Panchali Sabatham by Bharathi: Timeless Philosophical Ideas of the Narration

குறுங்காப்பியம்-பாரதியின் பாஞ்சாலிசபதம் உரைக்கும் அழவிலாஅறக்கருத்துக்கள்

Abstract

This article explores Subramania Bharati’s epic poem Panchali Sabatham as a seminal work of 20th-century Tamil literature that reinvigorated classical Tamil epic traditions with revolutionary themes and new poetic vigor. Bharati draws upon the Mahabharata’s episode of the dice game and the humiliation of Panchali, reimagining Panchali as Bharat Mata (Mother India) and the Kauravas as colonial oppressors. The poem weaves political allegory with traditional poetic form and explores themes of patriotism, social justice, women’s liberation, and moral righteousness. The structure of the epic, its division into parts and chapters, and the layered narrative devices are analyzed. Bharati’s poetic mastery, blending simple language with profound philosophy and vivid imagery, is shown to bring a fresh vitality to Tamil epic poetry. Through Panchali Sabatham, Bharati not only celebrates Tamil literary heritage but frames contemporary socio-political struggles within that tradition, calling for courage, unity, and ethical living.