Aimperum Kappiyangal is the combined name of five great epics in Tamil – Silappatikaram, Manimekalai, Jivaka Chintamani, Valayapati and Kundaladeshi. Silappatikaram and Manimekalai belong to the post-Sangam period (3rd and 5th century CE respectively). A Jaina monk, Ilango Adigal, composed Silappatikaram. Besides pronouncing the greatness of Jaina concepts and the worship of Arhat, it praises all the gods of the Hindu pantheon. It reserves chapters to describe the worship of various Hindu gods especially Indra, Goddess Durga, Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Muruga.
The first mention of the Aimperum Kappiyangal (lit. Five
large epics) occurs in Mayilainathar's commentary of Nannul. However,
Mayilainathar does not mention their titles. The titles are first mentioned in
the late-18th-to-early-19th-century work Thiruthanikaiula. Earlier works like
the 17th-century poem Tamil Vidu Thoothu mention the great epics as Panchkavyams.
The Indra Vila festival was a national celebration in the Chola
country before and during the epic period. In Manimekalai, it is mentioned that
the occasion was marked by inter-religious discussions. One can see the
importance attached to Indra, the Vedic God, from the reference to the separate
places of worship for each attribute attached to him like his airavata (the white
elephant), vajrayudha (invincible weapon) and parijata (the celestial tree).
Goddess Durga is spoken of as having both the aspects of Shiva and Vishnu, thus
striking a compromise between the two religious sects of Shaivites and
Vaishnavites. Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Muruga are also described in vivid terms
while stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are also cited.
The epic Manimekalai, written by Sittalai-c-cattanar, is the
first to mention Shaivism and Vishnavism as different religious sects. The most
celebrated concept of Shaivism, that of Shiva as ashtamurti (the God having
eight-fold form), is dealt within this epic. The four-fold Vedas and their six-fold
subsidiaries (Vedangas), the different schools of philosophical thought,
Samkhya, Vaiseshika, Bhutavada, Lokayatavada and Purvamimamsa of Jaimini are
briefly explained, as are also the chief sects of Jainism. But Buddhism comes
in for the highest praise in the work and its doctrines are give pride of
place.
In Jivaka Chintamani, written by Tiruttakka Devar, the
transitory nature of the world and the karma theory, shared by Hinduism and Buddhism
alike, are given importance. The epics Valayapati and Kundalakesi have not been
preserved for posterity. Only 72 verses of Valayapati are quoted in the
commentaries. They insist upon good character, charity and vegetarianism.
Among the five epics, Silappatikaram and Manimekalai are the
most popular, one highlighting the power of chastity and the other of sacrifice.
U. V. Swaminatha Iyer (1855–1942 CE) resurrected the first three epics from neglect and wanton destruction of centuries. He reprinted the literature present in the palm leaf form to paper books. He faced difficulties in interpretation, missing leaves, textual errors and unfamiliar terms. He set for journeys to remote villages in search of the manuscripts. After years of toil, he published Civaka Cintamani in book form in 1887 CE followed by Cilappatikaram in 1892 CE and Manimekalai in 1898 CE. Along with the text, he added much commentary and explanatory notes of terms, textual variations and context.