Abstract
This paper examines the socio-cultural, semiotic, and narrative dimensions of Kāra/Kāma—commonly invoked by the classical epithet Uruvilāḷaṉ (the Formless One)—within early Tamil literary traditions, with a primary focus on Ilankō Adikal’s Cilappatikāram. While Sangam and post-Sangam lyricism records the ritualistic and aesthetic omnipresence of Kāma through the Kāmaṉ Viḻā (Festival of Love), the Cilappatikāram transitions this deity from an external mythological trope into an immanent structural force. This study explores the paradox of a "formless" (uruvilāḷaṉ) yet armed monarch whose territorial sovereignty spans major urban centers (Puhār, Madurai, Uraiyūr, Vañci). Furthermore, this paper analyzes how the somatic appropriation of Kāma's emblems (e.g., his sugarcane/black bow transformed into Kannaki's eyebrows) and the eventual ascetic renunciation by Mātavi and Manimēkalai dismantle this erotic hegemony. Ultimately, we argue that the systematic "downfall" and laming of Kāma in the epic functions as a deliberate narrative mechanism aligned with Jain soteriological frameworks, wherein the transcendence of sensory attachment (kāma) is prerequisite to liberation (mōkṣa).
Keywords: Cilappatikāram, Uruvilālan, Kāma.
How to cite:
A.Roopa Devi. “The Sovereign and the Subdued: Deconstructing the Visual and Narrative Hegemony of Uruvilāḷaṉ (Kāma) in the Cilappatikāram”. Perunthanmai Multidisciplinary Tamil Studies Book Series (PMTSB) : Ancient Tamil World, 1st ed., vol. 2, Poet Publication and Printers, 2026, pp. 43–50, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24139672
