Legendary works

[Guest guest]

!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

 

Trying to consolidate some of the legendary works of our great devotees & divine

poets --

----------

1. Tunjathu Ezhuthachhan -- Adhyatma Ramayanam (Kilipattu), Sri Mahabharatam

(Kilipattu), and two shorter pieces, Irupattinalu Vrittam and Harinama Kirtanam.

A non-Brahmin himself, who studied the Vedas and Upanishads without prior

priestly sanction, he was yet devoted to the real Brahmins and always revealed a

sublime sense of humility. Critics have sometimes, in their over enthusiasm and

admiration for the poet, pointed out that whenever he has to mention Rama or

Krishna, he goes into raptures and produces a string of the Lord's names.

----------

2. Poonthanam -- His chief poems in Malayalam are Bhasha Karnamritam,

Kumaraharanam or Santanagopalam Pana and Jnanappana.

The first of these is a devotional work intended to create Krishna bhakti in the

readers. The second is a touching narrative in very simple and straight-forward

language and fast moving verse. Jnanappana or the Song of Divine Wisdom is a

veritable storehouse of transcendental knowledge which is firmly rooted in the

experiences of this world. In a language, absolutely free from regionalism and

dialectal influences, unadorned with excessive rhetorical features, through a

series of concrete pictures taken from contemporary life, the poet is able to

drive home his perception of the short lived nature of the ephemeral aspects of

life.

----------

3. Bhattathiri - Narayaneeyam

The poet depicts the image of Lord Guruvayurappan, in exemplary terms -

" Sammohanam Mohanal Kantham Kanthinidhanathopi, Madhuram Madhurya Dhuryadapi,

Soundaryotharathopi Sundaratharam " , and these become doubly meaningful and apt

when applied to this exquisite work also. The theme of Narayaneeyam is based on

the stories in Bhagavatham; it is, almost, an epitome of the great Purana. But

unlike Vyasa, who has introduced in the first 'Skandha' itself, the speaker

(Sree Suka Brahmarshi) and the listener (Emperor Pareekshith), the poet himself

is the speaker in Narayaneeyam, who sings before the Lord Guruvayurappan, in a

sublime tune about His glories and prays to Him to bless him to be cured of his

disease.

----------

4. Cherusseri - Krishnagatha

With the writing of Krishnagatha, the validity of the use of spoken Malayalam

for literary purposes receives its ultimate justification. Unlike the language

of Ramacharitam and the works of the Niranam poets the language of Krishnagatha

marks the culmination of a stage of evolution. Cherusseri excels by the

simplicity and limpidness of his diction and imagery. Krishnagatha is an epic in

Malayalam written in a popular Dravidian metre which has evolved from a folk

metre. It does not have the tightness & characteristics of either Ramacharitam

or Kannassa Ramayanam. There are also local touches in an abundant measure.

Sweetness and light, rather than vigour or high seriousness, is Cherusseri's

forte.

----------

5. Kunjan Nambiar - Chief contribution of Nambiar is the invention and

popularization of a new performing art - Thullal

There are three kinds of Thullal distinguished on the basis of the performer's

costume and the style of rendering, viz., Ottan, Seethankan and Parayan. In 1748

he moved to Thiruvananthapuram, first to the court of Martanda Varma and later

to the court of Kartika Tirunal Rama Varma. He had already written several of

his works before leaving Ambalapuzha. The most important of Nambiar's Thullals

are: Syamantakam, Ghoshayatra, Kiratam, Santanagopalam, Patracharitam,

Kartaviryarijunavijam, Bakavadham, Kalyana Saugandhikam, Hariniswayamvaram,

Tripuradakanam and Sabha Pravesam.

----------

6. Ramapurathu Warrier - Kuchela Vrittam (Vanchipattu - Boat song), translated

Sri Jayadev's Gitagovindam into Malayalam

In the poem 'Kuchela Vrittam' , the poet specifically referes to King Martanda

Varma and describes the circumstances under which he came to write the poem.

Warrier makes Kuchela's wife declare: " There is no greater affliction than that

of poverty " .

----------

This information is fairly incomplete & hence wish to have contributions from

all respected members.

Hare Krishna

Hare Rama

----------

[Guest guest]

very good informations. can u add Vilvamangalam's krishnakarnamrutham

also in this list? and also i would love to know if there is any site

where i can get to read Santhanagopalam pana and

SriKrishnakarnamrutham in net?guruvayur , " PS,

Vinod K \(GE Energy\) " <vinod.ps@g...> wrote:

>

>

> !! Sri Rama Jayam !!

>

> Trying to consolidate some of the legendary works of our great

devotees & divine poets --

> ----------

> 1. Tunjathu Ezhuthachhan -- Adhyatma Ramayanam (Kilipattu), Sri

Mahabharatam (Kilipattu), and two shorter pieces, Irupattinalu

Vrittam and Harinama Kirtanam.

> A non-Brahmin himself, who studied the Vedas and Upanishads without

prior priestly sanction, he was yet devoted to the real Brahmins and

always revealed a sublime sense of humility. Critics have sometimes,

in their over enthusiasm and admiration for the poet, pointed out

that whenever he has to mention Rama or Krishna, he goes into

raptures and produces a string of the Lord's names.

> ----------

> 2. Poonthanam -- His chief poems in Malayalam are Bhasha

Karnamritam, Kumaraharanam or Santanagopalam Pana and Jnanappana.

> The first of these is a devotional work intended to create Krishna

bhakti in the readers. The second is a touching narrative in very

simple and straight-forward language and fast moving verse.

Jnanappana or the Song of Divine Wisdom is a veritable storehouse of

transcendental knowledge which is firmly rooted in the experiences of

this world. In a language, absolutely free from regionalism and

dialectal influences, unadorned with excessive rhetorical features,

through a series of concrete pictures taken from contemporary life,

the poet is able to drive home his perception of the short lived

nature of the ephemeral aspects of life.

> ----------

> 3. Bhattathiri - Narayaneeyam

> The poet depicts the image of Lord Guruvayurappan, in exemplary

terms - " Sammohanam Mohanal Kantham Kanthinidhanathopi, Madhuram

Madhurya Dhuryadapi, Soundaryotharathopi Sundaratharam " , and these

become doubly meaningful and apt when applied to this exquisite work

also. The theme of Narayaneeyam is based on the stories in

Bhagavatham; it is, almost, an epitome of the great Purana. But

unlike Vyasa, who has introduced in the first 'Skandha' itself, the

speaker (Sree Suka Brahmarshi) and the listener (Emperor

Pareekshith), the poet himself is the speaker in Narayaneeyam, who

sings before the Lord Guruvayurappan, in a sublime tune about His

glories and prays to Him to bless him to be cured of his disease.

> ----------

> 4. Cherusseri - Krishnagatha

> With the writing of Krishnagatha, the validity of the use of spoken

Malayalam for literary purposes receives its ultimate justification.

Unlike the language of Ramacharitam and the works of the Niranam

poets the language of Krishnagatha marks the culmination of a stage

of evolution. Cherusseri excels by the simplicity and limpidness of

his diction and imagery. Krishnagatha is an epic in Malayalam written

in a popular Dravidian metre which has evolved from a folk metre. It

does not have the tightness & characteristics of either Ramacharitam

or Kannassa Ramayanam. There are also local touches in an abundant

measure. Sweetness and light, rather than vigour or high seriousness,

is Cherusseri's forte.

> ----------

> 5. Kunjan Nambiar - Chief contribution of Nambiar is the invention

and popularization of a new performing art - Thullal

> There are three kinds of Thullal distinguished on the basis of the

performer's costume and the style of rendering, viz., Ottan,

Seethankan and Parayan. In 1748 he moved to Thiruvananthapuram, first

to the court of Martanda Varma and later to the court of Kartika

Tirunal Rama Varma. He had already written several of his works

before leaving Ambalapuzha. The most important of Nambiar's Thullals

are: Syamantakam, Ghoshayatra, Kiratam, Santanagopalam,

Patracharitam, Kartaviryarijunavijam, Bakavadham, Kalyana

Saugandhikam, Hariniswayamvaram, Tripuradakanam and Sabha Pravesam.

> ----------

> 6. Ramapurathu Warrier - Kuchela Vrittam (Vanchipattu - Boat song),

translated Sri Jayadev's Gitagovindam into Malayalam

> In the poem 'Kuchela Vrittam' , the poet specifically referes to

King Martanda Varma and describes the circumstances under which he

came to write the poem. Warrier makes Kuchela's wife declare: " There

is no greater affliction than that of poverty " .

> ----------

> This information is fairly incomplete & hence wish to have

contributions from all respected members.

> Hare Krishna

> Hare Rama

> ----------

>