[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Sri Kudallur Kunjhikkavu Nambudiri

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hare krishna guruvayurappa!dear reshma, wonderful! I had been waiting to know more about Kudallur Kunhikkavu Nambudiri - One thing I tried to find out at Guruvayur temple was - Kunhikkavu's corner - and nobody seemed to know anything about it. Also the Devaswom mentions that "he possibly followed the Chaitanya cult" - and nobody in Devaswom / none of the devotees I spoke to could shed more light on that too. Please pass on any info you have in this connection. thanks,-sriram=======reshma menon <skandapotri wrote: Sri Kudallur Kunjhikkavu Nambudiri (1839-1903) was an ardent scholar devotee of Lord Guruvayoorappan.Sri Kunjhikkavu was known as Raman in his childhood. He was the second son of Sri Vasudevan Nambudiri, who was often referred to as Sri Vasudeva Sastrigal because of his proficiency in the sastras.Sri Kunjhikkavu became familiar with the puranas through his mother's daily parayana of Sri Tunjath Ezhuthachan's works. He learnt Sanskrit from his father who wanted him to become a second 'Suka Deva ' in Bhagavata exposition. He formerly began his puranavayana in his illam and slowly become famous. Sri Kunjhikkavu began his discourse when only 28 and his fame began to spread as a philanthropist and mystic. He became known for his deep scholarship, power of exposition and marshalling his arguments. The particular spot in Guruvayur temple where he used to sit for his puranavayana came to be known as "Kunjhikkavu's Corner". Like Sri Poonthanam and Sri Kururamma, Sri Kunjhikkavu also successfully preached the efficacy of Krishna namajapa as the easiest way to salvation.Once, when he was called to comment on the "Narayana" Nama at a satsang, he was so chocked with Bhakti that he couldn't say a thing and he cried. A jivanmmukta like Sri Poonthanam, he saw God in everything, animate and inanimate alike. He was seen circumbulating the animals ,asses and dogs and prostrating before them and acknowledging them as living manifestations of the Supreme Brahman and identifying them with the Lord inside the temple. He

was also known to enter even the sanctum sanctorum at times and take away from there whatever he wanted; causing embarrassment to the management and devotees alike, but every one took it as a prank. In fact, Sri Kunjhikkavu himself used to give away whatever he had, to anyone who asked for it. One day he was seen coming out of the temple without his upper garment which he had given away to a needy devotee. On the way, he found a beggar stretching out his hand. As Sri Kunjhikkavu had nothing to give, he gave away the mundu he was wearing. Seeing him walking along the street with a loin-cloth, one of his friends quickly brought him another mundu which he wore. Sri Kunjhikkavu was especially devoted to his tutelary deity of his illam, Mookkkola Bhagavathi.The Shrine

was badly in need of repairs and Sri Kunjhikkavu pleaded with his elder brother who managed the family property to provide money for the purpose. But the latter did not heed.Disgusted, Sri Kunjhikkavu left the illam vowing that he would not return till the temple is repaired. The elder brother who had no male issue consulted astrologers. He was advised to make peace with his estranged brother, which he did. Kunjhikkavu came back and attended to the repairs of the shrine .While taking leave of his brother, he said: "By the grace of the Lord of Guruvayur, the next child in this illam will be a son and you should offer the Lord the baby's weight in butter at the time of his annaprasanam(Chorunnu)".Needless to say ,this came true! Cherukunnath Namboodiri had no children and he was spending his tearful days lamenting over his sad plight. Then

Sri Kunjhikkavu Namboodiri advised him that Lord Guruvayurappan would bless him with children if offered Him with an elephant. Accordingly Cherukunnath Namboodiri came to Guruvayur, performed "Bhajan” and prayed to offer Him an elephant, if he was blessed with a child. Lord Guruvayurappan showered His blessings on him who offered Him an elephant and called him Padmanabhan. He became the greatest pet of our Guruvayurappan-the legendary Guruvayur Padmanabhan. Text courtesy:- Sri Krishna The Lord Of Guruvayur –a great book by Sri K.R.Vaidyanathan, Bhavan’s Book University

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