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.
8. Srngarasudhakara by Aswathi Thirunal
The Srngarasudhakara[1] is the Bhana composed by Prince Asvati Tirunal, nephew of Rama Varma alias Dharmaraja. He was an eminent scholar in bot Sanskrit and Malayalam. The Srngarasudhakara was written by him for performance in the Caitramahotsava in the Padmanabha Svami temple.
In the Stapana of Bhana the Sutradhara gives a short note on the author. In the usage—śrīkulaśekhara rāmavarmanāmadheyasya mahārājasya anantarājasambhavena,—the author reveals that he was the nephew of Rama Varma Kulasekhara.
The work would helps us to the identification of Vasantotsava. There had been actually two festivals in the Padmanabhasvami temple in the months of Alpas; and Painkuni. But none of them falls in the Vasanta rtu which covers two months, Caitra and Vaisakha. Ullur identifies the Vasantamahotsava with the Painkuni festival, but the ground for the identification has not been specified[2] even though he had identified it in a different way on a previous occasion[3]. It seems that he said so because painkuni is nearer to Vasanta than Alpasi.
But the Shringara-Sudhakara [Srngarasudhakara] speaks of a festival the Caitramahotsava, celebrated in the month of Caitra, which forms the first month is Vasanta. So we are inclined to think that in those days another major festival, different from the two mentioned already was celebrated in the temple in the month of caitra.