Kaalamegam or Kālamēgam (Tamil: காளமேகம்; born Varathan), also known as Kavi Kalamegam was a prominent 15th-century Tamil poet. Born into a Vaishnavite family, he fell in love with a woman named Mohanaangi, who was affiliated with the Shiva tradition at the Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval. Due to his affection for her, he converted from

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...

Shaivism Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Para Brahman, supreme being. It is the Hinduism#Demographics, second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million H ...

. He was renowned for his expertise in ''siledai''—a traditional form of Tamil satirical song—but he also composed many spiritual works and light-hearted poetry. He authored several devotional and religious texts and was considered a skilled ācu (impromptu or spontaneous) poet.

Biography

Kaalamegam's birth name was Varathan, and he lived during the reign of Chola minor king Thirumalai Raayan (1453–1468 CE), as indicated by an inscription dated Ṣaka 1375 (equivalent to 1453 CE) at Thiruvanaikaval. Kaalamegam's pen-name has a poetic origin: while serving as a cook in the Adhirangam Ranganathaswamy temple at Thiruvarangam, he waited for Mohanaangi in an interior corridor, fell asleep, and upon waking discovered she'd left. At that moment, he witnessed a priest offering betel leaf directly from the goddess

Saraswati Saraswati (, ), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal Devi, goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture. Together with the godde ...

’s mouth—he believed it was Mohanangi’s doing. This vision inspired him with divine poetic fervor, leading him to adopt “Kālamēgam” (“poetic cloud”) as his pen name .

Works

Some of his notable works include: * ''Thiruvaṉaikka Ula'' * ''Saraswathi Maalai'' * ''Parabramm Vilakkam'' * ''Chithira Madal''

Silētai (Satirical Verses)

Kālamēgam composed several famous ''siledai'', such as: * On the serpent and banana – Drawing allegories comparing poison and fruit, skin and flesh; highlighting that some harms are irreversible. * On onions, ginger, and spices – A commentary blending culinary spices with spiritual metaphors; sometimes attributed to the poet Sokkanadhar. * On serpents and sesame – Juxtaposes the hiss of a snake with the sound of sesame sprinkled in oil, using vivid sensory imagery.

Style and Description

He was also skilled in ''ezhuthani paadal''—alliterative, rhythmical lyric poetry with wordplay. In one autobiographical verse, he calls himself the poetic cloud (“Kaalamegam”), having immersed himself in the ocean of good literature, grazing as a cloud upon the mountain of sage

Agastya Agastya was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the Indian tradition, he is a noted recluse and an influential scholar in diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent. He is regarded in some traditions to be a Chiranjivi. He and his wife ...

, and pouring forth poetry like lightning.

Legacy

Kaalamegam is remembered for his witty, satirical, and devotional poetry. Tamil critics compare him to great Tamil poets of successive eras, praising his spontaneity and literary creativity. The 1940 Tamil film

Kalamegam Kaalamegam or Kālamēgam (Tamil: காளமேகம்; born Varathan), also known as Kavi Kalamegam was a prominent 15th-century Tamil poet. Born into a Vaishnavite family, he fell in love with a woman named Mohanaangi, who was affiliated wi ...

was about Kaalamegam's life.

References

Sources

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