6. The Bhrngasandesa by Vasudeva

The Bhrngasandesa^[1] attributed to the authorship of Vasudeva is also known as Bhramarasandesa. It contains 177 stanzas. The author was contemporary of Melpatur Narayana Bhatta and hence the work can be assigned to the 16th C. AD.

The hero in a full moon light was sleeping beside his love after enjoying conjugell bliss. Then a Yaksi took him and turned to Malaya Sikhara to enjoy with him. On the way in Trivandrum she left him seeing her husband coming. The hero spends some days in Trivandrum and at the end he meets with Bhrnga and beseeches him to carry a message for the heroine.

The route of messenger is lies between Trivandrum and Kottakkal. Description of places, temples, rivers etc. are important from historical and cultural points of view.

Places, Rivers, Temples

Among the places mentions are Tvm, Quilon, Tekkumkur ruled by Udayamartanda, the capital of Tekkumkur Vatakkumkur ruled by Godavarma, Kutamalur the capital of Cempakasseri rulers, Trippunitura, Cochin, Trkkanamatilakam and Irinjalakkuda.

Several temples on the way find mention in the poem like the Visnu temple at Tiruvalla, Krsna temple at Kumaranellur, Siva temple at Vaikkam, Siva temple at Tiruvanchikkulam, Bhadrakali temple at Kotunnallur, Visnu temple at Irinjalakkuda, Durga temple at Urakam, Siva temple at Trissur, Visnu temple at Guruvayur, Durga temple at Mukkola, Visnu temple at Tirunavay.

Back waters at Astamudi near Quilon and rivers like Murinnapula Bharatappula etc. are also referred to.

Kings—Ravivarma

While describing Trivandrum, Bhrnga refers to a king named Ravi Varma.

rājyaṃ dṛṣṭyākalaya ravivarmāvanīndrasya sampat
prājyaṃ vājyantaritaviśikhodagramagre samagram |
citrotkīrṇaṃ tridaśanivahaiḥ sthūlanīlopalāṅgaiḥ
dhāmnā tulyaṃ tribhuvanapateḥ dhāmā yena pratena ||

This Ravivarma was the ruler of the Venad kingdom during (1611-1663 AD). According to historians, it was on this Ravivarma’s reign that Tirumala Naik of Madurai had invadedthe Nanjunad. The reference—vājyantaritaviśikhodagraṃ—may be suggestive of the kings wealth army.

In the time of Bhrnga Kolamba or Quilon was ruled by another Ravivarma who had newly ascended the throne.

It is suggested by the stanza that the trade in silk cloth in Quilon was very prosperous at that time—

“rājahaṃsairjuṣṭāṃ paṭṭāmbarakanaka paṅkeruhālīṃ prasūte || ”

This Ravivarma on his reign that the Padmanabha Swami temple had been reconstructed with the Vatilmatam (gale house) Balikkalpura (the front house for oblation), Matappalli (or kitchen) etc. This is referred to in the second half of the relevant stanza of Bhrnga.

Udaya Martanda Varma

There is a reference to the king Udayamartanda of Tekkumkur

lambedhastvaṃ divi kimapi lolamba! kolambadeśe ramye yasmin vilasati saromanasaṃ mānavānām
nityaṃ tadvai navaravikarollāsinīṃ rājahaṃsaiḥjuṣṭāṃ paṭṭāmbarakanakapaṅkeruhālīṃ prasūte ||

In Bhrnga-sandesa it is described that the messenger will reach Daksina Bimbali the abode of Udayamartanda, after crossing a forest region. From this one can assume that at that time Tekkumkur was ruled over by the king Udayamartanda. In another verse it is mentioned that the capital of the Tekkumkur kings was situated on the southern banks of the river Minaccil. That is no doubt, the present Kottayam town.

King Godavarma

Bhrngasandesa mentions Vatakkumkur as ruled over by Godavarma. He is described as the glorious king and a valiant captain in the battlefield^[2]. It is likely that he is the hero of the Godavarma Yasobhusanam of Arunagirikavi and of the Godavarmaprasasti of Melpattur Narayana Bhattatiri.

King Keralendra

A king of Kochi is mentioned in the Bhrngasandesa poem by the terms ‘Keralendra’ Mataksmabhrt’ and ‘Rajaraja’. The poem describes Kochi as the capital of Rajaraja (king of kings) surrounded by teh river Periyar.

paurastyāśāṃ kakubhi parikhībhūtacūrṇītaraṅgād
dūre dṛśyā nabhasi nagarī rājarājakṣitīndroḥ |
yo bhīmo'pi prathamasamayeṣvarjunatvaṃ yaśobhirnītaḥ
kṛṣṇāmādadhata kare khaḍgavallīsubhadām || (1-61)

The ancestral palace of the rulers on the west-coast is also referred to^[3]. The poem describes Tiruvancikkulam as a battlefield where the fight between the king of Kochi and the Samutiri of Kozhikode had taken place^[4]. This historical fight is also referred to while describing the place Trkkanamatilakam near Kotunnallur. It is stated there that the messenger bee may be mistaken for a gun shot by the soldiers falling on the ground^[5]. The poet says that the messenger can be see the king, Keralendra, when the later comes to the temple at Trkkanamatilakam for worship^[6].

Rajaraja, Keralendra etc. are the official designations of the rulers of Kochi Virakerala Varma was the patron of Melputtur Narayana Bhatta who wrote the Virakeralaprasasti and Gosrinagaravarnana praising the king and the capital city^[7]. The death of the poet Vasudeva is assigned to the former half of the 17th C. AD, which is the date of Melpattur also^[8]. The king is mentioned in the poem as residing at Matilakam with his military-camp ready for attack. Ullur opines that the king Vira Kerala Varma killed Ittikkumara Menon, the soldier of the Samutiri, in 1615 AD, and brought Trkkanamatilakam under the central of Kochi. Therefore, this place is described in the poem as “Matadhatrindraguptan” (Protected by the Kochi king)^[9]. So the king mentioned in the poem might most probably be the king Virakeralavarma of Kochi(1601-1615 AD)

A palace is mentioned to be built by the Portuguese at Mattaneri by about 1555 AD and presented to the ruler^[10]. Since then, for about two centuries, it was the seat of the kings of Kochi. More than a hundred years later, at about 1663 AD, the palace underwent repair and renovation at the hands of the Dutch. Thereafter, the palace came to be known as the Dutch palace. The palace of the ancestors of Kochi kings referred to in the poem on the west coast may be the famous dutch palace.

Bhringa-sandesha describes the fight between the Samutiri and the king of Kochi while describing Trkkanamatilakam and Kotunnallur. The poet advises the messenger reaching Tiruvancikkulam, to be careful that the arrows which come from the battlefield do not touch his body. At Kotunnallur, in the days of the war, the messenger can see the Goddess Kali of Kotunnallur performing Tandava dance with her galaxy of bhutas. The demon intoxicated with drinking the blood are said to be laughing loudly and clapping their hands in the battlefield. Trikkanamatilakam is also mentioned as the venue of the fight, where the messenger bee humming across the sky may be mistaken for a gun-shot by the soldiers, became Trkkanamatilam at that time resounded with so many gunshots of the battlefield^[11].

Kotunnallur was the venue of the great war between Kozhikode and Kochi. It is pointed out by ullur, that during the reign of Virakerala Varma (1601-1615 AD) and Ravivarma (1615 -1624 AD) there was always war between Kochi and Kozhikode. The poet conjectures that the king of Kochi might be camping at Matilakam, making proper preparation for war^[12]. The Samutiri attack on Kotunnallur in 1604 is famous in the history of Kerala. Continuous war between Kochi and Kozhikode are recorded in the history of Kerala during the 15th and 16th C. AD^[13].

The celestial place of the Samutiri of Kozhikode near the temple at Tirunavaya is referred to in the Bhrnga-sandesa poem^[14]. The place mentioned in the poem is the Manittara or Mamanka them. Poems refers to king Vikrama, Samutiri of Kozhikode. Who has reached Trkkantiyur to move the Tirunavaya for the Mamankam festival. Vikrama king^[15] who was a great warrior and who stood for the protection of the Mamanka festival at Tirunavay. The name vikrama relates to the Manavikrama which is hereditary title of the zamorin of Calicut. At Tirunavay the poet describes the festival of Mamankam presided over traditionally by the zamorin of Calicut. From this reference we are able to know that in the time of Bhrnga, the zamorins had attained the privilage of presiding over the Malabar festival^[16].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Travancore Sanskrit Series No. 128

[2]:

Bhrngasandesa 1-38

[3]:

Bhringasandesha 1-62

[4]:

Ibid 64-65

[5]:

Ibid 66-67

[6]:

Ibid 68

[7]:

Studies in Kerala History P-128

[8]:

Sambasiva Sastri -Intro to Bhrngasandesa

[9]:

Vinjanadeepika -VI -P 36

[10]:

Studies in Kerala History -P 281

[11]:

Bhrngasandesa -I -64 -67

[12]:

Ibid 68

[13]:

Studies in Kerala History -Pp 483 -508

[14]:

Bhrngasandesa -I -88

[15]:

Ibid 90

[16]:

For more details -Kerala Sanskrit Literature Pp -233-234; Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur II -P 339; Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram III -Pp 197-200