Kamba Ramayanam: Kambar's Tamil Ramayana

Quick answer: The Kamba Ramayanam, called Iramavataram ("the descent of Rama") by its author, is the Tamil Ramayana of the poet Kambar (Kamban). Most scholars date him to the 12th century; an older view places him in the 9th. It tells the story in six books (kandams) from Bala Kandam to Yuddha Kandam, and it is one of the great classics of Tamil literature.

Kambar follows Valmiki's outline but writes as a Tamil poet with his own vision. His Rama is God come down as a man, and the poem is full of devotion, rich description and drama.

When was it written?

Tamil tradition and scholars disagree on Kambar's date. Britannica gives about 1180 to 1250. The Tamil Virtual Academy notes an older tradition that the work was first presented in 885 CE. Most modern scholars prefer the 12th century. Tradition holds that the poem was first presented (arangetram) at the Ranganatha temple at Srirangam, and names a local chieftain, Sadayappa Vallal of Thiruvennainallur, as Kambar's patron.

How it is organised

Kambar's poem has six kandams, matching the first six books of Valmiki. Each kandam is divided into chapters (padalams), and the verses are in a variety of Tamil metres. The Uttara Kandam found in some Tamil editions is a separate work, traditionally credited to Ottakoothar, so Sita's exile and the story of Lava and Kusha are not part of Kambar's own poem.

How it differs from Valmiki

Kambar retells rather than translates. Among the differences readers notice most:

• Rama as God. As in later devotional Ramayanas, Rama's divinity is clear throughout.
• Love at first sight. Rama and Sita see each other in Mithila before the bow is broken, a scene Valmiki does not have. Compare our Ram Sita Vivah Katha in Valmiki and the Ramcharitmanas, where Tulsidas has a similar garden meeting.
• Ravana does not touch Sita. In Kambar, Ravana carries Sita off by lifting the ground on which she stands, so that he never touches her. In Valmiki he seizes her (3.49).
• Ravana's grandeur. Kambar gives Ravana great dignity and courage even in defeat, and his descriptions of Lanka are among the most admired passages in Tamil.
• Tamil landscape. Rivers, fields and towns are described in the manner of classical Tamil poetry.

For how Valmiki tells the abduction, see the Aranya Kanda summary.

How it is read and performed

The Kamba Ramayanam is studied in Tamil schools and universities and recited in temples and at literary gatherings. Its episodes are performed in shadow puppetry (tolpavakoothu) in Kerala's Palakkad region, which draws on Kambar's text, and in Tamil dance and drama.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote the Kamba Ramayanam?

The Tamil poet Kambar, also called Kamban, usually dated to the 12th century.

What is the original name of the Kamba Ramayanam?

Iramavataram, "the descent (avatara) of Rama".

How many kandams are in the Kamba Ramayanam?

Six, from Bala Kandam to Yuddha Kandam. The Uttara Kandam in some editions is attributed to Ottakoothar.

Is the Kamba Ramayanam a translation of Valmiki?

No. It follows Valmiki's outline but is an independent Tamil poem with its own episodes and emphasis.

Does Ravana touch Sita in the Kamba Ramayanam?

No. Kambar has him lift the ground on which she stands.

Related reading

• Ramayana: The Complete Guide
• Valmiki Ramayana vs Ramcharitmanas
• Telugu Ramayanas: Ranganatha and Molla
• Adhyatma Ramayana and Kerala's Ramayana month
• The Ramayana beyond India
• Ramayana variations across India

Sources

1. Britannica, "Kampan": britannica.com/biography/Kampan (britannica.com) (dates).
2. Tamil Virtual Academy, course notes on Kambar: tamilvu.org (tamilvu.org) (six kandams; the 885 CE tradition).
3. University of Illinois, South Asian pre-modern poetry exhibit, Kamban (cwlrel208.web.illinois.edu).
4. George L. Hart and Hank Heifetz (trans.), The Forest Book of the Ramayana of Kampan (University of California Press, 1988).
5. Valmiki Ramayana, IIT Kanpur: heritage.iitk.ac.in/VRAM, for comparison.

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.