65472 |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref><ref name="RBKA">{{cite book |last1=Aiyangar |first1=Rao Bahadur Krishnaswami |title=Manimekhalai In Its Historical Setting |date=1927 |publisher=Luzac & Co. |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/manimekhalaiinit031176mbp |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref><ref name="Daniélou">{{cite book |last1=Shattan |first1=Merchant-Prince |editor1-last=Daniélou |editor1-first=Alain |title=Manimekhalai: The Dancer With the Magic Bowl |date=1989 |publisher=New Directions |location=New York }}</ref> and the [[Alvars|Alvar]] literature of [[Kulasekhara Alvar]], [[Thirumangai Alvar]], [[Andal]] and [[Nammalvar]] (dated between 5th and 10th centuries CE).<ref name="Hooper">{{cite book |last1=Hooper |first1=John Stirling Morley |title=Hymns of the Alvars |date=1929 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Calcutta |url=https://archive.org/details/hymnsofthealvars020204mbp |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref>

==Structure==
The book is divided into six chapters, called ''Kandam'' in Tamil. The Kandams are further divided into 123 sections called ''Padalam'' (படலம்) in Tamil. These 123 sections contain approximately 12,000 verses of the epic.<ref name="Mukherjee1998">{{cite book|author=Sujit Mukherjee|title=A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YCJrUfVtZxoC&pg=PA162|year=1998|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=978-81-250-1453-9|pages=162}}</ref>

* Bala Kandam (Chapter: Childhood)
* Ayodhya Kandam (Chapter: Ayodhya)
* Aranya Kandam (Chapter: Forest)
* Kishkindha Kandam (Chapter: Kishkindha)
* Sundara Kandam (Chapter: Beautiful )
* Yuddha Kandam (Chapter: War)<ref name="Mudaliyar">{{cite book |last1=Mudaliyar |first1=V S |title=Kamba Ramayanam - A condensed version in English verse and prose |date=1970 |publisher=Ministry of Education and Youth Services, Government of India |location=New Delhi |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.134960 |access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref><ref name="GLHart">{{cite book |last1=Hart |first1=George L |last2=Heifetz |first2=Hank |title=The Forest Book of the Ramayana of Kampan |date=1988 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkerley, United States |isbn=9780520060883 }}</ref>

==Compilation==
As with many historic compilations, it was very difficult to discard the interpolations and addendum which have been added over a period of time to the original. This task was taken up a committee of scholars headed by [[T. P. Meenakshisundaram]] called the [[Kamban Kazhagam]] (Kamban Academy). The compilation published by this committee in 1976 is what is used as the standard today.

==Literary significance==
Kamban's use of Virutham (Sanskrit: vṛttam) and Santham (Sanskrit: [[chandas]]) in various verses is effective in bringing out the emotion and mood for storytelling. He achieves the Virutham and Santham by effective choice of words.

==Religious significance==
This epic is read by many Hindus during prayers. In some households, the entire epic is read once during the [[Tamil calendar]]'s month of Aadi (mid-July to mid-August). It is also read in [[Hindu Temple]]s and other religious associations. On many occasions, Kambar talks about surrendering to Rama, who is a manifestation of [[Vishnu]] himself.

The chapter ''Sundara Kandam'' is considered very auspicious and is the most popular. The chapter talks about the hardships faced by the main characters in the epic, their practice of restraint, and their hopes for a better tomorrow.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Tamil language}}
{{HinduMythology}}
{{Ramayana}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Works based on the Ramayana]]
[[Category:Tamil epic poems]]

Ramavataram - Revision history

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