15. Short Poems describing Kerala history

Short poems gives us much information on some of the important historical figures of ancient Kerala. Some of the short poems bearing on Kerala history are given below.

Agnivamsa-raja-katha

Agnivamsa-raja-katha is a work in verse giving the legendary history of the Zamorin dynasty of Calicut. Vatakkumkur^[1] says that this is a very late work and probably written by a member of the Calicut royal family. The work is annonymous and little historical importance.

Citrodayamani

Citrodayamani^[2] of Sambasiva Sastri contains 2 cantos euloging Sri Citra Tirunal Maharaja of Travancore and giving the dynastic history of that royal house.

The poem refers the Sri Citra Tirunal Maharajavarma as follows—

citrodayamaṇiḥ so'ya mīpsitārthapradāyakaḥ
sumanonandyamānaśrīratrābhātutarāṃ ciram || (I-5)

The poet refers the Kerala kings as Chera—

cerahvayāḥ katipaye keralābharaṇaṃ babhuḥ |^[3]

Among the Cera kings Chenkkuttavan is mentioned in this poem

teṣu caṅkuṭṭuvākhyātaścerodhīradharāpatiḥ
colapāṇḍyamahīndrāṇāṃ nigrahānugrahaprabhuḥ || (I-9)

Travancore dynasty is mentioned as—

vijayāt vañcimedinīm^[4].

Poem refers the kings named Cheraman Perumal^[5]. Cheraman Tolar^[6], is a poet and a lover of literature^[7]. In the Travancore dynasty then he mentions a Kulasekhara Alvar^[8], author of Mukundamala^[9].

In the Travancore Royal house others kings are referred as Sthanu Ravi^[10], Bhaskara Ravi^[11], Govardhana Martanda^[12] (pramukhyo vañcivallabhaḥ) Sangramadhira Ravivarma^[13], Vira kerala Varma^[14], Martanda Varma^[15], Srimulam Tirunal, Sri. Cittira Tirunal Maharaja. I n the second canto poet refers Sir. C.P. Ramasvami^[16]

Martanda Varma Sataka

The Martanda Varma Sataka^[17] is a short poem consists 111 stanzas. The author of this kavya in stated to be one Kerala Varma who had the appellation vira. It deals with the life of Prince Asvati Tirunal Martanda Varma of Travancore.

It opens with the statement that Martanda Varma flourishes in the world. Then the prince’s date of birth is furnished. He is stated to have been born under Asvati asterism in the month of Kartika, in the year 1047 M.E.

In the fourth verse, his unique distinction of becoming the first graduate prince of India has been alluded to—

abhūtapūrvāṃ nijavaṃśajānāṃ bīeparīkṣottaraṇena labhyāṃ
caturbhujāṅgaṃ labhate sma dhīmān yaḥ kañjukaṃ sadi?[Â]barudaṃ hi bālye ||

In the eighth verse the princes elder brother is mentioned.

tasyāgrajanme yuvarājabhūyaṃ
sametya dhīmāniha lālasīti ||

The elder brother referred to above may be identified with prince Kerala Varma. Then the author refers to the death of the princes mother. Then the author speaks of the prince’s desatana and his visit to the Himalayas^[18].

The remaining portion of the poem is devoted to describe the various qualities of the prince. Among them the noteworthy. There were many advisers, he made decision on his own accord^[19].

He never tolerated falsehood, even it uttered by one dearest to him.—

priyataro api vadannanṛtaṃ vacaḥ
sapati dūrata eva nirasyate ||

Padmanabhodaya

Padmanabhodaya^[20] is a short kavya of Sankukavi known as Sankara Kavi written at the instance of Ramavarma Yuvaraja, nephew of king Martanda Varma of Travancore^[21]. According to Ullur^[22], he has probably a Brahmin of Tamil extraction. He has written this poem named Padmanabhodaya on the Padmanabha Svami temple, Trivandrum.

The author belongs to the first half of the eighteenth century. The work consists of 142 verses in four sections called Paddhatis. It deals with the glory of Anantasayanaksetra, description of the magnificance of Lord Padmanabha and the blessings showered by the lord of Divakara Yati.

In this poem Sanku pays tribute to the king of Travancore, namely Martanda Varma.

śrīmān mārtāṇḍabhūpo jayatu budhajanānandakārī nitāntaṃ
kāvyaṃ cedaṃ madīyaṃ kalitaharikathā sāravatvāt sudhīndrāḥ
śruṇvantvācandratāraṃ bhavatu ca dharaṇau vañcivaṃśo'tidīrghau
brahmānandāmṛtābdhau mama hṛdayamidaṃ majjatāṃ nirviśeṣam ||

The adjective budhajanānandadāyī applied to the king indicates the amount of patronage extended by him to poets and scholars. In another verse he refers to the heir-apparent.

Rama Varma whose order was like God’s inhibition to the poet.—

dharmaḥ śarīrīva ca bhāgyarāśirde
hīva mūrto haribhaktipūraḥ |
sugātravān dhairyaraso'sti tatra
śrīrāmavarmābhidhabhūmipālaḥ ||

The description of the prince as the embodiment of Dharma is very significant. In later times he became more famous as the Dharmaraja than Rama Varma Sankunni statement suggests that the cognoman Dharmaraja was derived not from the king’s grating protection to the refuges from Malabar, and the provision made for their maintenance for about twenty five years, but on account of his regular practice of Dharma. Here, Dharma does not merely mean charity, it initially refers to the doctrine of ideal kingship propagated by teh Dharmasastras.

Other Short Poems

Keralavilasa^[23] of Manavikrama Ettan Tampuran of Calicut contains 105 verses based on Keralolpatti. Kasiyatra varnana^[24] of Ramaswami Sastri of Elattur contains 120 verses on the pilgrimage of Visakham Tirunal Maharaja to Banaras in 1882. Apaddipah^[25] of Subbarama pattar P.S. is a poem in 33 verses on how a destitute family fleeing the kingdom of Zamurin was helped by an unknown person bearing a divine light to settle in the kingdom of the Maharaja of Cochin.

Srimulacarita^[26] is short poem written by Ganapati Sastri deals the history of Travancore royal dynasty. Gurudigvijaya^[27] of Anantagiri is a biography of Sankaracharya. Brahmanapratishta^[28] is another work dealing with the settlement of Brahmins from Tulu Nadu into his country by king Udayavarma of Kolattunadu. Desyastaka^[29] contains 8 slokas dealing with the life of Udayavarma of Kolattunadu. Mala^[30] is a historical short poem of Krishnavariar A.V. on Parikshit Tampuran of Cochin. Visakhavilasa^[31] of Kesavan Vydyan in praise of Visakam Tirunal Maharaja of Travancore.

Gaunasamagama^[32] is a small kavya on the visit to Trivandrum of Lord Napier, Governor of Madras, the governor is the Gauna in the kavya, composed in 1863 by Ramaswami Sastri of Elattur. Mahamrityunjayacarita^[33] of Sankara Variyar of Meethale Madom on a Mahamrtyunjaya conducted by the Raja of Kadatthanadu.

Matamahisha Sastipurthi-dasaka^[34] of Krishnan Namputhiri of Nellurkandi describes the penegric on the Maharaja of Cochin. Setuyatravarnana^[35] of T. Ganapati Sastri on the setu yatra of Visakham Tirunal Maharaja of Travancore. Above mentioned these works shed light on the ancient Kerala history.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur II -204 -211, According to K.V. Krishna Iyyer it is by Vidvan Ettan Tampuran K.V. Krishna Iyyer -Zamorins of Calicut, P 333

[2]:

Tvm. 1938

[3]:

Citrodayamani -I -6

[4]:

Ibid 10

[5]:

bhavacchaṅkarācārya samaye śaivavallabhaḥ
ceramān parumālākhyaḥ ko'pyāsīd rājaśekharaḥ ||

[6]:

Citrodayamani -1 -14

[7]:

Ibid 16

[8]:

kulaśekhara ālavār sa bhūmīndrakulaśekharaḥ |

[9]:

so'yaṃ mukundamālādi ganthānāṃ prabhavaḥ kaviḥ
adyāpi vaiṣṇavā hṛdyāṃstāṃstān gāyanti vedavat ||

[10]:

Citrodayamani -I -20

[11]:

Ibid 21

[12]:

Ibid 22

[13]:

Ibid 24

[14]:

Ibid 29

[15]:

Ibid 30-49

[16]:

Ibid 29-39—
avṛṇīta ca sar si pi rāmasvāmyāryamuttamam
nītinyāyopadeṣṭāraṃ devendra iva goṣpatim ||

[17]:

Pub. in the old Sanskrit journal Vol. IV, P. No. irregular, no year of pub. given.—Ullur and Vatakkumkur not pointed about this work.

[18]:

Sl 12

[19]:

amātyanirvartitakāryavastuṣu
svamantrivīreṣu hi teṣu satsvapi
vicāryakāryāṇi tanoti yassvayam
na dhīmatāṃ kṛtyavidhau parārthitā ||

[20]:

Pub. in Kerala University by Dr. P. Visalakshi Vols. XXXI, XXXII, 1990 -1991—KSLB -P 108; Kerala Sanskrit Literature -P 242; Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur Vol. III -P 288 -289

[21]:

Vatakkumkur wrongly states that the author composed this work at the instance of Kartika Tirunal Maharaja of Travancore -Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram IV -P 157

[22]:

Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur Vol. III -P 309

[23]:

Kerala grandhamala Vol. I, Calicut 1908, Vijnanachintamani press Patambi, 1893, Mangalur 1894—Vide Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur IV -P 476, Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram V -P 164

[24]:

Sahityaparishat Traimasikam III -313 -314 Vide Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur IV -P 192, Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram IV -P 414

[25]:

Samskrita pratibha Vol. VII, 2 -1968, P 140 -144

[26]:

History of Classical Sanskrit Literature -P 302

[27]:

Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur -I -P 91

[28]:

Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur -II -P 83

[29]:

Anonymus authorship, Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur II -P 84

[30]:

Triccur 1948

[31]:

śriyāṃ pati śrīpati rājaśekharo
mahīpatirdākṣiṇakeralādhipaḥ |
viśālavikhyātamatirmahābhujo
viśākharājo'ya vibhāti viśrutaḥ ||
—Vide Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur IV -P 232; Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram IV -P 624

[32]:

Vinjanadeepika -III -Pp 311 -313; Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur IV -P 192; Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram IV -P 413

[33]:

Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur IV -P 730; Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram V -P 211

[34]:

Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram -V -P 422

[35]:

Kerala Sanskrit Literature -P 224 -History of Classical Sanskrit Literature P 522 -Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur -V -P 948