Neelakesi

Neelakesi is one of the five minor epics (Tamil: ஐஞ்சிறு காப்பியங்கள், ainciru kāppiyaṅkaḷ) in Tamil literature. It is a Jain religious work, likely composed around the 10th century CE. The epic focuses on promoting Jain doctrines and refuting the arguments of other contemporary religious schools of thought, including Buddhism, Ajivika, and various Hindu sects.

The poem consists of a series of debates and dialogues, often depicted as a contest between the Jain protagonist, Neelakesi, and proponents of rival faiths. Neelakesi, typically portrayed as a learned and persuasive woman, successfully dismantles the theological positions of her opponents through logic, reason, and skillful argumentation. This dialectical approach is a prominent feature of the work.

While the complete Neelakesi epic is not extant, significant portions of the text have been preserved through quotations and references in later commentaries and grammatical works. Reconstructing the epic's narrative and its precise content has been a scholarly endeavor, relying heavily on these scattered fragments.

The Neelakesi provides valuable insights into the religious landscape of medieval South India and the philosophical debates that shaped its intellectual climate. It also offers a glimpse into the role of women in religious discourse during that period. The surviving portions of the epic showcase sophisticated argumentative techniques and reflect the Jain community's efforts to establish its theological dominance in the region. Its importance lies in its documentation of inter-religious debates and its reflection of the religious rivalries of the time. The work contributes significantly to our understanding of the history of Jainism in South India.