Sanskrit sources of Kerala history
by Suma Parappattoli | 2010 | 88,327 words
This study deals with the history of Kerala based on ancient Sanskrit sources, such as the Keralamahatmyam. The modern state known as Keralam or Kerala is situated on the Malabar Coast of India. The first chapter of this study discusses the historical details from the inscriptions. The second chapter deals with the historical points from the Mahatm...
This book contains Sanskrit text which you should never take for granted as transcription mistakes are always possible. Always confer with the final source and/or manuscript.
13. The Cakorasandesa
The author of this Cakorasandesa[1] is not known[2]. According to Vatakkumkur and Ullur the author of this kavya can never be a mahakavi. His descriptions of the neighboring places belonging to Cochin, and Malabar are done in details. Considering this aspect one can put the author to be a native of Cochin or North Malabar. The heroine suffering from the seperation such a message to the hero. The message is sent from Nyaghrapura to Vedaranga. The Vedaranga is situated some miles away from Tirunavay.
Zamorin of Calicut
Cakorasandesam refers to a zamorin of Calicut (Sailapathodhinathah) as the builder of the famous Peruvana temple.
Here it is described that the Zamorin became famous by constructing this temple as known, the son of Tapati acquired fame by building Kuruksetra.
prekṣyaṃ tasmāt praṇataparitāpāpahāri prakāśaṃ
pratyasannaṃ puruvanapatermandiraṃ mandarābhāṃ |
yannirmāṇādalabhata varaṃ kauravakṣetrakartā
tāvad yaḥ prāk svayamiha yaśaḥ śailapathodhināthaḥ || (I-47)
We do not get any historical references regarding the construction of the temple by a Zamorin. But it is certain that the Zamorins had some power over that temple. Towards the close of the 15th C. Peruvanam, and Kodunnallur, lying between Kozhikode and Cochin, virtually belonged to the Zamorin[3].
This refers to a Setu touching both the Western Ghats and the Arabian sea, constructed by a Travancore king (Vancisa) to prevent Pancasirsa
sahyaprastāt patimupagatastatra seturnadīnāṃ
vañcīśena svayamiha kṛtaḥ pañcaśīrṣaṃ niroddhum || (I-35)
It may perhaps be the famous Nedumkotta or ‘Travancore lines’ built in the central Kerala by Kartika Tirunal Ramavarma to protect Travancore from the impending invation of Mysore[4].
The Parasurama legend regarding the creation of Kerala from the sea is mentioned in this poem[5]. Parasurama supposedly threw his battle are across the sea from Gokarna to Kanyakumari and water cleared the way to form a land. This region so thrown up is said to have constituted the land of Kerala. Then he distributed the land to Brahmins after building institutions and shrines.
The Cakorasandesa poem refers some well-known temples like Kutalmanikyam[6], Peruvana[7], Vatukkumnatha[8], Uraka temple[9], Guhapura temple[10] etc.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
According to Dr. Kunhan Raja the author of this kavya might be one Paramesvara Some hold the author to be a Vasudeva of Payyur. Dr. P.K. Narayana Pillai states that there is no evidence to show that the work was written by a Payyur Bhattatiri
[4]:
Studies in Kerala History -P 278
[5]:
Cakorasandesa II -4
[6]:
Cakorasandesa -I -39 -44
[7]:
Ibid 47 -48
[8]:
Ibid 1 -5
[9]:
Ibid 46
[10]:
Ibid 34