Pranam
Forwarded materials of YATHARTH SANTESH BLOG IS FORMED AS FEW Q AND A
above; nothing wrong about it; but the story of paratchi petra etc are
stories not based on any evidence and a folklore only . It has been
repeated "n" times by the idiot Narayanaswamy and srardham and this again
and again seen as forwarded by Mr G. Let it be. Is there any history for
kerala?; Vararuchi belongs to the Gupta dynasty of nava pandithas in the
assembly and a poet who did not exist at the time of Ramayanam. Also advice
of sumitra to Lakshmana is a concoction of importance of Ramayana in the
Kerala folk tales as written by Santhesh. Sumitra advises her son Anujan to
follow Rama and Seetha as Father and mother and the forest as Ayodhya (left
out in the meaning translation above by Mr G) . And Vararuchi has nothing
to do with Kerala also or Nambudiris as described under kaveri folk tale ;
as any whirlpool may not be stagnant for people to arrive all the way from
Kerala to Trichy . And as usual I am extracting below the Kerala folk tale
and non history climate as written by the keralites which would as usual
authenticate my view and awaiting as usual the blasphemy of durvasa.
"THE POLITICS OF LEGEND MAKING IN KERALA
REFIGURING HISTORIGRAPHY AND LEGEND: CHAPTER 4
Kerala historiography Even though Kerala has a culture and tradition of
its own, comparable with the cultures of ancient world, the knowledge base
in the area is very limited due to inadequate research and emphasis on
legends. A close perusal of historical research emphasizes the fact that as
in other regions, Kerala too did not evince much interest in historical
writing. This phenomenon of keeping records or attempting to write the
history of the country has seldom been attempted to, by the people of
Kerala. As a result of the acute want of source materials to construct the
history of Kerala, myths, legends and rumours form a large part of our
historical narrations. The history of Kerala is therefore shrouded in myth.
While assessing the nature of human progress and civilization that had
centered in the Kerala region through the ages, it would appear that human
endeavours did not articulate into social transformation till the middle of
the 19th century. A. Sreedhara Menon writes (Kusuman 141) "... the Kerala
region, like the Indian subcontinent, can claim to have a culture, the
history of which runs into the dim recesses of antiquity...in fact, the
secret of the vitality and strength of Kerala culture lies in its composite
character...its history unfolds the romantic and fascinating story of a
unique process of cultural synthesis and social assimilation. Its
insularity also enabled Kerala from the very beginning of its history to
develop its own outlook and the way of life, art and architecture, language
and literature and economic and social institutions which in spite of some
similarities with those in other part of India, have retained their own
distinctive characteristics to this day...".
In spite of this claim of a highly developed cultural outlook from
ancient times, the development of history as an independent branch of
knowledge did not receive the curious attention among the Keralites. This
stagnant situation appeared more due to the outcome of the cultural
hegemony by a ruling or dynastic class. In this process the very
essentialities of social gathering and mobility came to be ignored by the
dominant section. The ambition of the ruling classes passed through
multifarious barriers like caste system, untouchability and
unapproachability, traditional customs and practices, illiteracy and its
consequential effect of ignorance and blind faith in religion with all the
attendant evils like superstitious and conservative outlook. All these
stood against the free movement and interaction of diverse group of people
(Kusuman 142). The brahmin settlers had preserved some sort of a chronicle
named Keratopathy. It represents their concept of a history of Kerala. The
surviving shape of this book might go back to the 16th century of the
Christian era. It may be argued that the original must be older than the
16th century since Barbosa and Zeinuddin reproduced some traditions found
there. The anonymous work is a hotchpotch of legend and history, opening
with reference to Parasurama's retrieval of Kerala from the sea and closing
with an account of naduvazhis (rulers) who came to power after the last
Cheraman Perumal's partition of Kerala. Arab, Chinese and European
travellers, traders, officials and missionaries have left behind sketches
of life in Kerala prepared for the benefit of their countrymen from time to
time. Sheik Zeinuddin's Tuhfat-ul Mujahidin, an appeal to the Muslim world
to organize jihad (holy war) against the Portuguese intruders contains a
short history of Kerala, more or less on the lines of the brahmin
chronicle.
It has a vivid account of the nadus (regions), big and small which
existed in Kerala after the disintegration of the kingdom of the Cheraman
Perumal. In the modern period, the first serious attempt to reconstruct the
history was undertaken by William Logan, the collector of Malabar. He
compiled the district manual called Malabar in accordance with the Imperial
Gazetteer scheme of the British Empire in India. Pachu Moottathu, a
courtier of the Maharaja of Travancore had composed a history of Travancore
in the middle of the 19th century on traditional lines. It contained no new
methods or sources. For the first time, Logan examined the traditional
accounts critically in the light of the foreign accounts and the newly
discovered archaeological and literary sources. The immediate results were
not very encouraging, especially in relation to the early periods with
their chronological maze and numerous puzzles. However, it was a
path-breaking attempt and held up some promise for the future. The imperial
British rulers succeeded in persuading the native states of Cochin and
Travancore also to prepare the state manuals on the model of the district
manuals of British India. The quality however was not the same. The present
century has been a period of achievement when the modern trends took roots
and flourished, and started yielding fruits. Shangoony Menon, Dewan Peshkar
of Travanacore who published a history of Travancore, represents the first
generation of English educated Indian historians in Kerala. He followed the
example of Logan instead of his own father in attempting a critical
examination of sources. Though he was able to go further, he was frustrated
because there was no significant improvement in relation to documentary
evidence. He ended up with Notes on the Letters of Visscher, posthumously
published by T. K. Krishna Menon under the misleading title of History of
Kerala in four volumes. This classified encyclopaedia of Kerala history was
the starting point for new researches in our own times.
New archaeological, epigraphic and literary material for the history
of Kerala and the neighbouring territories came to light from the second
decade of the century with the publications of the department of
archaeology in British India and the native sates. The Travancore
Archaeological Series, the Bulletins of the Ramavarma Research Institute,
Trichur including Cochin Epigraphic Supplement, The Kerala Society papers,
The South Indian Inscriptions etc., carried innumerable photographs,
original documents, translations, commentaries and discussions by experts.
Various attempts were made to tackle the problems of early history in the
light of advances in the study of South Indian history by scholars ofthe
Madras university. There was some success in the chronology and political
history of the Chera dynasty in the Sangam period and post Sangam period.
Nevertheless, the scholars had to travel a long way before the legends of
Parasurama, St. Thomas and Cheraman Perumal could be replaced with reliable
historical knowledge (Kusuman 194). By the middle of the century,
historians could no longer complain honestly, as Logan and Padmanabha Menon
had done, about the scarcity of indigenous materials for the pre-portugese
period in the history of Kerala. The study of the subject was both
challenging and inviting and with the advent of independence and the
formation of the Kerala state, academic and popular interest in the subject
was generated. When the history of Kerala became a subject of study for the
postgraduate students of Malayalam literature, Prof. Elamkulam Kunjan
Pillai undertook serious academic studies."
KR IRS 14222 NB I shall write about Vararuchi in the afternoon fdro
those who may have interest to read.
On Sun, 13 Feb 2022 at 20:31, 'gopala krishnan' via iyer123 <
[email protected]> wrote:
> QUES ANSW DIVINE 02-2022-12
>
> Dear friends,
>
> These are information posted by members compiled as QA by me in
> 1998’s-2004’s and stored in my computer. At this date I have no information
> of the members posted.
>
> *BEING COMPILATION THERE MAY BE ERRORS.*
>
> Sincerely,
>
> *R. Gopalakrishnan, 78, dated 13-02-2022*
>
> Q1 Which is the most important verse in Ramayana?
>
> A1 Refer Vararuchi story and the talking birds…The king asked vararchi the
> above question and given time limit to answer. With out getting answer
> Vararuchi started walking in the forests. He heard two birds talking about
> it. According to the birds, the most important verse was the advice given
> by Sumithra to Lakshmanan, when Sri Raman, Seetha and Lakshmanan started
> for forest exile.
>
> "Ramam Dasaratham vidhhi, maam vidhhi Janakaatmajam
> Ayodhya mataveem vidhhi, gaccha thaatha yattha sukham"
>
> *(Consider Raman as if he were their father Dasarathan, Seetha as mother
> and the forest as Ayodhya; may the journey be a blessed one).*
>
> Varararuchi answered so to king and king was very happy.
>
> And the most important phrase in it was "Maam vidhi Janakaatmajam" (Consider
> Seetha as your mother).Recollect when such was ordained Sita doubted
> Lekshmana..
>
> Q2 What is Vararuchi story?
>
> A2 Vararuchi, the great Brahmanan, is destined to marry the girl just born
> in a Parayan (very low caste) family born on a particular date. It was
> also told by the talking birds while he was wandering in the forest. However
> he did not prefer it.
>
> He informed to the king as the birds told about his marriage. The king
> was very pleased with vararuchi about his correct ramayana answer .So
> the king decided to help him.
>
> Accordingly, the little girl was traced, kept in a small raft (made out of
> banana plant peelings) with a lighted torch stuck on its head and floated
> in the river.
>
> One day, many years later, Vararuchi, during one of his travels, went into
> a poor Brahmanan's house for food. *When Vararuchi set some preconditions
> (in code language) for taking food there, a girl from inside assured that
> all the conditions will be met*.
>
> Impressed by the intelligence of the girl who could understand the
> complicated conditions he had put forth and the perfect arrangements she
> made for him, he was attracted to her and married her.
>
> *Vararuchi soon realised that the girl he married was the same one who was
> sent afloat in the river, and that none can change the course of destiny. *
>
> It was an Antharjanam (Namboothiri wife) of Narippatta Mana of Kodumunda
> village on the northern bank of Nila (Bharathapuzha) across from Thrithala
> who had found the floating girl and had raised her.
>
> Thereupon Vararuchi proclaimed *ex-communication for himself* from the
> Brahmanan community, due to his marriage with a low caste girl.
>
> Along with his wife, Vararuchi started on a pilgrimage.
>
> During Vararuchi's travels along the Nila river, his wife had given birth
> to twelve children. Each time he told her to go into a denser part of the
> forest and upon delivery, asked her if the baby had mouth. If she said
> yes, he would say, "God will feed it if it has mouth", and would ask her
> to leave the child there and then proceed. Grieved by these, when the
> 12th child was born, *she lied and said the baby did not have a mouth*,
> upon which he permitted her to take the child along.
>
> But when she was about to breast-feed it, *the mouth was actually not
> there,* proving that the words of great personalities do indeed become
> real.
>
> Vararuchi then deified the child on a hill, which is called
> "*Vaayillaakkunnilappan"
> (*Hill Lord without mouth), near the place Kadampazhipuram (in the
> present Palakkad dist.).
>
> The children left out in the forest were subsequently found, adopted and
> raised by families belonging to different communities, reccognised one
> another as they grew up, and used to get-together at the Illam
> (residence) of the eldest son, Mezhathol Agnihothri, on their father
> Vararuchi's death anniversary (Sraadham) - so goes the story or myth.
>
> These twelve sons are: Mezhathol Agnihothri (Brahmanan), Paakkanaar
> (Parayan, a very low caste), Rajakan (Washerman), Naaraanathu Bhraanthan
> (Elayathu, a lower class Brahmanan), Kaarakkal Maatha (high caste Nair),
> Akavoor Chaathan (Vysyan), Vaduthala Nair (Nair Soldier), Vallon
> (Thiruvalluvar of Tamil Nadu), Uppukottan (Muslim), Paananaar (Paanan, a
> very low caste of country musicians), Perumthachan (carpenter),
> Vaayillaakkunnilappan (deity).
>
> After the "Prathishta" of "Vaayillaa kkunnilappan", Vararuchi is
> believed to *have undergone Samaadhi at Mannoor*
>
> Most of these twelve families still exist in the southern part of
> Palakkad district (Shoranur, Pattambi and Thrithala areas). Recently, on
> 30-11-97, all of them met in Vemancheri Mana, the Illam (residence) of
> Mezhathol Agnihothri, near Thrithala.
>
> *My note- According to this incident, all sons can join together to
> perform srardha of father.*
>
> Q3 Is it correct to conduct Sraddah together by all the sons to their
> parents?
>
> A3 According to Vararuchi story of parachi petta panthirukulam it is
> considered divine
>
> The twelve brothers of Agnihothri (Pantheerukulam) are said to have been
> meeting at Vemancheri Mana, the home of Agnihothri, *every year on the
> Bheeshmaashtami day of Utharayanam to perform the death anniversary rites
> (Sraadham) of their father*, Vararuchi It was to this Mana that
> Agnihothri's brother Paakkanaar of Paraya caste had turned up carrying the
> udder chopped off from a dead cow in order to perform Sraadha (in his own
> style) of their father Vararuchi. The famous scholars Payyur Bhattathiris
> claim their ancestry to Agnihothri.
>
> *My note- I have read somewhere the udders changed to vegitable Kovaikka
> on opening the pack.*
>
> Q4 What is the importance of Mezhathol Agnihothri?
>
> A4 According to history, *after Budha and Jain periods, the deteriorated
> Vedadharma and Yagna (Yaagam) culture were rejuvenated in Kerala, several
> years later, by Mezhathol Agnihothri, by performing Yaagam ninety-nine
> times, one after the other.*
>
> Only seven of the thirty two Namboothiri Graamams (villages) co-operated
> with Agnihothri and accepted the Yaagam culture again.
>
> Even today, only these seven Graamams (Thaliparambu, Alathur, Karikkad,
> Panniyur, Sukapuram, Perumanam and Irinjalakkuda) have families having
> right to perform Yaagams.
>
> It is said that a person who performs 100 Yaagams will become god Indran.
> When 99 Yaagams were over, Lord Indran feared that his power would be lost
> to the Yajamaanan (leader) of this Yaagam.
>
> *Indran personally arrived in the 99th Yaagasaala to accept the oblations
> meant for each of them, and pleaded to Mezhathol Agnihothri to stop
> performing the 100th Yaagam*.
>
> The leader, Mezhathol Agnihothri, declined the request saying that he is
> performing it not for a better position but for retaining the culture of
> Yaagam among Brahmanans.
>
> *Indran then conceded Mezhathol Agnihothri and his seven colleagues, his
> equal status.*
>
> It is now believed that Aazhvaancheri Thampraakkal performed the duties
> of "Brahman" in all these Yaagams. Vaidyamadham family members were the
> Yaagasaala physicians
>
> Q5 Is there any story that Melathol Agni hothri- son of vararuchi has
> married a Tamil Brahmin girl as his third wife?
>
> A5 yes. The story goes that once a huge vortex appeared in the river
> Cauvery. *An Amyar (Malayalam term for Tamil Brahmanan lady) girl
> residing on the bank of the river apparently got a divine message and said
> that only Mezhathol Agnihothri can find a solution for this cyclonic
> formation in the river.*
>
> When invited, he went there, went down into the waters and came up on the
> third day with three spears in his hand. Some Gandharvans had apparently
> lost them there.
>
> Agnihothri accepted the Amyar girl as his third wife, returned and
> installed the gold spear in his own house, the silver spear at
> Velliyamkallu and the copper spear at Kotikunnath.
>
> It is believed that the gold spear installed on the west side of the
> quadrangle (Patinjaatti) in Vemancheri Mana, later grew itself as a large
> stone lamp (Kalvilakku).
>
> Bhattathiris claim their ancestry to Agnihothri.
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "iyer123" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to [email protected].
> To view this discussion on the web visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/iyer123/1403339248.812331.1644764511391%40mail.yahoo.com
> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/iyer123/1403339248.812331.1644764511391%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
> .
>
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Thatha_Patty" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To view this discussion on the web visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoq7xhao%3DzHH3UbzYfdXzNmgqJPxn%3D%3D%3D%2BmE%2B%2BUby79NT%3DQ%40mail.gmail.com.
