1. Balakavi (author of the Ratnaketudaya )

Balakavi is the author of the two drames Ratnaketudaya and Ramavarmavilasa. From the prologue to the Ratnakatudays it is known that his native place was Mulanda, an agrahare in Tundiremandale in North Arcot District in Tamil Nadu. He was the son of the poet Kalahasti. His grandfather, the poet Mallikarjuna, vas proficient in the Sastra of metres and his forbears were the poet Youvena bharati and Somana tha. thoda bhughovana bharati kavivaratri somanathatmaja- chandogah sa hi mallikarjunakavirdvanyah pita yatpinu sodayam balakavih sudhardrakavitabhakalahastyatmajah prakhyato bhuvi kasya na srutipatham sreyonidhigrahite 117 He came to Kerala in search of literary patronage and he readily got it from king Remavarman of Cochin who warmly welcomed him to his court. He received encouragement and appreciation from Krishnemanishi who was the disciple of Raghava Pandita and the preceptor of king Remavarman. He wrote the play Ratnakatudays at the instructions of his patron. In Romevarmavilasa, he has taken his patron himself as the hero. 1 Ratnaketudaya, Act.I, V.7, p.3, Kumbhakonem, 1892.

a 537 The date and identity of the poet, and his patron have been a subject of controversy among scholars. There is a tradition which makes Blakavi, a contemporary of Uddenda 'Sastrigal. Dr. Kunjunni Raja does not take it seriously. Whatever may be the authenticity or otherwise of the tradition mentioned above, it is a fact that both hailed from a Tundira mendele though it cannot be said that whother it is one and the same place. Mlakantha Dikshita states in his drama Nalacaritra Natake that Appaya Dikshita was a younger contemporary of Balakavi. If this is accepted, Balakavi can be assigned to 16th Century A.D. 3 In the prologue to Ramavarmavilase, it is stated that king Ramavarman was born to his mother by the grace of the goddess of Velayapura (uraka). It is further said that the king went on a pilgrimage after entrusting his kingdom to the crown prince Godavarman. It is mentioned that the king visited Ramosvara, Sriranga, Tribiras, Kunjararanya and Cidambara. From the annals of Cochin, it is known that there was a king vira Keralavarman ruling over Cochin from 1561 to 1565 A.D. and that he was succeeded by Romevarmen who ruled till 1601. From the Arthaprakasika 2 Contribution of Kerala to Sanskrit Literature , Ch.VII, p.162. 3 Nalacaritra Nataka, Act. I, V.6, p.4 4 tasya tavanmaharajasya janani prathama virajananinam pura ciramapatyavancaya valayapuravasini bhagavati - maradhitavati ! Ramavarmavilasa, Act.I, p.11 5 GKSL, Ch.VII, p.155.

538 and Tattvaprakasika of lakantha, which are respectively the commentaries on Tripuradahone and Seurikathodays of Vasudeva, it is known that the first work was composed when king Rajaraje was ruling Cochin with the help of Ramavarman and that the latter was composed when Ramsvarman was the reigning with the assistance of Godavarman. In the Compu Tenkeila Nathodays of Milakentha, there is a list of seven kings of Cochin who preceeded his patron vira Kerala Varmen. The last three kings are vira 7 6 Keralavarman, Remeverman and Codaverman. In the West Gopura of the temple at Cidambara, there is an inscription of one Ramavarman borne under the asterism Sviti Deted Caka 1498, Dhatri, Margall, 12th day recording a 33 taligai for Anandatandava Perumal Nayanar. royal grant of Prof. K. Reme Pisharoty identifies Belekavi's patron with the Removerman mentioned in the Tenkailenathodaya and he assigns the drametist, to the pre-portuguese period since there is no reference to Europe in his plays. Kunjunni Raja refutes his second argument as besed on "argumentum ex-silentio and not based on any evidence." Ullur S.Paremesvara Iyer identifies the dramatist's petron with the Ramavarman of Cidambare inscription. If this Dr. 10 6 Ibid. 7 Ullur S.Paramesvara Iyer, Introduction, Tenkaila Nathodaya, p.VIII-IX. 8 Rangacharys, A topographical list of the Inscriptions of the Madras Presidency, P.147, (356 of 1913), 1913. 9 K.Reme Pisharoty, Glimpses of Cochin History, JOR Vol.IV, pp.142-151, 1930. See also V.K.Raghavendra Menon, Chronology of the Cochin Rajas during the Portuguese period, BORI Vol.V, Part I, pp.56-61, 1937. 10 CKS, Ch.VII, p.162.

539 12 identification is accepted Balekavi can be assigned to the latter half of 16th Century A.D. About Krishnamanishi who is referred by Balakavi, Dr. Kunjunni Raja identifies him with Krishna, the author of Uttararamacarita and Resakride. No other work of Blakavi is known besides the two dramas. Vetekkumkur Rajarajevarme Raja says that he is said to have written commentary on Yogavasithe and a kavya by name 13 Rasakridotsava. But he does not adduce any evidence to prove it.