Kamban's Iramavataram : Tamil Aesthetics and the Bhakti Imagination

The "Irāmāvatāram" (also known as Ramavataram) is a twelfth-century Tamil epic that breaks the traditional mould of the story of Rama by portraying his darkest side and showing Kamban's love and admiration of Rama. Both living and epic characters are created anew; the writer has drawn on Tamil modes of birdsong and poetic invocations (viruttam and santham) to impart rasa to the epic, sing in the tinai mode iseiloni, and depict Rama as both a human and heroic prince as well as a divine lover, intimate with his soul. These changes illustrate how literary art can be a form of worship and would make the text not only high poetry but a form of prayer. In Tamil culture and religion, the work of Iramavataram is a requirement. It is still read, recited and performed during religious ceremonies and at places of worship, making it a living text of Tamil devotional tradition.