1.7. The Kings in Kerala Mahatmya

According to Kerala Mahatmya Parasurama himself was appointed as the first king of Kerala on the Makham day of the Kumbha Month at the banks of Bharathapuzha.

āvirbhūtā mahānadyāṃ gaṅgātripathagānadi
mahite makhanakṣatre kumbhasaṃsthe divākare
 lagne karkaṭake divyauccaste ca caturgrahe
bhṛguvāsarasaṃyukte bhārgavo hṛṣṭamānasaḥ
brāhmaṇebhyo dadau tāvat koṭisahasrakam
yatheṣṭañca dhanaṃ datvā sarvebhyo bhārgavastadā
ratnakuṭṭimadhyasthe ratnasiṃhāsane prabhuḥ
sthitvātha prāṅmukhastatra sarvābharaṇabhūṣitaḥ || (Kerala Mahatmya 71, Slokas 18-21)

It is believed according to historical evidence that Atan was the first king of Kerala.

Most scholars agree with this point. It is often held that Atan, the founder of the Chera Kingdom was the first king of Kerala^[1]. But this is not supported by our text which is based on traditions and legends.

Udaya

King Udaya born of Subhangi, daughter of a Musaka king belonging to same vamsa (Lunar Line) ruling over Nandi gram. He was installed on the throne with the blessings of Siva at Gopura (tower) of Taliparamba Temple^[2]. After the coronation ceremony, he was accorded a grant reception by the people of that village^[3]. Then the king worshiped and praised goddess Kali for helping him. He ruled over the country according to the rules and regulations of Parasurama. By chance king Udaya met with a Samanda king named Ambohala who belonged to the Lunar Line^[4]. Long before Ambohala had seen the king of Chingapuram and violating the dictates of Parasurama. So the aged ordered him to get out of the country. But the king threatened to fight with the sage who informed king Udaya of this. For long Parasurama’s instructions Udaya killed Ambohala and annexed his territories to his own kingdom and to possession of all his wealth^[5].

Nasanga

In Kerala Mahatmya Nasanga appears as the son of a Budhist women, Mali who lived with sage Durvasa on condition that he would give a country and prosperity of 8 kings to her son. When the child was born it was interchanged with the limbless child of Bhangi, the daughter-in-law of Kulasekhara, by the tricks of sage Durvasa. So the son of Mali was braught up in the royal palace in the Kulasekhara and he was installed on the throne when he became a youth. After the coronation he went to the nearby temple of Kali and then he heard an announcement, don’t come near to praise me. On account of this announcement he was known by the name Nasanga. Nasanga became furious and he established several Budhistic shrines and cities all over country. He himself became the Head of the budhist. Further he abandoned all the custom of Parasurama and distributed Budhistic symbols to all. Thus Nasanga ruled over Kerala as Budhist king for nearly 35 years and he was the 12th king of Kerala, according to the text^[6].

But nothing is said in the poem about the geneology and the exact period of King Nasanga. However, the story of this king is legendary and closely related to the myth about Parasurama. He is not at all considered to be the founder of Budhism in Kerala. The only authentic clue to the Budhistic deeds in Kerala is the rock-cut evidence of Ashoka. So it is not historically correct to hold that this king was the founder of Budhism.

His city is known by the name Angavrdhipuri. There is a legend closely connected with this city. While Nasanga was ruling over Ezhimala he happened to fight with Parasurama. Then Parasurama cut off his arms owing to a misunderstanding that the king prevented a Hindu festival at Kottiyur temple. But by the blessings of this sage Durvasa he reagined his arms^[7]. At the place where this incident to place, Durvasa constructed a city which came to be known as Angavrdhipuri on account of the restoration of Nasanga’s arms. Some writers observe that the name Nasanga refers to (christian) Nasrani which is derived from the Arab synonym ‘Nasar’ meaing Garuda, the vehicle of the Lord Vishnu. The approximate date of the king is given as 657 -671 AD^[8]

Pandya (Bhutapandya)

Kerala Mahatmya reveals that Pandya attacked the Malayalam region with his Bhuta army and established cities and temple called Bhutanatha. Then Adithyavarma defeated Pandya in accordance with the instruction of Parasurama and the place Bhuthapandi was declared as the boundary of Kerala. The place in which Bhutapandya built a temple was called Janthupuri. That place is now called Trccandur in the Thirunelveli district. The famous Subrahmania Temple is situated there.

Keralan (Kerala Perumal)

Keralan was also known as ‘Dirghayatra Cheran’ or ‘Atkotpat Cheral Atan or Janameni’. The famous Trkkakara Temple at Kochin was established by Keralan in 604 AD^[9]. The royal residence of the Chera Rulers was shifted from Chennamangalam and Kottapuram in Vanci to Trkanamatilakam during his period. While somebody was stealing and carrying away domestic animals from Kerala to Nilagiri, he rescued the animals and thus gained the title Atkotpat Cheral Atan. He attacked and conquered several kingdoms upto Nittumala. This perumal was anointed on the day of Puyam in the month of Kumbham in the year when the planet Jupitar was in the constellation of the crab, ie. he was anointed after one of the Tirunavaya Mahamagham festival and the ceremony was performed in the royal hall of Vakayur. It is said that he reigned for 12 years and retured to his own country, and on account of his good qualities the land received the name Kerala.

Kulasekhara

The name Kulasekhara mentioned in Kerala Mahatmya might refer to Kulasekhara of Kolathiri dynasty. He was the ruler of the entire country of Kerala. The brahmins of Kerala brought a ksatriya princes from Kongamandala. A brahmin married her and a son was born. He was later raised to the throne and was called Kulasekhara Perumal.

It is very difficult to fix the date of this Kulasekhara as also his identity Kulasekhara Alvar, the author of ‘Mukundamala’^[10], Kulasekhara Varman the royal dramastic of Kerala who performed the Kerala stage and several other Kulasekharas are there^[11]. More over the name Kulasekhara was used as the title by the kings of Kerala. Thus the problem is rather difficult to solve. But leagendary works identify Kulasekhara with Cheraman Perumal is also called Bhaskara Ravivarman.

Valabha

The text mentions the king called Valabha or Mata perumal of the country named Vrddhipura^[12]. Gundert has suggested that Vridhipura is a Sanskritisation of Valarpattanam^[13]. The work also reffers to a gift of land executed by Valabha. This ruler is supposed to have conquered the lakhdives in the Arabian sea. It was he who established the townships at Valarpattanam and Matayikotta.

According to legends Valabha belonged to the Kolathiri royal family who succeeded the Musika kings of Ezhimala region. Kerala Mahatmya seems to call Valarpattana as Angavrddhipuri. Accordingly Valabha was the ruler of the region. That valabha was a great ruler is established by the several leagendary accounts about him. He established towns, temples and other institutions and ruled over the country in a righteous manner.

Other Kings

In addition to these rulers the work also refers to kings like Bhanuvikrama, Ranavikrama and Balavira. All of them are the successors of Kulasekhara of Mahodayapuram. They are referred to in other leagendary in Kerala also.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

KG Sesa Aiyer -Chera kings of the Sangham period, 1937, London -P. 121

[2]:

Kerala Mahatmya 53 -Slokas 1 -10

[3]:

Kerala Mahatmya 54 -Slokas 1 -6

[4]:

tasthau yathāsukhaṃ rāma udayārpitabhūbharaḥ
ambohalastu sāmantaḥ keścitsomakulotbhavaḥ (Kerala Mahatmya -55-Sl 58)

[5]:

Kerala Mahatmya 56 -Slokas 7-11

[6]:

pañcatriṃśacca varṣāṇi śaśāsākhilakeralaṃ
nasaṅgo dvādaśo rājā pāṇḍusūnomahāmate | (Kerala Mahatmya 60, Sl 16)

[7]:

vaivasvatamanauprāptekalau keralabhūmiṣu
rājābhūtsaptaśailetha nasaṅgo bauddhavaṃśajaḥ 
.................................
krameṇāṅga vivṛdhyātha rājabhūt punarapyam | (Kerala Mahatmya -61-Slokas 1-5)

[8]:

A. Balakrishna Pillai -Prachina Kerala Charithra Gaveshanam, 1957 TVM, P-77 -78

[9]:

Ibid, P-73

[10]:

Vide infra -P 300 -301

[11]:

Dr. N.P. Unni -Sanskrit dramas of Kulasekhara -A study, 1977 TVM, P-34—Kerala Sanskrit Literature -PP 1-18

[12]:

aṅga! vṛddhipure rājye valabho nāma bhūpatiḥ

[13]:

H. Gundert -A Malayalam English dictionary (II Edn), Kottayam 1962 -P -834