4. The Lilatilakam

The Lilatilakam^[1] is treated as “the only extant treatise on the grammar and rhetoric of the Manipravala style” in Malayalam literature. Though, it deals with an aspect of Malayalam grammer and rhetoric, its language is Sanskrit. The work uniformly consists of Sutras and Vrttis in Sanskrit and examples in Manipravala, and that has been identified as bhasa samskrtayoga in the very same treatise. The historical worth of the Lilatilaka is neccessarily founded on two vital factors namely the historical associations of the author and the date of the composition of the treatise.

Nothing definite is known about the life of the author. According to R. Narayana Panicker, he was a dependent of Sangramadhira Ravi Varma, the Venad king who ruled from Kollam in the beginning of the 14th C. AD^[2]. Vadakkumkur agrees with this^[3]. Ullur makes him one of the dependents of the Venad royalty^[4]. It is difficult to say which particular ruler of Venad was his patron. N. Raghavan Nambiar recorded then the author of the Lilatilaka was one Bhattatiri of the Mampula home^[5].

It seems ceratin that the Lilatilaka was written by a person who was intimately associated not only with the Travancore royal house but also with the social life extant in the extreme south of Kerala. The examples chosen by him to illustrate his points are chiefly concerned with the social and political life of Venad. The rulers praised or mentioned by the illustration are either the sovereigns of Venad or the Pandyas who are attached to them^[6]. Kota Martandavarma^[7], a ruler of Venad has been praised two verses, and Viramartanda Varma^[8] in another too.

In the eighth ‘Silpa of Lilatilaka while explaining the Sutra Utsahasya Virah. The author gives an illustrative verse which alludes to the defeat and capitulation of the Pandya king by Ravi Varma, the ruler of Venad^[9]. Similarly another aphorism bhayasya Bhayanakam is explained by citing a verse in which a pandya prince is said to have made the Turuskas free from the battle field on their horses^[10]. In another verse^[11] randra in illustrated by citing a verse on the terrific fight of Vikrama pandya^[12].

A few temples located north of Tiruvalla have been mentioned. They are Trissivaperur, Trikkariyur and Mahodayapuram centres of supreme fame in the Kerala coast on account of their historical and religious association.

Lilatilaka highlights three important points of interest to the political history of Travancore.

1. The Tulukkanpata or battle with the Muslims;

2. The reign of Kota Martanda Varma;

3. Ravi Varma’s battle with Vikrama Pandya;

Tulukkanpata

While illustrating the sentiment of Bhayanaka the author of the Lilathilaka cites a verse in which a pandya prince is said to have routed out the Tulukkas in battle. It has to be noted that the name of the Pandya prince is not given in it. Instead, the author merely says Pandya Yuva. Elamkulam identifies the prince with Vikrama Pandya whose exploits has been alluded to in the next verse that illustrates roudra [raudra]. Lilatilaka verse which speaks of the flight of the Tulukkas was “turagārūḍhastvarayā” (Turuturemandi Turukkarellam)

The known references to the Tulukkanpada show only that the Venad ruler, and also a Pandya prince (not specified as Vikrama Pandya) routed the Tulukkas. This battle or this series of battles, could have been fought either as a united military effort against a more powerful Muslim ruler, or as a border skirmish between the Venad ruler and the Mohamodans who established themselves at Madurai.

Kota Martanda Varma

While dealing with the dussandhi caused by Visarjaniya, the auother quotes the following verses^[13] :

Ennikkolvanariya gunavanenmar samanterennum
tarasreninaduvil maruvillata taramanalaha
marrarennum kulumiya patanganalobhutpuresmin
kolambhamboruhadinamanihi kotamartanda Pandu

Likewise, in the context of discouraging on Udatta the author illustrates asayamahatva by citing mentioning kota Martanda^[14].

tasmin kale bhuvi Yadusisorjanmamakinramadhvim
Pitva matto dvijaparisadamarthinam cetaresam
Kainovolam kathamapi dhanam kontu tarppiccu kamam
korikkol kenrutanarulinan kotamartanda Virah.

Kota Martanda, mentioned in these verse was sovereign of Venad who ruled from Kollam. The expression kolambamboruhadinamani indicates this fact. It is corroborated by the mention of yadusisu in the second verse. Scholars have identified this Kota Martanda with Padmanabha Martanda Varma of the Varkkala inscription dated 427 M.E.

The identification seems sound, even though the earlier scholars have not cited any reason. We can find in these verses some useful clues in support of this identification. Both the verses bear mention of one and the same king, because the name Kota Marthanda is common to both of them and rare said to have ruled sometime back as indicated by the usage tasmin kāle and Pandu. There are only two Martanda Varmas with whom the namesakes figuring in the Lilatilaka could be identified. In the verse cited second Kota Martanda is compared with a drunkard who goes amuck giving away all his riches to others and in a state of extreme loss of self control cries out to others to carry away as they like, whatever there remain. The king is said to have drunk the Madhvi that was metaphorically the birth of the Yadhisisuh and there become matta. This would make one suspect that the child birth happened at a time when there was a severe shortage of heirs in the royal house. The child-birth must have given a new hope of continuance for the royal house, without making an adoption. This sole event cannot have any relation to the reign of Udaya Martanda Varma, because, we know from other sources that Udaya Martanda Varma was the fourth. So of Kota Varma, and that patriarchy was the accepted system of inheritance in Travancore at that time.

Based mainly on this identification we may say that the Lilatilaka brings to light an unknown event that took place in his time. This is of course, its result of a new interpretation, of the verse from Lilatilaka cited first. Sooranad P.N. Kunhan Pilla and Prof. Elamkulam, the chief commentators of the work, have interpreted the verse in one and the same way.

Sangramadhira and Vikrama Pandya

The Lilatilaka, contains a verse referring to Ravi Varma, the ruler of Venad. The verse runs as follows^[15] —

dronaya drupadam dhananjaya iva ksmapalabalobali
Venadinnudayoru ravivarmakhyo yadunam patih
pandyam vikramapurvakam patayil vaccattippiticcannane
pandyesaya kotuttu tasya tanayam padmananamagrahit

In this verse, Ravivarma, the ruler of Venad is said to have defeated Vikrama Pandya in battle handed over him to the Pandya sovereign and obtained Vikrama Pandya’s daughter in marriage.

Scholars like Attor Krshna Pisharati^[16], Kumaran Unnithan^[17], T.K. Velu Pillai^[18], R. Narayanan Panicker^[19], Sooranad Kunhan Pillai^[20], Ullur^[21], and P.K.S. Raja^[22] have taken this identification as valid. According to Prof. Elamkulam this Ravi Varma was a different king, one who is famous as the hero of the Karuvelankulam battle. Neither the attribute Yadunampatih applied to this Ravivarma nor the fact that he is mentioned to have wedded a Pandya princess, Prof. Elamkulam says, is quite a dependable factor indeciding the identity of this king. Thus the Lilatilaka, if Elamkulam’s view is accepted does not serve as a source of information in respect of the history of Sangramadhira.

The question of the identity of the Ravivarma of the Lilatilaka with Sangramadhira emerges as a possible factor. The verse under reference cites that Ravi Varma defeated in battle the Pandya ruler Vikrama Pandya and delivered him upto the Pandya sovereign and thus obtained the daughter of Vikrama Pandya in marriage. The expression ksmapalabala clearly shows that this was an early feat of Ravi Varma when he was quite young. The comparison of this incident with the episode of Dhananjaya’s obtaining Draupadi after the defeat of Dranpada suggests that the Pandya princess whom Ravi Varma obtained was not the daughter of the Pandya sovereign to whom he delivered up Vikrama Pandya but of Vikrama Pandya himself. In the Srirangam and other eulogies of Ravi Varma Kulasekhara he is said to have made a Pandya Princess his queen. Some scholars including Elamkulam are of opinion that Sangaramadhira married the daughter of the Pandya king Maravarman Kulasekhara I. But the eulogies are silent on this point; they merely say that he married a Pandya princess. Anyhow, that he married a pandya princess is beyond all doubts. During the period of Sangramadhira, there was a Vikrama Pandya one of the brothers of Mara Varman Kulasekhara. It is likely, as pointed out by the earlier scholars that Vikrama Pandya, who was co-regent with Maravarman Kulasekhara might have, for some unknown reasons, gone against the latter, and Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, on account of obligations by virtue of alliance or Vassalage, chartised the impudent Vikrama and produced him before the Pandya sovereign^[23].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Anon. According to Vatakkumkur author probably a member in the court of Ravivarma Sangramadhira, close of the 14 century AD. First pub. by Ramavarma Appan Tampuran in instalments in Mangalodayam Trichur, 1084 Meenam to 1085 Kanni.—Ed. Attur Krisnapisarati in 1917 -Suranad Kunhan Pillai, Tvm, 1946, 1957 (with Malayalam comm.) For details -Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur -I -P 403 -426; Keraleya Samskrita Sahitya Caritram -I -P 299

[2]:

Narayana Panicker. R. -Kerala Bhasa Sahitya Caritram, Tvm. 1102 ME -Vol. I -P 206

[3]:

Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur -Vol. I -P 299

[4]:

The quotations in the Lilatilaka mention 3 names of the rulers of Venad. They are Ravivarma, Kotamartandavarma and Viramartandavarma. Even if the identity of the last two is accepted, two Venad rulers are mentioned in it. We can only say that authors of the relevent quotations might be contemporaries of those kings. Since the span of time between the composition of the illustrative verses and the sutra and vritti is not known, it is unscientific to treat the author of the Lilatilaka as a contemporary of either of the said kings.

[5]:

KSP II -P 76

[6]:

Prof. Elamkulam, Lilatilakam -P 12

[7]:

Silpa IV -Stanza 64; Silpa VII -Stanza 161

[8]:

Ibid VII -Stanza 171 & 184

[9]:

Ibid VIII -Stanza 203

[10]:

Ibid -Stanza 205

[11]:

Ibid 206

[12]:

This Vikramapandya seems to be different from the Vikramapandya a prince said to have been capitulated by Ravivarma and delivered upon the Pandya sovereign.

[13]:

Silpa IV -Verse 64

[14]:

Silpa VII -Verse 190

[15]:

Silpa VII -Verse 220

[16]:

His edition of Lilatilaka, Tvm 1092 ME

[17]:

Sahityaparishat Traimasikam 1109 ME Medom, Karkkitakam

[18]:

Travancore State Manual -Vol. II

[19]:

Narayana Panicker. R. Kerala bhasa sahitya caritram, Tvm, 1102 ME, P 205

[20]:

Lilatilakapravisam, Tvm, 1957, P 38

[21]:

Kerala Sahitya Caritram, Ullur 1967, Pp 342 -343

[22]:

P.K.S. Raja, Medieval Kerala, 1953, Annamalai nagar, P 44

[23]:

For more details see—Sanskritic sources -Mahesvaran Nair, Uty. of Kerala, 1983, Pp 79 -104