[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Bhattathiri's Gurubhakti

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Thanks Vinod for enlightening us!

 

Siva."PS, Vinod K (GE Energy)" <vinod.ps wrote:

!! Sri Rama Jayam !!--The author of this great masterpiece, Narayaneeyam, was Melpathur Narayana Bhattatiri, a Namboodiri Brahmin of Kerala born 442 years ago in AD 1560 as the second son of Mathrudatta, a great scholar. He was born in a village near the famous temple of Tirunavaya, Malappuram District of Kerala.His father taught him the Mimamsa and the various Sastras. His elder brother Damodara taught him Logic (Tarka) . He learnt Vedas from one Madhavacharya. He married at the age of 18-20, the niece of Achuta Pisharadi, a celebrated grammarian. The young Narayana, after marriage led a profligate life of sensual enjoyments for some time. One day the great Achyuta Pisharadi scolded him in the presence of his students for his irreligious life. It touched his heart very much and as a result, he then and there accepted Achyuta

Pisharadi as his Guru. He learnt from him Sanskrit Grammar. This was a turning point in Bhattatiri's life. His outlook in life changed completely and he became a serious student and never cared for his physical comforts. During this time Achyuta Pisharadi fell a victim to a severe attack of paralysis and suffered unbearable pain. Bhattatiri, the devoted disciple could not bear the suffering of his Guru.He, therefore, fervently prayed that the disease may be transferred to him and his Guru freed of suffering. Bhattatiri accepted the "Karmavipaka Dana" by which the sins of his Guru were transferred to him. It happened as he wanted and soon while Pisharadi recovered, the disease made Bhattatiri a cripple. A "Bhajanam" in the temple of Guruvayoor was considered as a sure cure for paralysis and so Bhattatiri went to Guruvayoor for 100 days of "Bhajanam" along with his younger brother, Mathrudatta. Before he went the famous Malayalam writer Tunjathu Ezhuthachan advised him "to

start with the fish". Bhattathiri understood the inner meaning of this advice. He wrote the famous hymn "Narayaneeyam" describing the Avatars of Vishnu starting with "fish", i.e. Matsya Avatar. During the hundred days of his Bhajanam at the temple of Guruvayoor he summarized the entire Bhagavata Purana in 1034 verses at the rate of one Dasaka (canto) consisting generally of ten verses everyday. Each Dasaka ended with a prayer to the Lord of Guruvayoor to cure him of his illness. On the hundredth day he had a vision of the Lord in the form of Venugopala. The 100th canto composed on that day gives a graphic description of this form of the Lord from the head to the foot. On that day he became completely cured of his disease. This immortal composition, Narayaneeyam, is so named for two reasons as mentioned by the poet himself in the 100th canto. It is about Lord Narayana and secondlybecause it was composed by Narayana Bhattatiri. Bhattatiri completed Narayaneeyam on the 27th

of November 1587 at the age of 27. Thereafter, he lived a hale and healthy life writing many Sanskrit works on grammar and devotional hymns. It is believed that he lived till the ripe old age of 106. Some historians, however, affirm that he must have lived at least up to the age of 86 (but that shud not be the subject of interest as long as he led althrough his life remembering & implementing 'Krishna' in thought & action). O Lord of Guruvayoor ! You are an ocean of kindness! Let those who read these episodes with devotion be freed from all diseases, mental and physical! Let them have longevity, health, and everlasting happiness --"Ayur-Arogya-Soukhyam !" --Hare KrishnaHare Rama

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