Bhattathiri (നാരായണ ഭട്ടത്തിരി)

MELPATUR NARAYANA BHATTATIRI – LIFE AND WORKS.

By NR PILLAI (RAJU-KOOVAPPADY).

“veLLam jatAntE bibhrANam

veLLimAmala vigraham

veLLUramarnnu gaureesam

uLLilambOdu chintayE”.

This is from “Balaprabodhanam” of Putumana Chomatiri (Namputiri – date not known), a work in Manipravaalam on Sanskrit Grammar written for the use of beginners of Sanskrit study and was is use until our old and gurukula system of Sanskrit study became extinct some years ago. Another “Balaprabodhanam” written recently by one Sri Chandrasekhara Varier(?) is also available which, unfortunately, I have not seen.

Many of our members may be well aware that the contribution of Kerala to Sanskrit Literature is vast in bulk and varied in content. Only few Indian states are there to equal Kerala in this regard. Contribution of Kerala to Sanskrit literature comprises all branches of learning, both general like Kavya, Nataka, Campu, Alankara and Vrtta, and technical subject like the different Darsanas, particularly, Mimamsa and Vedanta, Tantra, Silpa, Vaidya, Ganita and Sangita. Many of the works are lost in transit and out of the available material only few are in print rest all lying in manuscript. This is the general condition of our culture.

Now we will focus on the life and work of Narayana Bhattatiri, one of the foremost Sanskrit poets and savants of Kerala. Born in a Brahmin family of poets, philosophers, scholars and devotees. As of other famous literary figures of Kerala, his exact date of birth is also not available but we have some evidence to show that he lived during the sixteenth century and some historians are of the opinion that he was born in AD 1559 or 1560. Though PRAKRIYASARVASAM is his famous and best work, it is NARAYANEEYAM become famous among the mass because of its contents describing Guruvayurappan and which identifies him with Mahavishnu, the central figure of Bhagavata, is the greatest of these mahatmyas, creating a Guruvayur in the heart of those who read it or listen. This stotra kavya

is a source of spiritual sustenance to the lakhs of devotees who visit Guruvayur on pilgrimage throughout the year. Though the family is now extinct, we have some prolific evidence from the details given by him at the end of the second and last part of his famous work on grammar PRAKRIYASARVASAM.

“bhUkhande keraLakye saritamiha nilamuttare naiva nava-

Kshetre gavyutimatre punaruparinavagramanamni svadhamni-

Dharmisthat bhattatiryaa akhilamatapatormatrdattadvijendrat-

Jato narayanakhyo niravahadatulam devanarayanajnam.” 

It is seen that meppathur illam was situated on the northern side of Bharata Puzha, about two miles from Tirunavay in Ponnani taluka of Kerala. His father Matridatta devoted to dharma and learned Bhatta Mimamsa (Kumarlila Bhatta’s school of vedic ritualistic philosophy). And the grammatical work has been composed under the instructions and supervision of Ampalapuzha Puratam Tirunal Devanarayanan.

Learning of Narayana in various branches and his teachers are mentioned in the following verse from the same work.      

“Mimamsadi svatatannigamamavikalam madhavacharyavaryat

Tarkam damodararyadapi padapadavimcyutaryad budhendrat

Tesham karunyayogat kathampi kavitamapnravam karma caitat

Bhuyat krishnarpanam me bhavatu ca satatam dhiradhare .

Accordingly he learned Vedas from Madhavacharya , logic from Damodara. Grammar from Achyuta Pisharoti. This Achyuta Pisharody is the famous Trikantiyur Achuta Pisharody, a celebrated grammarian and astronomer of his time.

Bhattathiri is said to have led an erratic life in his youth and grew up against the tradition of his family. He ran away from home without studying Vedas and other traditional courses practiced by Brahmins and led a wayward, dissolute life. During this time he came in contact with Achyuta Pishorody and with his able guidance and in a short time Bhattatiri begins to turn down from his bad habits one by one and initiated to practice traditional brahmin’s duty. In a span of short time under the tutelage of Pishorody he became a different man in life.Bhatathiri took to writing from this time and produced a number of devotional booklets and prabandhas and later became one of the foremost Sanskrit writar of Kerala. While he was thus

emerging into fame, his Guru Phisharoti was stricken with rheumatism. Bhattatiri, by way of gurudakshina, took upon himself by avahana (icarious suffering) the disease from which his guru suffering. As a result Pishorodi was cured his ailment and Bhattatiri contracted the disease. As he himself failed in all methods of treatment to cure the ailment, he decided to go to Guruvayur and took refuge at the feet of Lord Guruvayurappan. There he composed the mahakavya Narayaneeyam contains 1036 slokas in praise of the Lord and recited them before the deity. He said to have composed the entire 1036 slokas in ten days reciting 100 every day. As all of us know it is prayer to Guruvayurappan to cure the malady of the author, and cured he was by the grace of the Lord.

His works: As mentioned above Bhattatiri composed many literary works on Philosophy, Grammar, Devotion and many champus for the purpose of Koothu and Koodiyattam.1) Prakriyasarvasam; 2) Narayaneeyam; 3) Manameyodaya; 4) Apaniniyapramanta; 5) Ashtamimahotava; 6) Ahalyamoksha; 7) Aswalayanakriyakrama; 8) Kirata 9) Kailasavarnana; 10) Kotivihara; 11) Kauteyashtaka; 12) Guruvayupuresvastava 13) Gosrinagaravarnana; 14)   Caturan-gasloka; 15) Tantravartikanibandhana; 16) Tripuradahana; 17) Dakshayajna; 18) Dutavakya; 19) Devanarayanaprasasti; 20)Dhatukavya; 21) Nalayanicarita; 22) Nrgamoksha; 23) Niranunasika; 24) Panchaliswayamvara;  25)  ushpodbhedetyama-rukapadyavyakhya 26) Balakantakatha; 27) bimbalisaprasasti; 28) Matsyavatara; 29) Manavikramaprasasti; 30)Yadyasajjanmetyadibhagavataslokatrayavakya; 31) Yudishtirabhiksheka; 32) Rakssasotpati; 33) Rajasuya; 34) Sailabdhisvaraprasasti 35) Sripadasaptati; 36) Subhadraharana; 37) Sundopasundopakhyana; 38) suktasloka; 39) Svahasudhakara; 40) Some stray verses.

Some more campus: 1) Ajamilamoksha; 2) Gajn]endramoksha; 3) Aswalayanagrhya

Sarigraha; 4) Kuchelavrtta; 5) Kausitakighyasangraha; 6) Bhasmanisedha; 7)

Ramayanaprabanda; 8) Rasavilasa; 9) Rukmangadacarita; 10) Syamantaka; 11) Vamanavatara;

12) Bharataprabandha (each story of Mahabharata composed as separate campus).

Bhattatiri said to have passed away after living a long life. Some says he lied upto the age of 106; some says upto 56 or 60 and other view he lived upto 80 years. It is clear that he lived  between 1560 and 1655.

Author - NR. Raju, Dombivli,

Date: June 2006.

(Published in Navaneetham online  Magazine ).