title: A royal description of madness.
abstract: The search for the description of mental illness in the community is an interesting pastime and has been attempted by many psychiatrists. The present writer has described an instance in the Tamil literature of the 2nd century CE in the Tamil Buddhist epic, Manimekalai. Presently, is given another description from the stylus of the Tamil Pallava king, Mahendravarman of the 6th century CE from his farcical drama of Mattavilasa Prahasana.
authors: Former Superintendent, Institute of Mental Health and Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: somasundaramo@hotmail.com.
authors: Somasundaram
authors: S
authors: Ottilingam
authors: Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet, Pondicherry, PIN-605014, India. Electronic address: agtejusmurthy@gmail.com.
authors: Murthy
authors: M
authors: Tejus
authors: Psychiatrist, Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), R/7A, North Main Road, Anna Nagar West Extension, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, PIN-600101, India. Electronic address: drvijayaraghavand@gmail.com.
authors: Raghavan
authors: R
authors: Vijaya
mesh_terms: D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008513:Medicine in Literature; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*
keywords: History; Mental illness; Psychiatry; Tamil literature