Story of Paṭṭattāna

This was a custom which was in force in the ancient temples of Kerala from the 9th century A.D. Paṭṭa means a 'Sanskrit pandit' 'Paṭṭas' is used as its plural. To give instructions in śāstras and upaniṣads to the three upper classes and to read in public at fixed times the Purāṇas, to make people more and more religious minded, it was the custom to appoint Paṭṭas in temples in ancient Kerala. This position which was the loftiest that could be attained by a pandit of those times was called by the name Paṭṭattāna. From the 9th century A. D. references are found about Paṭṭattāna in official records. In all important temples a māvāratapaṭṭa used to be appointed. His duty was to read and explain Mahābhārata to people.

Ūrālars who conducted the day to day administration of the temples and the Koiladhikāri who represented the supreme authority, and the King, jointly granted the Paṭṭattāna to deserving people. Pandits used to come to temples and engage themselves in religions polemics to make themselves worthy of the grant of Paṭṭattāna. The Paṭṭas were entitled to some profits from the temples. Records of the 3rd century Malayālam Era regarding the routine expenditure in the Tiruvalla temple mention about 'five nāzhis of rice to be given to each of the Paṭṭas within the temple'. Paṭṭas also were given many lands free of tax as were given to Ūrālars. In the Manalikkara order of 1236 A.D. and the Padmanābhapura order of 1237 A.D. mention is made about these grants. Paṭṭasthāna and Ūrāymasthāna became hereditary after some time and began to decline in importance.

Even the meaning of the word Paṭṭattāna underwent a change. In Cochin it meant the ceremony of giving feasts followed by money-bags to invited brahmins by the Kings to obtain puṇya for the dead members of the royal family. The zamorins of Calicut meant by Paṭṭattāna the act of giving fifty-one bags each containing fiftyone rupees to the successful candidates in śāstrārtha contests held at the Tali temple during the period between Revatī and Tiruvātira (Ardrā) in the month of Tulām. There is a difference of opinion regarding the number of money-bags and the amount in each. Ullūr S. Parameśvara Iyer in his Vijñānadīpikā (page 148) states that the number of bags were 46 and the money in each was two hundred rupees. Of these, twelve bags each were sanctioned for Prābhākara Mīmāṃsā and Bhāṭṭamīmāṃsā, nine for Vyākaraṇa, and thirteen for Vedānta. According to certain records 48 bags were given in the year 1679 A.D. Contests in Prābhākara Mīmāṃsā were held on the southern temple-tower gate of the Tali temple and in Vyākaraṇa on the southern platform of the northern temple tower gate of the same temple. The custom of giving hundred and one rupees each to one hundred and eight scholars in Śrī Padmanābhasvāmī temple of Trivandrum is also called Paṭṭattāna.