food for hunters of the Kurava tribe! Thou wert really no friend of mine, but an enemy, during the many years that thou supported me, for, out of my intense love of thee, I would have gladly died with thee: but thou prevented it; and having survived thee, I feel I have not been faithful to thee. Yet, I pray that in the next world, I may enjoy thy friendship for ever, as I did in this world.”[1]
“Thou wouldst obey none but Brahmins. Distinguished for dauntless bravery, thou fearest nothing but to offend thy friends. Thy perfumed breast on which the bow ever rests, throbs before none but beautiful women. Thou wouldst not be false to thy promise even if the earth should change its position. Swift and terrible as the thunderbolt which shakes hillocks to their base, thou hast with thy valiant Tamil soldiers, routed the armies of thy two rival kings, and won thy laurels as a warrior: and now thou hast added to thy triumphs by conquering my poverty. Thou, Chelvak-ko! scion of the Cheralas! If good deeds are rewarded on this earth which is surrounded by the mighty ocean, Thou, Athan! wilt prosper for countless thousands of years! and be blessed in all thy undertakings !”[2]
An elegant versifier, an amiable companion, and a consummate courtier, he was beloved alike by his patrons and brother poets. No poet of this ancient period, except Tiruvalluvar, appears to have been so popular as Kapilar, if we are to judge by the many complimentary allusions to him in the verses of contemporary authors. Nakkirar speaks of him as “the eloquent and famous Kapilan who is praised by many throughout the world.”[3] Poruntil-ilankkiranar refers to him as “the learned and famous Kapilan, whose elegant verses are full of deep meaning”: and Marokattu-Nappasalaiyar alludes to him as “the pure minded Brahmin who has sung thy praises so fully that other minstrels have nothing new to say,’ while addressing Kari, the Malayaman.[4] [5]
Nakkirar (A.D. 100—130) was the son of a schoolmaster of Madura. He alludes in his poems to the Chola kings Karikâl and Killi-valavan, the Pandyan king Nedun-cheliyan and the
