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Kamban
Kamba Ramayana was written in the 9th century A.D.
Kavi Kamban was born in Therazhundur, a village in the culturally rich Tanjavur district in the modern state of Tamil Nadu in South India. The poet belongs to a family who had Lord Narasimha (another avatar of Lord Mahavishnu, Who emerged from Kamba (pillar) to save the child devotee Prahlada) as their family deity. His devoted parents named his as Kamban.
Kamban was a great scholar of India's two ancient and rich languages, Sanskrit (Indo-European) and Tamil (Dravidian). The "Ramavataram" of Kamban is an epic of 10,000 odd verses, of 4-lines each. Kamba Ramayana is not a translation of the Sanskrit epic by Adikavi Valmiki, but an original retelling of the story of Sri Rama, as the incarnation of Lord Tirumal (Mahavishnu). The lyrical beauty, brilliant use of rhyme, simile and the astonishing variety of his poetry yet still conforming to the strict classification of verses in classical poems in Tamil language earned him the title, Kavicakravarti (Emperor among poets). He is also known as "Kamba Nattalvar", as he revived the greatness of Tamil language through his work during the medieval period. "As Hanuman guarded the throne, Angada stood with the royal sword in his hand. Bharata held the royal white umbrella duly spread. Lakshmana and Satrughna waved the royal fans. Seeta sat majestically by Rama's side and the ancestors of charitable Sadayappan gave the crown to Sage Vasishtha who crowned Rama with it"
- Kamba Ramayana
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