Sivagamiyin Sapatham
novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy
Sivagamiyin Sapatham (Tamil: சிவகாமியின் சபதம், civakāmiyiṉ capatam, Tamil pronunciation: [tɕivagaːmijin tɕabadam], literally 'The vow of Sivagami') is a Tamil historical novel written by Kalki Krishnamurthy, first serialized in Kalki magazine during January 1944 – June 1946, and published as a book in 1948. Along with Ponniyin Selvan, this is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written in Tamil. Set in the 7th-century south India against the backdrop of various historical events and figures, the novel created widespread interest in Tamil history. Honour, love and friendship are important themes that run through the course of the novel. It is also the prequel story of Parthiban Kanavu written by the same author.
Plot synopsis
It would be difficult to point out who the real hero of the novel is. Mahendravarman I, the Pallava emperor, plays an important role in the first half of the story while his son Narasimhavarman comes into his own as the novel progresses. The plot revolves around the historical events of the Chalukya king, Pulakeshin II, laying a siege of Kanchi, and Narasimhavarman avenging this by attacking Vatapi, the capital of the Chalukyas.
The novel is divided into four parts.
Part 1: Paranjothi's Journey
The novel begins with the arrival of Paranjothi in the city of Kanchi to attain tutelage under the Tamil saint Thirunavukkarasar.
“Sivagamiyin Sapatham” enters the record as novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Sivagamiyin, Sapatham and novel can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Sivagamiyin Sapatham” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Sivagamiyin, Sapatham and novel provides the most credible route into that argument.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7532308. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1944, 1946 and 1948.
Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Sivagamiyin Sapatham”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Sivagamiyin Sapatham primary sources, Sivagamiyin Sapatham archive and Sivagamiyin research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sivagamiyin Sapatham”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Sivagamiyin Sapatham” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.