Silappadikaram is one of the three surviving oldest epics in the world which was written during the end of the third primeval epoch of Tamil literature, the Sangam Age. The writer of Silappadikaram was Ilango Adigal, King Cheran Chenguttuvan`s brother. The fertile cultural information furnished in this literary masterpiece contributes to its great importance even today. Silappadikaram is considered to be a window to venture into both the thinking of ancient and modern India. There are several references to a number of legends from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Indian Puranas.

Silappadikaram gives an account of the history of the Pandyan, Chera and Chola dynasty. This book is founded on the lives and experiences of the early Tamils of the Pandyan kingdom from the 1st century A.D. This work of art is in the form of a romantic trilogy sprinkled with erotic verses. It touches the issues of marriage, moral values, religion, music, art, dance, myth, caste, military tactics, politics and a list of other things.

The central characters of Silappadikaram are Kovilan and Kannaki and the epic gives an account of their tragic and beautiful story. Kannaki volitionally accepts her husband who had previously deserted her because of a dancer by the name of Madhavi and got ruined in due course. This literary epoch narrates the couple visiting Madurai in pursuit of their fortune. Kannaki provides her precious `silambu` or anklets to Kovilan so that he can sell it and get some money. But Kovilan is misunderstood for the person who has stolen the anklets of the queen and is thus put to death. A furious Kannaki storms into the court of the king and upon the floor breaks the left over anklet to show that the anklets belonging to her were made of pearls, not gems, thus demonstrating before the king and others that her husband was innocent. Afterwards, she burns up the whole Madurai city in the fires of her anger. This story portrays `pativratas` in a powerful light through Kannaki and Kannaki is considered to be the avatar or incarnation of the Devi or Goddess Parvati.

The priceless moral lessons taught by Silappadikaram are that the law of divinity steps in the figure of death at the time when a king becomes extremely negligent of his duties, a faithful wife needs to be collectively respected, fate does its work in a fully mysterious manner and all the activities are honoured as per their nature.

The Silappadikaram is regarded as an epic poem as well as a novel, and at the same time this book is also about general education. Ilango Adigal, the writer of this book, filled the story with various information; religious rites, military lore, history integration into myth, caste customs, account of country and city life. The story, thus, provides a brilliant picture of early life of the Indians in diverse aspects. The writer of this literary work, Prince Ilango Adigal, was ancient India`s Tamil poet who is as significant to India as Homer is to the Western world.