82 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIII. 



1. — The Author. 



The author of Chilappatikdram was himself the younger 

 son of the then reigning Chera, and was known as Ilan-ko- 

 adikal (Jlam "young"; ho "prince" or "king"; adikal 

 honorific term) and Chera-muni. It is said of him that as he 

 was one day sitting with his elder brother Ohenkuttuvan by 

 their father in the palace at the ancient city of Vanchi, an 

 astrologer, being ushered into the presence of the king, looked 

 at both the young princes, and pointed to the younger 

 prince (our author) as the one who bore in his body the 

 astrological marks indicative of kingship. Much disturbed 

 by the thought that his elder brother's right of succession 

 might be interfered with by reason of the astrologer's 

 remarks, he at once renounced the world and lived the life 

 of a muni (ascetic). Hence the name of Chera-muni (" the 

 ascetic of the royal house of the Cheras "). 



2. — The Period at which the Author lived. 

 Now, when did he live ? 



In order to arrive at a conclusion upon this question we 

 have to ascertain at what known period his poem was con- 

 sidered an ancient classic. 



We know that the Tamil Rdmdyana was completed and 

 recited by Kampan before the Academy of Literature in the 

 Sakapta (Saka) year 808, equal to 886 of the year of Christ, 

 on the authority of the well-known stanza recited on the 

 occasion : — 



ST <SSS! (SSsfl LU <3-S, IT U S>QlD<oSSI 6ffiMT p Q pL^mQiDp & <SS) L_ UJ <ok SUIT 



yaeif (ZGssrGSGtliu QtiuemSomfBevegfrir <£<sw e^Q&o s ubutBTT i~<sk uesweasfluj 

 ntrLD&fT6B)<3 uiekqgS iu£b&t5TT<sft\p semesofiuj en ij rsjafTQ^mQssr asfltuir 



* This shortly is : — Kampan's Ramayana was recited or published 

 (arankettaV) in the month of Pankuni (March-April), on the day when 

 the moon was in the constellation Hasta, after the Sakapta year 807. 



Hasta, according- toMonier Williams, is part of the constellation Corvus 

 and, according- to the same authority, which tallies with our Tamil calen- 

 dars, the Saka era commenced in the 78th year of Christ. 



