Book Description

The circa 9th century work Civakacintamani is one of the five epic masterpieces of Tamil literature. Though the work of a Jain mendicant, Tiruttakkatevar, it is famed for its erotic description and the scenes of love of its hero Civakan. It represents a brilliant fusion of the Jain viewpoint and philosophy with the evocative literary modes of the Tamil tradition. In the portion of the story translated here, Civakan, enjoys, for a while, the hospitality of the celestial friend who rescued him from the king's men. But he decides to go back to the ordinary world. His friend, Cutancanan, maps out for him the paths and directions he should take and gives him a few mantras to aid him. After travelling through various regions, Civakan arrives at the Pallava country, where he cures a princess of snakebite who becomes his third wife. In the same place he has a dalliance with a courtesan. Leaving this place Civakan arrives at the country of Takkanatu, where he marries a young daughter of a merchant who is to marry the first man who becomes bashful upon seeing her. She is his fourth wife. Leaving her in the middle of the night, he proceeds to Mattimatecam, where he trains the king's sons in weaponry. There he is given the king's daughter as his fifth wife. Meanwhile, Civakan's brother is transported to where he is by magic. Civakan's friends, also searching for him, discover his mother in a Jain hermitage before they reach the kingdom in which he is staying. This section closes with Civakan hearing the news of his birth mother and with him preparing to go visit her.