Sanskrit verses of kerala history Part 13 8824 9824 KR IRS 5.7. Udayavarmacarita Sangraha alias Desyastaka
- Historical details from Mahatmyas and Prashastis This is given as an appendix in the same work. It is only a resume of the above account in ten stanzas. Composed in Sragthara metre. The authorship may be ascribed to a Brahmin Tiruvalla. The work is referred to by Ullur by the doubtful title Desyastaka. The author has also referred to the work of the Ravivarman of Kolattiri family. The common features of these pseudo historical writing is that all of them are based on legendary accounts. The various details given here are often contra dictionary. Thus according to the work of Ravivarman Kolattiri, it is Keralavarman the son of Ceraman Perumal who established the Kolattiri race some versions of Keralolpatti also subscribe to the view. But the Musakavamsa traces the geneology of the race from Ramaghata. Though the historical value of works like Udayavarmacarita is meagre, still such works are significant since they pass on these legends to prosperity however in accurate and contradictory they may be. Reliable historical evidence being unavailable they are often resorted to by writers to paint an outline of history even if it is vague. ------------------------------------------ 6.1. Prasastis of Narayana Bhatta Prasastis are to eulogise the patrons or kings at various times. Prasastis form an indispensable source material for the history of kings and kingdom. These gives as much information on some of the rulers in ancient Kerala like Devarayana of Ambalappuzha, Virakerala Varma of Cochin, Godavarma of Vadakkumkur, Manavikrama of Callicut, Ravivarma kula sekhara of Venad, Rajakesavadasa of Travancore, Visakham Tirunal Maharaja of Travancore etc. The prasastis give a good account of the cultural significance of Kerala through the many references, both direct and indirect. The glory of the medieval period in the history of Kerala can be gleaned from them. The prasastis will give insight into the prosperity of this region. Such laudatory compositions of Narayanbhatta of Melpattur. (1560 -1666 AD) are very important. He seems to be the only writer to compose works of this kind in praise of his patron. Narayana Bhatta of Melputtur (1560 -1666 AD) is second only to Sankara, the great philosopher in fame, contribution and achievements as a writer of Kerala origin. Narayana Bhatta, the well-known author of the Narayaniya, Prakriyasarvasva and the first part of the Manameyodaya, is one of the greatest scholar poets that kerala has produced. It is possible to gather some details about his life from his own statements given in some of his works. Historians of Kerala Sanskrit lliterature have variously assessed the contribution of Bhattatiri of Melputtur. The works of Melputtur are arranged as belonging to six classes. One among them is Prasastis. Narayanabhatta has composed various prasastis to eulogise his patrons at various times. They are: Bimbalisa-prasasti, Devanarayana-prasasti, Gosrinagara-varnana, Manavikrama-prasasti, Virakerala-prasasti 1. Bimbalisa-prasasti Bimbalisaprasasti is a panegyric in praise of Godavarmaraja of Vatakkumkur in 7 verses. Godavarma is one of the kings of Bimbali, ie Vatakkumkur, a small principality in medieval Kerala, annexed to Travancore by Marthandavarma Maharaja in AD 1754. Vadakkumkur is a principality near Katutturithi in Kottayam district of modern Kerala. The valour of the king is well brought out. The might of his hand and the brave deeds of his sword are well depicted. His fame is unparallelled. tvatkīrtiprasare nitāntadhavale prauḍhāṃ trilokīvadhuṃ drāgāliṅgati bimbalīśa kimiha brūmastadīyāṃ daśām | harṣenmīlitamarkacandranayanadvadvaṃ tamaḥ kaiśikaṃ vyāmuktaṃ galitaṃ nṛpāntarayaśaḥ kṣaumaṃ kṣamāvallabha || kālāmbhodālikeśī kulagirikucabhārāñciteyaṃ trilokībimboṣṭhī vimbalīśa tvadupagamasamutkaṇṭhayā tāmyatīva | antassantāpabhāraṃ kalayati yadiyaṃ tvatpratāpoṣmapūraṃ kīrticchāyāpadeśād vahati ca nitarāṃ sarvataḥ pāṇḍimānam || kṛpaṇīyaṃ bimbalyadhipa raṇamattāripaṭalīgalotkṛttiṃ kartrī rudhirakaṇasiktī tava bhuje | jagadyāthathākāmīkabalanakaṇeghātakalanārasārtā kārtāntiṃ paramanusarīsarti rasanām || Godavarma was a great scholar in various subjects like Grammer, astronomy, elephentology and law, and wrote several works in Sanskrit, both literary and scientific. 2. Devanarayana-prasasti Devanarayana prasasti is a penegyric in seven verses addressed to king Devanarayana of Ambalappuzha. The poet praises his patron Devanarayana in this penegyric. This king is also mentioned in the prakriya sarvasva of the author. He is described as a saintly but valiant Brahmin fighting his enemies and bringing prosperity to his country. The enemies of the king fled to forest for self protection. There they happen to hear the name of the king pronounced by the sages in respectable term. So they become afraid and run helter skelter— saṃgrāme devanārāyaṇa dharaṇipate nāmamātrādamitā vitrastā vidravantaśśiva śiva vipine kvāpi nilīnāḥ tatrāmī devanārāyaṇa jaya bhagavannityagūṭhaṃ ṣīṇāmudīrṇān varṇānākarṇayantaścakitamata itaḥ kevalaṃ vyāvalante | In some other stanzas the achievement of the king is compared with reference to different fields of knowledge, arts, proficiency in cultural fields etc. In the last verses the various schools of thoughts are referred to. The heretics, the carvakas, the Budhists, the ksapanakas and others are mentioned along with their views in brief. Some lines—ko vā viṣṇupadaṃ sadāśiva bhajate—means that the ruler always meditate upon the feet of Visnu of the temple. This line occurs on the second of the fourth stanza. The third line of 5th stanza states—śauryāsaṅgaḥ prabho te vilasati—Herea double meaning intended. Plainly it speaks of the Saurya = valour of the king. The other meaning is ‘sauri + a sanga’ meaning attachment to sauri—the lord Krsna. It is well known that the Sri krisna Temple at Ambalappuzha was the shrine patronised by the kings of the region who bore the traditional title of Devanarayana. Thought the Devanarayana Prasasti does not explicitly refer to the temple by name, the god consecrated in the temple is referred to. This God is tutelary deity of the Brahmin rulers of Ambalappuzha. Devanarayana was well versed in the arts of war and peace, and took a very keen interest in patronising poets and scholars. Side by side with the progress of region we find the progress of literature and arts. Ambalapuzha became a centre of intellectual and artistic activities. Thus the reign of Devanarayana saw not only the expansion of Ambalapuzha and the establishment of a centralised administration, but also the progress of religion, literature and arts. 3. Gosrinagara-varnana Gosrinagara varnana is a penegyric containing prose passages describing the town of Cochin. It contains reference to Portuguese people comping at Cochin. iha khalu caramajaladhiparamottuṅgattaraṅgataraṅgasaṃghasamāsphālanaghoṣa bhīṣaṇataraśyāmadhavalaśoṇaruci dīptatarakūrpasairāprapadīna nigūhitagātratayā prāvṛḍambhodaiśśaradaṃbhodaissandhyāṃbhodaiśca saṃbhūya kumbhinītale sambhramadbhirava dṛśyamānairnitambabimbalaṃbitakarālakaravālatayā dandaśūkabhīmarūpacandanadrumāyamāṇatuṅgapāṇḍuvigrahaiḥ kuñjagarbhadṛśyamānapakvapṛthulaḍāḍimīphalāyamānaiḥ kañcukāntakiñjidavekṣaṇīyavipāṇḍuravadanabimbaiḥ pārasīkalokaiḥ— kvacana līlāvatīvihāreṣviva varāṭakākaṇīpaṇādiyogaviyogagaṇanasamuddhoṣiteṣu, kuhacana tarkamārgeṣviva bahutaramānavyavahāraśāliṣu kutracit samāsaśāstreṣvivāvyayībhāvodañcitabahuvrīhi sahitatatparuṣādyadhiṣṭhiteṣu paryantadharaṇitalaniryantraṇapracaladatulabalasubhaṭakulasaṃracitacārutara kelisamalokakautūhalāpatita sakalajanasahamilitayuvatikule kucakalaśaparimṛdita paramāṅgaparamapramodavaśayuvapariṣadaviratapurogataviśeṣe 4. Manavikrama-prasasti (Sailabhisvara-prasasti) Manavikrama prasasti is a a panegyric on the Zamorin. This is in Srnkhaladya eulogising Manavikrama of Calicut. This is a short prose work begining with Jaya Jaya and ending Vasava Manavikrama Manavikrama. The whole text is a single sentence constituting a series of passages all addressed to king Manavikrama of Calicut, using the artistic device that each passage commences with the same group of syllables as that which the procceeding one ends. The work is therefore called a Srinkhaladya, as seen in the only available manuscript. jaya jaya jaya lakṣmīvilāsavalabhe! valabhedanapramukhanikhila vṛndārakavṛndasaṃbhāvitaparākrama, parākramaṇorjitasārabhujadaṇḍa daṇḍanīyajanamardananirdayahṛdayāmbuja dayāmbujahimaśītalahṛdaya, sahṛdaya. janamanaḥ puṇḍarīka ṣaṇḍacaṇḍakara............. The word Manavikrama at the end shows that the prasastis panegyric on the Zamorin of Calicut, since Manavikrama and Manavaeda are the two names found only that royal family. This is further confirmed by the expression ‘Sailaddhisvara’, a title of the Zamorins occuring in a verse following the text, in commemoration of the birth of a child in the royal house. But which of the many Manavikramas this particular king is, it is not possible to decide. 5. Virakerala-prasasti (Matamahisa-prasasti) Virakerala-prasasti is a penegyric in a mixture of prose and verse deals with the eulogy of Virakerala of Cochin. There are 18 stanzas and some prose passages. King Virakerala varma is explicitly stated to be the king of Cochinn by the term Mataksitisvara, and by the mention of the capital to be Cochin. He describes the excellancy in reign and the scientific tempor of Virakerala Varma of Cochin. The king praised in the work was identified with Virakerala Varma who ruled Cochin in 1601 -1615 AD). Two verses are addressed to the Yuvaraja who is likely to be Ravivarma, the successor of Virakerala Varma. Author praise that Virakerala Varma of Cochin is a scholar in Kavyasastra. He describes his force of army and forts thus— purā te kandarpapramathanapurāṇeṣu śruṇumo mahā senāsaktiṃ satatamapi durgānusaraṇam | idānīṃ vispaṣṭaṃ dvitayamapi tanmāṭanṛvara sphuratsenādurge guṇapuranikete nivasataḥ || The prose passages are elegent and embelished with the figures of sound and sense, it hails the victory of the king over his enemies. The reign of Virakerala Varma was an epoch of economic and social progress in the history of Cochin. His special attention was bestowed on the repair and renovation of temples. Virakerala Varma also took interest in the execution of works of public utility, such as roads, bridges, lakes, rest houses etc. Justic was administered without fear of favour in the Cochin kingdom during the reign of Vira Kerala Varma. Thus on the whole the reign of Vira Kerala Varma, as a glorious period in the history of Cochin. The last stanza of the Virakerala Prasasti contains a reference to the Vatakumnatha temple at Trissur renowned as the Daksinakailasa -the kailasa mount of the South because of the presence of Lord Siva in it. The stanza is as follows: kīrtyā niṣprabhatāṃ puraiva gamito bhūyaḥ pratāpānalajvālājālavilāpitaśca rajatakṣoṇibharāssāmpratam tenāyaṃ girīśastato vicalito līlāyate dakṣiṇaṃ kailāsaṃ samavāpya māṭannṛpate citraṃ bhavadvaibhavam || One silver mount of Lord Siva has been reduced to dullness. Now the fire of the prowess of the king has melted the silver and the mountain itself is destroyed. Loosing his abode, Siva reached Trichur known as the Southern Kailasa and occupied the temple there. The Vatakkumnatha Temple is one of the famous shrines of Kochin King. There is a reference to temples of Godess (Kali Durga) in the following words. kusumanīradhrapravilasitadevī gṛhavītabhavanāntarāle | Since there is no pointed reference to any particular temple one is not in a position to fix target of the reference. The wild dance of the Goddess is mentioned in a previous sentence and the fierce movements of goblins (Vetalas) are also described. That the Kochin king of a devotee of Durga is suggested by the second line as follows: mahāsenāsaktiṃ satatamapi durgānusaraṇam | Here the king is equated with Lord Siva who has affection for Mahasena (Subrahmania) and love for Durga (Parvati). All these prasastis, the poet has made a distinction by emphasising the idividual traits of the respective rulers. These works bear ample tesimony to the fact that merit was recognized everywhere and talent rewarded even a midst political feuds and rivalries and irrespective personal affiliations . [11]:yuvarāja varājikhaṇḍita pratipakṣikṣitirakṣiśoṇitaiḥ pratipakṣirasāvaho bhavetyaticitrāmahamāśiṣaṃ bruve || [12]:viśvālaṅkārabhūtasvayamabhiramase nanvalaṅkāramārge nītau kāvyaprakāśaḥ punarapi bhajase cārukāvyaprakāśaṃ tenaivaṃ paunaruktyaṃ bhajasi yadadhunā rājaratnāṃkura tvaṃ tanmanya?[à] sādhu tāvannṛvara yamakatāmādadhāsi prajānām || [13]:āradāmbudharaśarvaparvata suparvanadīprakāśa, dīpaprakāśāñcalasamānāṃ samānāṃbhojavairisādharmyasantatasamunmīlitakairava prapañcakorakāṃ, cakora................. pratanvānamitabhūvallimātranirmitakuru kurūrakuntikuntalamālavamsaivīrakerala vīrakerala.................. [14]:For more details see—Dr. S. Venkita Subrahmania Iyyer -The Penegyries of Melpattur Narayanabhatta -in the silver jubilee special No. JKOUML, 1963, Pp 69 -84—K. Sudhadevi Amma -Prasastis of Kerala -A study -PhD Thesis 1994, Kerala Uty.—Prabandhamanjari -Dr. N.P. Unni, 1998, New Delhi -------------------------------------------------------- 6.2. Devanarayana Prasasti of Ramapanivada - Historical details from Mahatmyas and Prashastis A panegyrical work, Devanarayan Prasasti, attributed to Ramapanivada[1] by Vatakkumkur, also refers to the Devanarayana who is proficient in Indian logic, poetry and phylosophy. He was a benevolent patron of poets and scholars and a great devotee of Krsna— tarke karkaśatāṃ gatā kavivacāsvāde sudhāśītalā vidvatsu praṇayaprasādamadhurā mantriśvacintyodyamā | nispandā madhusūdanasmṛtimukhe vaidāntikaprakriyā nistantrā tava śemuṣī vijayate śrīdevanārāyaṇa | ---------------------------------- 6.3. Kesavadasa Prasasti - Historical details from Mahatmyas and Prashastis The Kesavadasa Prasast is a short poem of seven stanzas written by poet whose name is not known. It describes the greatness of Raja Kesavadas whose name is well known in Kerala History. Kesavadasa was the minisiter of Ramavarma alias Dharmaraja, ruler of Travancore (1758 -1798 AD). He has an adorable place in the people’s memory as the hero who save the counry from the grasp of a powerful enemy namely Tipu Sultan. He was born in 920 M.E. He entered the service of the Maharaja in 940 M.E. and became the palace Samprati in 943 M.E. He became Valiyasarvadhi karyakkar in the year 963 M.E. and in 963 he was made Dewan. On the 8th medam 974 M.E. his life was taken by poison. The poem describes in a lucid style the qualities of Kesavadasa who is mentioned in it as Kesavamantri. This wood suggest that the poem was written after 964 M.E. in which year he has appointed Dewan. An important point for history furnished by the poem is that in those days the Dewan’s office was located at Trivandrum. The expression—so'yaṃ anandaśayane vijejīyate—suggest that Trivandrum was his station, a fact which goes against the popular supposition that he had his office shifted to Alappy[6]. It has to be learnt from this poem that if at all Kesavadasa’s headquarters was at Alapuzha, that was just before his becoming the Dewan, possibly during the period when he was supervising the commericial activities at Alapuzha. Instead of quoting the verses, we will enumerate the adjuctives applied to him in the poem. Each adjectives has its own historical significance. The first i.e.—vañcibhūrakṣaṇabaddhadīkṣā—indicates Kesavadasa’s selfless services in defending Travancore against the invasion of Tipu. The king was pretty old at that time, and he had the best confidence in the capability of his minister, so he left the entire responsibility of the defence to Kesavadasa, who was invested with the supreme command of the Travancore forces. Even the minute details of the defence build up received his best attention. In these circumstances there is nothing strange in the adjective. The attribute sajjanarakṣaka may refer to Kesavadasa’s services in the settlement of the dispossesed chiefs of Malabar after the Mysorean occupation was over, an exceedingly onerous work for the efficient and satisfactory execution of which the governer general found no other competent person than Kesavadasa. The attributes śatrūcchādanapeśalā and sūrāgragaṇya would refer to his excellence in the battle against Tipu. After Tipu rushed back to Srirangapatanam, Kesavadasa, together with the British, followed up enemy, and the Travancore army fought valiantly against Tipu on many fields at Palakkad, Coimbatore, Dindigal etc. His talents in diplomacy and also his political experience indicated in the expression tantramantrakuśalā and śāstrārthabodhe paṭuḥ the purpot of the usages amitamatimavāpataḥ and guṇakalādāme have been expressed without much difference in the tribute paid by the Earl of Mornington to Kesavadasa. The Earl coferred on him the exalted order of Raja in recognition of his ability and prudence. So too, the attribute kavikulamalārkā is justified by Pantalam Subrahmania Sastri famous request made to Kesavadasa. END OF PART 13 8824 9824 ---------------------------------------------- -- 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/CAL5XZooZB8vEyKmQiKrQQV5tgDPyXx8pBn_jLOjbFhQtqR5-YA%40mail.gmail.com.
