Who is the author of Manimekalai?
- A.Kovalan
- B.Sathanar
- C.Ilango Adigal
- D.Tirutakkatevar
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Sathanar. Manimekalai, one of the five great epics of Tamil literature, was written by Sithalai Sathanar, a grain merchant of Madurai, in the post-Sangam period.
The epic is a sequel to the Silappatikaram. Its heroine Manimekalai is the daughter of Kovalan and the dancer Madhavi; she turns away from worldly life, becomes a Buddhist nun and devotes herself to feeding the hungry with a magic begging bowl. The poem is valued as a source on Buddhism in the Tamil country and on the debates between rival schools of thought of its time. Together, Silappatikaram and Manimekalai are called the twin epics of Tamil.
A is wrong: Kovalan is a character, the hero of the Silappatikaram and Manimekalai's father, not an author. C is wrong: Ilango Adigal wrote the Silappatikaram, the story of Kovalan and Kannagi. D is wrong: Tirutakkatevar, a Jain monk, wrote the Jivaka Chintamani, another of the five great epics.
Exam tip: Silappatikaram = Ilango Adigal; Manimekalai = Sathanar (Buddhist); Jivaka Chintamani = Tirutakkatevar (Jain).
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