Panchali Sabatham (Tamil: பாஞ்சாலி சபதம், lit.'Panchali's Vow') is a Tamil epic by the poet Subramania Bharati.[1] The poem retells the events of the episode of the game of dice from the Mahabharata. Bharati uses the incidents from the Mahabharata to draw parallels with the Kurukshetra War and the Indian War of Independence and Panchali (Draupadi) with Bharata Mata.

Panchali Sabatham
AuthorSubramania Bharati
LanguageTamil
Publication placeIndia

It is popularly known for emphasizing liberation of women from oppression and remains as one of the well known feminist works in Tamil literature.[2]

Draupadi, also known as Panchali, the protagonist of the Panchali Sabatham.

Structure

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Panchali Sabatham is divided into two major parts and is further sub-divided into five sarukkam (chapter)[3] namely:

  1. சூழ்ச்சிசருக்கம் (Suḻcchi-carukkam) - Plotting Chapter
  2. சூதாட்டச்சருக்கம் (Suudhatta-carukkam) - Gambling Chapter
  3. அடிமைச்சருக்கம் (Adimai-carukkam) - Slavery Chapter
  4. துகிலுரிதல் சருக்கம் (Thugilurithal Sarukkam) - Harassment Chapter
  5. சபதச்சருக்கம் (Sabatha-carukkam) - Vow Chapter.

The epic contains a total of 412 poems. It is written in 'pa' meter called 'sindhu'.

References

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  1. ^ Thallam, Sarada (6 January 2017). Rajam Krishnan and Indian Feminist Hermeneutics. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-4438-6491-6.
  2. ^ "Centennial controversy over Panchali Sabatham". The New Indian Express. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  3. ^ agarathi.com. "சருக்கம் | அகராதி | Tamil Dictionary". agarathi.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.