Sanskrit verses of kerala history part 11 K RAJARAM IRS 6824 7824 5.4. Syanandurapuravarnana-samuccaya
- Historical details from Mahatmyas and Prashastis Syanandurapuravarnana-samuccaya ] Syanandurapuravarnana-Samuccaya [*syanandurapura-varnana* <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/syanandurapuravarnana#history> *-samuccaya* is an unpublished poetic <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/poetry#history> composition, in the usual puranic style, that deals with some aspects of the history of the Padmanabhaswami Temple <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/temple#history>. The intention of the author is not merely to celebrate the sacredness of the temple, but also to give a faithful account <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/account#history> of the temple and its association as known to him. The author of the Syanandurapuravarnana-Samuccaya makes an effort to bring about a combination of the puranic and historical aspects in respect of the Padmanabha <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/padmanabha#history> Swami Temple. The colophon of the temple highlights many astonishing facts of Travancore history, Political, social and cultural and thereby makes a unique impact on the historiography of Travancore of the 11th 12th centuries AD. The name of the person who composed this excellent work is not revealed anywhere in the work. Still in the colophon he is said to have belonged to Manigrama <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/manigrama#history> in the Tulu <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/tulu#history> country. Also it is recorded that he was the son a certain Vishnu <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/vishnu#history> and pupil of one Madhava <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/madhava#history>. These facts are contained in the verse :— *grāme mahājanapade tulurājyalakṣmī* * bhūte maṇau mahitapādaparasya viṣṇoḥ |* *putrasya mādhavapadasya mahāmahimnaḥ* * pādābjasaṅgi śirasā kṛtinīdṛśī yā ||* This is historically very significant that the author belonged to Manigrama, a fact which is astonishing to all students of Kerala <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/kerala#history> History, since, the word Manigrama occurs in various historical records of South India <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/india#history>, especially those that hail from the west coast. A lot of confusion prevails over the import of the word, and scholars have variously interpreted it according to their own taste and outlook. Still, the general tendency of scholars, is to interpret the Manigrama as a guild of Christian marchants. Gramam means a company <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/company#history> or guild inscriptions have proved that Manigramam was a guild of first class marchants. Mani <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/mani#history> means great and therefore Manigramam may mean ‘great guild. Gopinatha Rao wrote that ‘Manigramam never meant or implied a community of immigrated Christian marchants, who were received and settled by a Malabar king <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/king#history> in his country and that they were not peculiar only to the Malabar court. The mention made in the Syanandurapuravarnana-Samuccaya brings to light the following new point. (1) Manigramam was the name of a village <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/village#history> in the Tulu country. The poet, who must have been an Empran (Tulu Brahmin <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/brahmin#history>) belonged to that. The date of the Syanandurapura <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/syanandurapura#history>-varnana <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/varnana#history>-Samuccaya is clearly indicated in the colophons. It is stated below. antye yuge'tipatiteṣu catussahasrasaṃvatsarādhikaśatadvayavatsareṣu aikonasaptatisamāsu ca pañcaviṃśabhūyo dine kadayite vimalagrahaughe abhyāgate surajananyadhidaiva tārāsaṃkrāntacandralagitāmara pūjyatuṃge paṅkeruhodbhavasaronikaṭembujākṣasaṃsthapanādhikṛtajanmamahāphalena dakṣeṇa velaviṣayeśa vaṭatsamākhyāśreṇi kuleddhamaṇināmitadakṣiṇena ākarṇitā guṇagaṇārjitakarṇavairiyantṛpraṇītamanasā sasabhāsadeyaṃ >From the above one learns that on the specified day the samuccaya, on its completion, was heard by king Udaya <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/udaya#history> Martanda Varma <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/martandavarma#history> in court, examined by the scholars present there and duly dedicated at the fact of Sripadmanabha. The day specified was the 25th day the kali <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/kali#history> year 4269 and Punarvasu asterism. So, it is clear that the poet was alive on that day and the composition was over before that. The whole work consists of 25 Adhyayas. The first chapter is devoted for Syanandura <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/syanandura#history> ksetravarnana <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/kshetravarnana#history>. It gives a general account of the temple. It is historically interesting that in this chapter the author tries to give an etymology for the place name Syanandura - ānandosya na dūre syāt purasyeti mumukṣubhiḥ purāṇermunibhirbhaktaiḥ syānandūrapuraṃ smṛtam || According to this etymology to place came to be known by that name, because the ancient sages considered Ananda (transcendental bliss) as not far from there. The original name seems to be Anandapura <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/anandapura#history>, a mislection of which was Anantapura <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/anantapura#history>. This samuccaya derives the place name from Ananda, meaning bliss. Obviously, the author’s attempt is to create a spiritual halo around the name. Whatever be his interpretation of the import of the word Andanda, as related to the place name, it remains a point that he too speaks of the place as Anandpura. The broad boundaries of the Ksetra <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/kshetra#history> are specified thereafter. yaduttaraṃ dakṣiṇa <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/dakshina#history> sindhurājāt yaddakṣiṇaṃ vā malayānmahādreḥ | pratyak ca yata kuṇḍamavacchinatti paitāmahaṃ prāk ca saridhṛtasrak || The country north of the southern sea, south of the Malaya <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/malaya#history> mountain, west of the Paitamahakunda and east of the sea has been specified as the Ksethra of Padmanabha. The second chapter described Padmanabasayana or the reclining posture of Visnu <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/vishnu#history> as Padmanabha. The third chapter deals with Padmanabh Aradhana. In the fourth chapter the poet describes the four limits of the city of Syanandura, that was marked by the Brahmakunda in the south west and the Paitamahathirta in the north east. The specification of the limits is continued the fifth chapter that goes by the title of Syanandura maryadavarmana. In the sixth, seventh and eighth chapter, the various tirta tanks <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/tank#history> with in the said limits are described. The ninth chapter is devoted exclusively for a description of the jata kunda. The tenth describes, the Cakratirtha <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/cakratirtha#history>. The 11th deals with the tirthasnanavidhi. The 12, 13, 14 & 15 expound the rare merits of the various Danas <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/dana#history> such as Vidyadana, Godana, Hiranyadana & Kanyadan. Matters like ksetravasaniyamavidhi, Padmanabha yogopanyasa, ksetralaksana, Jambukopakhyana, Syanandurastava, Ksetrasamarthya, Poojotsava varnana, Balisevaprasamsa and Ksetrasamarthyaika presamsana are dealt with in the subsequent chapters and lastly, the colophon, that possess supreme historical importance. The light shed by the Syanandurapuravarnana-Samuccaya on the history of Venad, in the 12th century AD is really tremendous. All such details spring from the colophon -which has proved itself to be a mine of information for Travancore history. The historical verses are produced here under. Śrīpadmanābha padapaṅjadhūlibhājā velādhipenaguṇa ratnasadākareṇa mārtāṇḍe ityudayaśabda purassareṇa nāmnaiva vairitimira pravilāpakena godasya yadava kulottama bhūṣaṇasya dharmārthakāmasadṛśeṣu mahāguṇeṣu | jāteṣu citracariteṣu suteṣu tena prāduṣkṛtena dadhateva ca mokṣasiddhi svaiḥpauruṣair abhinavīkṛta padmanābha sanmandirottama guṇāgrajakeralena uddaṇḍa daṇḍa balimaṇḍita pāṇḍya cola daṇḍā vakhaṇḍana śarāsanamaṇḍalena dorddaṇḍa daṇḍacakite dvidha diśamaulī saṃghṛ ṣṭapādasara sīruhapīṭhikena paṅkeruhā kṣapadapaṅkajapīṭhapāda vanyāsadeśaviluṭhan maṇimaulanālaḥ nanāśruti smṛtipurāṇa samasta śāstraśāsyena viprajana pūjana sannatena padmopa mānanayanena Mukunda bhakti bhānūdayon miṣadudāramukhāṃbujena vidvajjanā nanasaroja sudhāpravāha kāntāmanaḥ kumudinī rajanīkareṇa satpātra sannihita śuddhaghana prabhedasa mpāditākhilasure śvaravaibhavena King Goda <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/goda#history> of the Yadavakula, was the ruler of the Velavisaya, to be identified with Venad. He had four sons. The first was named Vira <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/vira#history> Kerala. He rebuilt the Padmanabhaswami temple. The fourth was Udaya marthandavarma who extended liberal patronage to the author of the samuccaya. Udayamarthanda varma was a devottee of Sripadmanabha. He was the abode of many good qualities. He struck terror on his foes. He defeated the forces of the Pandyas <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/pandya#history> and colas <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/cola#history>. He was well-versed in the various Srutis <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/shruti#history>’, Smrtis, Puranas <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/purana#history> and all the sastras <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/shastra#history>. He bowed his head in the adoration of Brahmins <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/brahmin#history>. He was a patron of men of letters and a unique philanthropist. The genealogy, as given in the Syanandura-pura <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/syanandurapura#history>-varnana-Samuccaya, is perfectly correct, because, the contemporary epigraphs provide excellent corroboration for these facts. They also furnish the names of the two princess that had not been revealed in the Samuccaya. Chronologically also the mention in the Samuccaya is found very scientific <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/science#history>. This may be known from the following: The Syanandurapuravarnana-Samuccaya reveals that Kota <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/kota#history> varma had four sons, among whom Udayamarthanda Varma was the fourth. The first was Kerala Varma. It is also known that Udaya Martanda <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/martanda#history> Varma was reigning in 354 M.E. Inscriptions of the king, dated from 343 to 371 M.E. have been noticed. So, it is clear that the Udayamartanda Varma of the Samuccaya was identical with the namesake who figures in the inscriptions cited above. The Colapuram inscription of 302 M.E. belongs to one Vira Kerala Varma. He may be rightly identified with the Kerala Varma mentioned in the Syanandurapura-varnana-Samuccaya. Thus we get 302 M.E. as the earliest known date of the elder brother and 371 M.E. as the latest known date of the youngest. Of the period between these two we have got inscriptions of two more rulers Kotai <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/kotai#history> Aditya <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/aditya#history> Varma and Kotai Ravi <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/ravi#history> Varma by name. In the Suchindram inscription of 320 M.E. Vira Kerala is mentioned as Kotai Kerala. So also is the Trivandrum Gosala inscription of Vira Udaya Marthanda Varma. From all this it could be learnt that Kota Varma’s four sons were Kotai Kerala Varma, Kotai Aditya Varma, Kotai Iravi <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/iravi#history> Varma and Kotai Martanda Varma. The surname Kotai had been applied to all the four brothers. Moreover, the earliest known date of the first son happens to be posterior to 292 M.E., the known date of the Kuparkon mentioned in the verse inscription spoken of by Nagam Ayya, and therefore Kota Varma of the Samuccaya has to be identified with the Kuparkon. The general effect of the colophon on the political history of Travancore is four-fold. They are:-Kotavarma, who is not known to history from other sources, has been introduced in history. He serves as the connecting link between Ramavarma Kulasekhara and Virakerala Varma. Virakerala of the Colapuram inscription dated 302 M.E. and Vira Kotai Kerala of the the Suchindram inscription[11] <https://www.wisdomlib.org/history/essay/sanskrit-sources-of-kerala-history/d/doc1239671.html#note-e-243758> of 320 & 325 M.E. are proved to be one and the same. The myth that Vira Kerala Varma was the son of Ramavarma Kulasekhara has been exploded. It is found that Virakerala Varma alias Virakotai Kerala Varma, Virakotai Aditya Varma, Virakotai Ravivarma and Vira Udaya Martanda Varma alias Kotai Martandavarma <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/martandavarma#history> were brothers. As regards the history of the Padmanabhaswami Temple, the Syanandurapuravarnana-Samuccaya furnishes very useful information. Such items of information relate to 5 importants aspects of temple history, namely the royal benefactions, the major ceremonies, glorious of the temple, the antiquity of some of the temple leagends and the various tanks attached to the temple. The most important informations furnished by the Syanandura-pura <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/pura#history>-varnana-Samuccaya in this ragard is about the re-construction of the Padmanabhaswami Temple by Virakerala Varma. This is revealed by the adjective—*abhinavīkṛta * *padmanābha* <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/padmanabha#history> * sanmandirottama*—applied Virakerala Varma. The second half of the nineth verse of the Colophon describes Vira Udaya Martanda Varma as to have installed the image of *amburuhākṣa* in the precincts *paṅkeruhodbhavasaras* to be identified with Brahmakunda. The verse:— paṅkeruhodbhavasaronikare amburuhākṣasamastāpanādhikṛtajanma mahāphalena || The Samuccaya speaks of many rites and ceremonies that were in vogue in the Padmanabhaswami Temple foremost among them being *trikālabaliseva*, referred to in the—*pūjotsava **varṇanā* <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/varnana#history>* |*—The ceremonies like—*balisevā dhvajoddhāpanā, pūjāvasānapraṇāmā* etc.—also been described. The festival of Padmanabha is said to have been attended not only by the Kupakas. Pandya <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/pandya#history> and Cola <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/cola#history> Kings <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/king#history>, but also by all pious rulers. Also the Samuccaya contains the earliest documentary mention of the Arat procession of Sri Padmanabha at the end of the festival. yātrābhirgrāmavidhiṣu puṇyairavabhṛtairapi reveals the fact. The glories of the temple have been some commonly in the work on all releavant occassions. The antiquity of two legends about the Padmanabhaswami temples <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/temple#history> has been attested by the Samuccaya. One is the Fox-tale and the other the reclining stretch of Sripadmanabha. The Jambukopakhyana has been narrated at some length in the 20th chapter. According to tradition Pamanabha reclines in his abode at Trivandrum, stretching northward, with his head at Tiruvallam <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/tiruvallam#history> and feet at Trippadapuram <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/thrippadapuram#history> or Trippappur. In the Samuccaya it is stated that Pura and Ksetra are identical and so the Pura of Padmanabha is not different from his ksetra which is the same as his Sarira <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/sharira#history>. Padmanabha is stated to be the ksetrajna. purakṣetraśarīrādiśabda ekārthavācakaḥ mama kṣetraṃ śarīraṃ me tatra kṣetrajñātā mama || It is also said: kṣetrajñābhūtacaitanyaṃ vyāptamekaṃ vidurbudhāḥ asmin kṣetre ca varttehaṃ vyāpakatvena sarvadā || The latter verse reveals the old belief that Padmanabha’s reclining Sarira occupies the whole of his Pura namely the Syananduraksetra. Again, the Syananduraksetra has been defined in the Samuccaya as the whole of the territory lying between the Matsyatirtha <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/matsyatirtha#history>, to be identified with Tiruvallam, in the south, and the Mahanadi <https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/mahanadi#history>, to be identified with the Attingal river on the South bank of which is located the Sripadam palace, the permanent residence of the female members of the Travancore royal palace. The Samuccaya testifies to the prevalence of the popular belief even in those days. 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