The Bhikṣuṇī Maṇimēkhalai

16
Maṇimēkhalai in its Historical Setting
Introduction
[xvii] In the following lectures I have attempted to consider first of all
the question what the position of Maṇimēkhalai is among the Tamil
classics generally and how far the general judgement of the Tamil
literary public that it is one among the five great classics is justifiable
on grounds of literary merit and general classical excellence. As such,
it was necessary to consider whether it could be regarded a Śangam
work, and if so, in what particular sense of the term, whether as a
work which was presented to the Śangam and which received the
Śangam imprimatur, or whether it should be taken to be merely a
literary work of classic excellence, as often-times the expression is
used in that sense in later Tamil literature. The investigation and
enquiry into Tamil literary tradition leads to the conclusion that it is a
work of classic excellence in Tamil literature and may be regarded as
a Śangam work in that sense. We have no information that it was ever
presented to the Śangam, although, according to Tamil tradition, the
author was one of the Śangam 49, and, being so close to the age of the
Śangam itself, it may be spoken of appropriately as a Śangam work,
though not presented to the Śangam.
This position receives additional support in the contents of the two
works, which constitute a twin Epic, namely,
Śilappadhikāram-Maṇimēkhalai. The subject-matter of the two is one
continuous story, and describes what befell a householder and his
wife of the city of Puhār, and, as a consequence, the renunciation
[xviii] of the daughter of the hero of her life as the first courtesan of