Kapilar or Kabilar (Tamil: à ®Âà ®ªà ®¿à ®²à ®°à ¯Â) was the most prolific Tamil poet of the Sangam period (c. 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE). He contributed 206 poems, or a little less than 10% of the entire Sangam-era classical corpus by 473 ancient poets. Held in high regard by other poets of the Sangam era, as well as the post-Sangam era, he is variously dated to have lived between c. 50âÂÂ125 CE, or 140âÂÂ200 CE.
He was a contemporary of Karikala Chola, Irunkà ÂvÃÂl and VÃÂl PÃÂri, and the close friend, confidant and alleged favorite of VÃÂl PÃÂri, one of the VÃÂlir kings. He authored the Inna Narpathu, a didactic work of the Sangam literature. Verse 5 of the Tiruvalluva Maalai is also attributed to him.
Kapilar was born in Thiruvadhavur in the Pandyan Kingdom. Initially a poet at the Pandyan court, he left Madurai at an early age to travel across various kingdoms. Kapilar heard about the generosity and virtue of VÃÂl PÃÂri, a powerful VÃÂlir King who ruled over ParambunÃÂdu and paid him a visit. He became a friend and confidant of PÃÂri and stayed with him until the latter's death, serving as the chief poet and minister at the PÃÂri's court. Kowmareeshwari suggests he was born about mid 1st-century CE, while Martha Ann Shelby states he most likely was born about 140 CE.
Kapilar sang about a number of kings such as Agudhai, Irungovel, Selva Kadungo Vazhiyadhan, Cheramaan Maandharancheral Irumborai, Ori, Nalli, Malayamaan Thirumudikkaari, Malayan, Vichikkon, Vaiyavi Koperum Pegan, Vel Pari. Kapilar has sung on King Selva Kadungovaliyadhan, which appears as the seventh group of verses in the Pathitrupathu. The king honoured Kapilar with 100,000 gold coins and a country under his control. Kapilar remained close with other contemporary poets such as Avvaiyar and Paranar.
The three crowned Tamil kings Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas expanded their kingdoms ruthlessly and turned their attention towards independent VÃÂlir Kings thus turning them into subordinates or eliminating them to annexe their kingdoms. They laid siege to the heavily fortified country of Parambu, but VÃÂl PÃÂri refused to give in and the war dragged for years. Kabilar approached the kings and asked them to turn back describing his patron Pari as an unconquerable warrior (excerpt from Purananuru: song 109):
After a long war, VÃÂl PÃÂri was killed by treachery. Purananuru, song (112) of PÃÂri's daughters on his death:
Kapilar become the guardian of PÃÂri's two daughters, Angavai and Sangavai, after Pari's death and the three of them left Parambu country. Kapilar unsuccessfully approached different VÃÂlir kings to find grooms. He would be let down each time as the other VÃÂlir kings would fear retribution from the three crowned kingdoms. The most notable of these encounters is when he sings to Irunkà ÂvÃÂl and the latter would insult Kabilar. He would finally leave the two princesses in the care of "Andhanars". Later, poet Avvaiyar takes care of them and marries them off successfully into the family of another VÃÂlir king Malaiyamaan Kaari.
The death of his friend PÃÂri affected Kapilar and he later took his own life by vadakirrutal, one of the Tamil ways of committing suicide. He sat facing north and starved himself to death in Kabilar Kundru.
Kabilar made huge contributions to Tamil literature of Sangam era. Kurincippattu is a poetic work in the Ten Idylls series of the Eighteen Greater Texts anthology in Tamil literature containing 261 lines of poems in the Achiriyappa meter written by Kabilar. An ancient note states that Kapilar wrote this to explain the beauty of Tamil poetry to a north Indian king names Brhadatta. Kurincippattu describes the kurinchi landscape of the mountainous terrain and mentions almost 100 different plant names. Kabilar also contributed to Puá¹ÂanÃÂá¹Âà «á¹Âu in the Eight Anthologies series of sangam literature. Kapilar used unique metaphors that show the interior landscape using the objects seen in the 'Kurinchi' landscape. 'Veral veli' written by Kapilar is considered as one of the master pieces.
Kapilar is believed to have accompanied Valluvar in his journey to the Madurai College of scholars to present the latterâÂÂs work, the Tirukkural. Verse 5 of the Tiruvalluva Maalai is attributed to Kapilar. He opines about Valluvar and the Kural text thus: