3. The Kokila-sandesa by Uddanda

Kokilasandesa^[1] is one of the best sandesa-kavyas produced in Kerala. The author of the famous lyric is Uddanda. He is born in Tondamandalam in chingleput in the Madras presidency, he spent the larger part of his life in the soil of Kerala travelling the length and breath of the land referred to by him in his works in glorious terms.

Kokila-sandesa a beautiful lyric in 162 stanzas and divided into two parts is one of the best of the type. The poet assumed the role of the hero and sends a message to his consort living at Marakkara in Cennamangalam. The messenger Kokila is requested to go to Kerala from Tontamandalam, his native place at Madras. The work affords an occasion to the author to describe various places of interest like shrines and rivers and to refer to various celebrities of the time with whom he had been in good relations.

Places, Temples, Rivers etc.

The route preferred by the poet is a northern one as against the southern course described in Sukasandesa. The destination being almost very near to each other Trkkaramatilakam (Gunaka) and Cenna-mangalam (Jayanta-mangalam) both located in Cochin, these two together afford a complete geographical and cultural account of Kerala. References is made to rivers like Nila (Bharatappula), Vanmayi (Vavalippula), Curni (Periyar), Valli (Valliyar). The region through which the messenger is to pass by are Northers Kottayam (the capital of Purali kings) Kolam (Or Kolattunadu) Kukkutakoroda (Calicut), Prakasa (Vettattunadu) Renakhala (Porkkalam) Kotunnallur, Anjanakhala (Thiruvanchikkulam) alias Mahodayapuram, Vanneri and Jayantamangalam (Cennamangalam). Temples like ‘Siva temple at Vrsapuri (Trichur) and Anjanakhala (tiruvanchikulam) Visnu temple at Tirunelli, Durga temple at Samgamagrama (Irinjalakkuda) etc. The sahya mountain is also referred to in the poem.

The famous Mamankam (Mahamaghaseva) festival of Kerala is referred to in this poem. According to tradition Mamankam was originally presided over by the Cera emperors. This famous assembly or festival was held once in every twelve years at Tirunavaya on the banks of Nila or Bharatapula in the month of Phalguna. It was in this festival that the coronation of ancient perumal kings of Kerala was conducted by the representatives of the sixty four Brahmin village corporations which Parasurama created. It was of great political importance in ancient days since the rulers of Kerala were trying with one another the preside over the Mamankam festival.

Kokila-sandesa refers to the legendary account of Kottayam royal family that one Harischandra who was an early member of the family was responsible for the introduction of the study of Bhattamimsa in Kerala^[2]. Harischandra built a fort at Purali hill in Kottayam Taluk and is traditionally known as the founder of the family^[3]. The kings of Kottayam were therefore called ‘Puralisas’(puralīkṣmābhṛtaṃ rājadhānīm)^[4]

The Kokila-sandesa poem also mentions that the Kottayam kings worshipped Sri. Porkali Bhagavati as their family deity who always blessed them in the battle field for their victory (yuddhe yeṣāṃ ahitahataye etc.) It may be noted here that in the seventeenth century, the Kottayam family produced two distinguished scholars namely Kerala Varma Tampuran, the author of the Valmiki-Ramayanam Kilippattu and Vidvan Tampuran the great patron of Kathakali and composer of Attakkathas. The famous Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja who fought against British belonged to this family^[5]. There is an episode that Kerala Varma Tampuran fought against and conqured Mukilan Pata which encamped in Venad during the reign of Umayamma Rani, with the grace of Sriporkali. Vadakkumkur conjectures that it is this that is referred to in this poem as—yuddhe yeṣāṃ ahitahataye caṇḍikā sannidhatte—This view is not sound because the time of this Kerala Varma and Umayamma Rani is 17th C. While Uddanda’s time is 15th C. But the belief, however, can be seen to be popular even is Uddanda’s time.

In the Kokila-sandesa poem we get a reference to a princess Svati^[6] who belonged to the Kottayam royal family. According to Ullur^[7] this svati princess is identical with Svati, the heroine of the Svatimuktaka of unknown authorship. On the basis of the reference to Svati in the Kokilasandesha poem Ullur suggests the possibilities of Uddanda being the author of the Muktaka also. But Dr. S. Venkita Subrahmania Iyer^[8] reputed this view and accepts that the author is a Nambutiri Vadakkumkur^[9] takes the expression—svātināmakṣitipatisuta—as a single composed word and explains it as meaning “the daughter of the king Svati” and argues that the kings of Kottayam used to marry only Nair women. But it is difficult to get such a samasa as Dr. S.V. Iyer points out. we may say that the word Ksitipatisuta means a princess and that is a clue to believe taht Makkattayam was accepted in the royal families of ancient Kereala as pointed out by Sri. Ilamkulam Kunjan Pillai.

In the Kokilasandesa poem Uddanda refers to the family of ‘Netranarayana’ with high regard. Netranarayana is the hereditary title of Alvanceri Tamrakkal. This family has the highest social status among the Nambutiri Brahmins in Kerala. The title Tamrakkal is the corruption of the Sanskrit word Samrat. Since the founder member of this family had performed the sacrifice (Yaga) called Samrat. This family was once very much honored since the members had patronized literature and cultural activities of Kerala.

The Kokila-sandesha poem refers one Maharsi of the famous Payyur Bhatta family. The family of Payyur Bhattas had its head quarters at Porkalam (Ranakhala) near Kunnamkulam. This family produced a long line of scholars on Mimamsa and Literature. They were RSI I and his brother Bhavadare, paramesvara I, the son of Rsi I and his brother Bhavadasa, Vasudeva, Subrahmanya and Sankara, Paramesvara II, the son of Rsi II and his brother Vasudeva II, and Rsi III the son of Paramesvara II and Paramesvara III, the sone of Rsi III. Uddanda praises his contemporary scholars Maharsi as a great authority on the Purva-mimamsa and Uttara-mimamsa—(tān mīmāṃsādvayakulaguroḥ sadma puṇyaṃ maharṣeḥ). But who exactly was this scholar among the Maharsis of that family is not clearly understood^[10].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Anantanarayana Sastri-Mangalodayam—Trissur—1913 Ed. Dr. N.P. Unni-Kokilasandesa, College Book House, Tvm.

[2]:

Kokilasandesa -I -45

[3]:

W. Logan, Malabar manual, Madras, 1951 -P 267

[4]:

Kokilasandesa I -44

[5]:

Vide -Logan Op.cit -P 175

[6]:

Kokila-sandesa I -47

[7]:

Sahityaparishat Traimasikam Vol. VII -No. 3

[8]:

S. Venkita Subrahmania Iyer -Svatimuktaka and its authorship, Kerala University XVI -I

[9]:

Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram II -Pp 744-46

[10]:

For more details see -Kerala Sanskrit Literature P 233, Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur Vol II -P 45 -48, Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram Vol. I Pp 397-403