ABOUT MELPATHUR NARAYANA BHATTATHTHIRI

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MELPATHUR NARAYANA BHATTATHTHIRI

AND HIS BOOK, THE FAMOUS NARAYANEEYAM

AND FEW OTHER WRITINGS

 

 

Most of the Bhakthas might have heard that Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was the person who wrote NARAYANEEYAM which is a condensed form of MAHA BHAGAVATHAM. He was born in Old Calicut District presently known as Malappuram District in KERALA STATE in MELPATHUR ILLAM which

( Namboothiri Houses are called ILLAM and Tamil Brahmin’s Houses are called MADHOM in Malayalam in order to differentiate the two sections of Brahmins. ) was situated on the north side of NEELA NADI ( BHARATHA PUZHA IN MALAYALAM ) , and is three and a half kilometer away from THRUNAVAYA TEMPLE. . Although, he was well educated in Sanskrit , Meemaamsa etc, he was a womanizer and led a happy-go-lucky way of life till he married the niece of famous Sri Achyuta PishArOdy due to whose intervention Bhattathiri was reformed. In fact it is said that he was the GURU of Melpathur Bhattathiri ( to those who know Malayalam, it is written in “ARANMULA VILASAM†thus “…..ambaththimoonnu vayassiratti irunnulla melpaththuoor patterickium guruvaayirunnavan.†However , there is no dispute that Melpaththoor was born some where in the year 1500 AD.

 

It is said that Melppaththoor seeing his GURU suffering from KUZHA VAATHAM (a type of paralysis) , took the decease to himself and saw that his mentor and Guru got rid of the permanent disease . However , Melppaththur started suffering from the disease and hence to get cured he went to GURUVAYUR temple to perform BHAJAN. Since his disease was worsening, he sent his younger brother to THUNJATTHU RAMANUJAN EZHUTHTHACHCHAN , just to find out from him the real CURE for the disease. This Thunjatthezhththachchan was a great poet and a pure BHAKTHA of the Lord RAMA ( most of the malayalis read his ADHYAATHMA RAMAYANA during the month of KARKKATAKA the solar month ) . However, he had a weakness, that he was a drunkard. In the drunken mood he told Bhattaththiri’s brother to tell Bhaattaththiri to taste MATSYA (Fish) and start eating..

Hearing this , Bhattaththiri’s brother got wild and came out disgusted and went to his brother . When Narayana Bhattaththiri asked him as to what Ezhuththachchan told, he said that he asked Battaththiri to taste Matsya and eat. Bhattaththiri thought a while and said “if this is the remedy I shall follow it and then started writing Narayaneeyam which is the condensed form of Maha Bhagavatha , starting from Matsyavathaara., which was the inner meaning of what Ezhuththachchan told.

 

Friends, It is time now to answer one of our devotee’ s. question, where he has asked where LORD KRISHNA is shown as an AVATHARA. Kindly go through NARAYANEEYAM OR MAHA BHAGAVATHAM and you will get the answer.

Please note that the word BUDDHA need not denote GAUTHAMA BUDDHA who formed another religion. BUDDHA simply means a person with knowledge .

 

Shri Battaththiri completed NARAYANEEYAM on the day which is written in KATAPAYAATHI as “aayuraarOgyasoukhyam†in the last stanza of Narayaneeyam.

To those interested to know what is written in the last stanza of NARAYANEEYA, I quote it “ ajnaathwA thE mahathwam yadiha nigaditham vishwanAtha. kshamEthhA:, sthOthram chaithath sahasrOththaramadhikatharam thwath prasAdAya bhooyAth, dwEdhA nArAyaNIyam shruthishu cha janushA sthuthyathAvarNanEna, spItham lIlAvathArair idamiha kuruthAm “AyurArOgyasowkhyamâ€.

 

It means it was completed in KALI SAMKHYA 1712210 corresponding to the Malayalam month of Vrischika 28th of KOLLAM Era 762. By this time he was fully cured of paralysis.. He lived thereafter a full long life and then died

 

To those who want to know about “KATAPAYAATHI†I can explain it , but not here since it is a different subject.

 

Herein above I have told only about the reason of writing NARAYANEEYAM. This is only to prove that if one possesses ACHANCHALA NISHKALANGA BHAKTHI on GOD he can get whatever he wishes.

 

To those who question the existence of GOD, I have this answer Which Mahathma Gandhi told. The existence of GOD is like an axiom. It is self proved.

 

Bhattaththiri was slightly egoist about his vast knowledge in Sanskrit.. Ones after writing “SANTHANA GOPALAM- PAANA†, Poonthaanam Namoothiri who had no proficiency in Sanskrit, approached Melpathur to correct his Malayalam Krithi.

Bhattaththiri who had profound knowledge in Sanskrit did not like to correct the Malayalam Bhaasha Kavitha and hence did not oblige. It so happened , the paralysis which he was suffering aggravated and Bhattaththiri started praying Lord Guruvayurappa to relieve him from the pain. That night, Bhattaththiri had a dream in which The Lord appeared and told him that HE liked the BHAKTHI of Poonthaanam than the VIBHAKTHI of Bhattaththiri. Next day , Bhattaththiri called Poonthaanam and requested him to give his SANTHANA GOPALAM â€" PAANA, and corrected it..

 

Again ones while POONTHANAM while reciting VISHNU SAHASRANAMA started reading AMARA PRABHU as MARA PRABHU. Melppathoor on hearing this asked Poonthaanam to recite as AMARA PRABHU and not MARA PRABHU. Immediately, there was an ASHAREERI saying that “I AM BOTH MARA PRABHU AND AMARA PRABHUâ€. This way the LORD brought down the ego of Bhattaththiri.

 

Bhattaththiri has written many essays in Sanskrit . SUBHADRAA HARANAM is the foremost in these series. The other essays are RAAJASOOYAM, DOOTHA VAAKYAM, , NALAYANEE CHARITHAM, PANJALEE SWAYAMVARAM, KIRAATHAM, KAILAASA VARNANAM, SUNDOPA SUNDAAKHYAANAM etc. He has also written many STHOTHRAS like GURUVAYUPRESHA STHOTHRAM, SHREEPAADA SAPTHATHI etc. His RAAMAAYANAM PRABHANDHAM , MAHABHARTHAM CHAMBU are other famous KRITHIS.

 

I do not like to deal with such writings due to fear of the article becoming lengthy. In short , Bhattaththiri was the rarest of the rarest gems KERALA produced.

 

Regards to one and all.

 

P.R.RADHAKRISHNAN