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Question 157 of 236 · Books & Authors
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Kamban wrote his version of the Ramayana in which language?

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Answer: Option A — Tamil

Detailed Solution

Kamban wrote his Ramayana, called the "Ramavataram" and popularly known as the "Kamba Ramayanam", in Tamil in the 12th century.

About the Kamba Ramayanam:

  • It is a retelling of Valmiki's Sanskrit Ramayana, but Kamban adapted the story to Tamil culture, values and landscapes, and added his own episodes and interpretations.
  • It has six books (kandams) and over 10,000 verses.
  • It presents Rama as an incarnation of Vishnu and is filled with deep devotion (bhakti).

It is regarded as one of the greatest works of Tamil literature, and its verses are recited in temples and homes. A traditional form of storytelling based on it, "Kambar Kavi" or "Kamba Ramayana pravachanam", is popular.

About Kamban:

  • He lived in the 12th century, probably during the reign of the Chola king Kulothunga III, and came from Therazhundur in the Thanjavur region.
  • His patron was Sadaiyappa Vallal of Thiruvennainallur, whom he praised in his work.
  • He is called "Kavi Chakravarthy" (Emperor of Poets).

Versions of the Ramayana in other Indian languages:

  • Sanskrit: Valmiki's "Ramayana", the original epic ("Adi Kavya"); "Adhyatma Ramayana".
  • Hindi (Awadhi): "Ramcharitmanas" by Tulsidas (16th century).
  • Bengali: "Krittivasi Ramayan" by Krittibas Ojha (15th century).
  • Telugu: "Ranganatha Ramayanam" by Gona Budda Reddy; "Molla Ramayanam" by the poetess Atukuri Molla.
  • Kannada: "Ramachandra Charita Purana" (Pampa Ramayana) by Nagachandra.
  • Malayalam: "Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu" by Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan.
  • Assamese: "Saptakanda Ramayana" by Madhava Kandali (14th century), one of the earliest in a regional language.
  • Odia: "Dandi Ramayana" by Balarama Das.
  • Nepali: "Bhanubhakta Ramayana" by Bhanubhakta Acharya.
  • Persian: translated under Akbar by Abdul Qadir Badauni.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Telugu versions include the "Ranganatha Ramayanam" and "Molla Ramayanam".
  • ✗Kannada's Ramayana was written by Nagachandra.
  • ✗Malayalam's Ramayana was written by Ezhuthachan.

Quick tip

Remember: Kamba Ramayanam (Ramavataram) = Kamban, Tamil, 12th century ("Kavi Chakravarthy"); Ramcharitmanas = Tulsidas (Awadhi); Krittivasi = Bengali; Bhanubhakta = Nepali.

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Books & Authors — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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