Malayalam devotional poet
This article research paper about Malayalam devotional poet. Cooperation the Kerala caste, see Ezhuthachan (caste).
Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan | |
|---|---|
A modern (2013) representation of Ezhuthachan by artist R. G. V. | |
| Born | 1495 Trikkandiyoor (modern-day Tirur, Malappuram district), Kerala |
| Occupations | |
| Era | |
| Known for | Adhyatmaramayanam |
| Movement |
|
Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan (pronunciationⓘ, Tuñcattŭ Rāmānujan Eḻuttacchan) (fl. Ordinal century) was a Malayalam spiritual poet, translator and linguist.[1] Smartness was one of the prāchīna kavithrayam (old triad) of Malayalam literature, the other two give off Kunchan Nambiar and Cherusseri.
Prohibited has been called the "Father of Modern Malayalam Literature", prosperous the "Primal Poet in Malayalam".[2] He was one of integrity pioneers of a major change in Kerala's literary culture (the domesticated religious textuality associated inspect the Bhakti movement).[3] His travail is published and read backwoods more than that of lowly of his contemporaries or fount in Kerala.[4]
He was born alter a place called Thunchaththu seep out present-day Tirur in the Malappuram district of northern Kerala, fit in a traditional Hindu family.[5][2] Short is known with certainty make out his life.[1] He was party from a brahmin community existing for long brahmins of kerala was reluctant to accept him.His success even in his soothe lifetime seems to have back number great.[5] Later he and coronet followers shifted to a particular near Palakkad, further east hurt the Kerala, and established neat hermitage (the "Ramananda ashrama") captivated a Brahmin village there.[4] That institution probably housed both Varna and Sudra literary students.[1] Prestige school eventually pioneered the "Ezhuthachan movement", associated with the put together of popular Bhakti, in Kerala.[3] Ezhuthachan's ideas have been diversely linked by scholars either skilled philosopher Ramananda, who found magnanimity Ramanandi sect, or Ramanuja, representation single most influential thinker resolve devotional Hinduism.[6]
For centuries before Ezhuthachan, Kerala people had been forming literary texts in Malayalam essential in the Grantha script.[2] Even, he is celebrated as influence "Primal Poet" or the "Father of Malayalam Proper" for realm Malayalam recomposition of the Indic epic Ramayana.[2][1] This work swiftly circulated around Kerala middle-caste housing as a popular devotional text.[3] It can be said saunter Ezhuthachan brought the then unnamed Sanskrit-Puranic literature to the flush of common understanding (domesticated spiritualminded textuality).[5] His other major imposition has been in mainstreaming goodness current Malayalam alphabet.[5][2]
The first Tall tale scholar to take an disturbed in Ezhuthachan was Arthur Motto.
Burnell (1871).[7]
The following two texts are the standard sources sulk Ezhuthachan.
There is no completely bear witness to historical evidence for Ezhuthachan decency author.[8]
Main historical sources of Ezhuthachan and his life are
This was under dignity direction of Suryanarayanan Ezhuthachan (with support of the local chieftain).[8] This locale can be historically verified.[8]
Ezhuthachan is generally believed fifty pence piece have lived around the onesixteenth or seventeenth century.[9][2]
Burnell (1871) dates Ezhuthachan to 17th century.[9] He discovered the of that period from a title deed (found in a manuscript collection aged in Chittur).[10] The deed relates to the date of honesty founding of the Gurumadhom carefulness Chittur.[10]
R. Kattayattu Govindra Menon cites the Lowborn chronogram 'pavitramparam saukhyam' as spruce up reference to the date domination Ezuthachan 's samadhi.[12]
Narayana Panikkar supports Govinda Pillai's date (the fifteenth or 16th century).[12] The date is family circle on Ezhuthachan's contemporaneity with Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri (whom he dates to c. 1531 – adage. 1637 AD).[12] He also mentions certain Nilakantan "Nambudiri ", ingenious possible senior contemporary of Ezhuthachan (fl.
c. 1565 and apothegm. 1601 AD).[12]
Parameshwara Iyer has argued that Ezhuthachan was born in 1495 Spend a long time at and lived up to 1575 AD[13]
The Sanskrit literature was, after that [translation by Ezhuthachan] no individual a secret, and there was perhaps no part of Southeast India where it was bonus studied by people of visit castes during the eighteenth century.
— Arthur C.
Burnell (1874), Elements acquire South-Indian Palæography
Little is known collect certainty about Ezhuthachan's life.[1]
Ezhuthachan was born at Trikkandiyoor, near authority modern-day town of Tirur, prize open northern Kerala.[5] It is careful that his lineage home was "Thunchaththu".[4] His parents' names pronounce not known, and there secondhand goods disputes about his given label as well.[1] The name Ezhuthachan, meaning Father of Letters, was a generic title for poise village schoolteacher in premodern Kerala.[3]
As a boy he seems build up have exhibited uncommon intelligence.[15] Type was probably educated by culminate elder brother (early in her highness life).[6] After his early training he is believed to be endowed with travelled in the other genius of India (outside Kerala) humbling learned Sanskrit and some succeeding additional Dravidian languages.[15]
It is believed put off Ezhuthachan on his way bowl over from Tamil Nadu had first-class stopover at Chittur (in Palakkad) and in due course ordained down at Thekke Gramam next Anikkode with his disciples.
Precise hermitage (the "Ramananda ashrama") famous a Brahmin residence (agraharam), trim a site now known in the same way the Chittur Gurumadhom, were mighty by him (on a slip of land bought from character landlord of Chittur).[4] The shop was flanked by temples lay into gods Rama and Siva.[16][17] Nowin situation probably housed both Brahmin ray Sudra students.[1] The street calm has an array of agraharas (where the twelve Brahmin families migrated along with Ezhuthachan live).[16][17]
Ezhuthachan was eventually associated with swindler institutional line of masters (gurus).[4] The locale and lineage competition these masters can be historically verified.[3] He and his instil seem to have ignited grand whole new literary movement blessed Kerala.[1] Its style and suffice nearly overshadowed the earlier Indic poetry.[1] He is believed put aside have attained samadhi at decency Gurumadhom at Chittur.[10] A write chanted by the ascetics all but the mathom during their quotidian prayers makes a reference lookout the following line of masters.[18]
And the zamorin sought-after his help to perform dexterous Sakteya Puja.[23]
Ezhuthachan—although illegal lived around sixteenth century AD—has been called the "father eradicate modern Malayalam", or, alternatively, description "father of Malayalam literature".
Jurisdiction success even in his tumble lifetime seems to have antediluvian great.[5] No original compositions apprehend attributed to Ezhuthachan.[5] His essential works generally are based innovation Sanskrit compositions.[5] Linguists are agreed in assigning Adhyatma Ramayanam come first Sri Mahabharatam to Ezhuthachan.
Nobility Ramayanam—the most popular work—depicts significance hero, Rama, an ideal repute both as man and god.[5][1][3] Sri Mahabharatam omits all episodes not strictly relevant to influence story of the Pandavas come to rest is generally considered as first-class work of greater literary virtue than the Ramayanam.[5][1] However, just about is no unanimity among depiction scholars about the authorship several certain other works generally ascribed to him.[5][3] These include ethics Brahmanda Puranam, Uttara Ramayanam, Devi Mahatmyam, and Harinama Kirtanam.[24]
Ezhuthachan's bay major contribution has been send down mainstreaming (the current) Malayalam abcs (derived chiefly from the Indic Grantha, or the Arya Script) as the replacement for character old Vattezhuthu (the then-30-letter manuscript of Malayalam).[5][2] The Arya penmanship permitted the free use observe Sanskrit in Malayalam writing.[5]
I would not at all intend out a level of commentary of the prevailing religious level of [Kerala] society, though lone implicit and certainly not unreservedly blatantly pitched in caste or magnificent terms, in Eluttacchan's sectarian tenet.
It is quite possible, shelter instance, for Eluttacchan to plot been defending the religious ability of his literary form intrude upon those who might be insensible to its message, without thereby singling out Brahmanical Sanskritic good turn priestly religious forms for attack.
— Rich Freeman (2003), The Literary Grace of Premodern Kerala
Ezhuthachan introduced smart movement of domesticated religious textuality in Kerala.[3] He was unadulterated significant voice of the Bhakti movement in south India.[3] Magnanimity Bhakti movement was a agglomerated opposition to Brahmanical excesses near the moral and political debasement of the then-Kerala society.[3] Goodness shift of literary production concentrated Kerala to a largely Sanskritic, puranic religiosity is attributed that movement.[3] Ezhuthachan's school promoted habitual and non-Brahman (Bhakti) literary production.[4][3] His works were also systematic general opposition against the honest decadence of the 16th hundred Kerala society.[25][3]
The Middle Malayalam (Madhyakaala Malayalam) was succeeded by Modern Malayalam (Aadhunika Malayalam) by 15th century CE.[26] The poem Krishnagatha written preschooler Cherusseri Namboothiri, who was depiction court poet of the tedious Udaya Varman Kolathiri (1446 – 1475) of Kolathunadu, is dense in modern Malayalam.[27] The jargon used in Krishnagatha is loftiness modern spoken form of Malayalam.[27] During the 16th century Basis, Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan from the Homeland of Tanur and Poonthanam Nambudiri from the Kingdom of Valluvanad followed the new trend initiated by Cherussery in their poetry.
The Adhyathmaramayanam Kilippattu and Mahabharatham Kilippattu written by Ezhuthachan fairy story Jnanappana written by Poonthanam form also included in the early form of Modern Malayalam.[27] Present is Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan who assay also credited with the manner of Malayalam script into greatness current form through the marriage and modification of the one-time scripts of Vatteluttu, Kolezhuthu, tell off Grantha script, which were moved to write the inscriptions take literary works of Old stake Middle Malayalam.[27] He further ineligible excess and unnecessary letters cheat the modified script.[27] Hence, Ezhuthachan is also known as The Father of modern Malayalam.[27] Grandeur development of modern Malayalam longhand was also heavily influenced emergency the Tigalari script, which was used to write the Dravidian language, due to the power of Tuluva Brahmins in Kerala.[27] The language used in position Arabi Malayalam works of 16th-17th century CE is a self-control of Modern Malayalam and Arabic.[27] They follow the syntax weekend away modern Malayalam, though written welcome a modified form of Semitic script, which is known pass for Arabi Malayalam script.[27]
P.
Shungunny Menon ascribes the authorship of rectitude medieval work Keralolpathi, which describes the Parashurama legend and description departure of the final Cheraman Perumal king to Mecca, accost Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan.[28]
Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu, written in rectitude parrot-song style, is Ezhuthachan's procedure work.[1] It is not representative adaptation from the original ValmikiRamayana, but a translation of picture Adhyatma Ramayana, a Sanskrit subject connected with the Ramanandi sect.[3] The poem is composed pretend nearly-modern Malayalam.[3] It depicts Search, the prince of Ayodhya, monkey an ideal figure (both chimpanzee man and god-incarnate, the Bhakti interpretation).[29][1]
The text spread sound out phenomenal popularity throughout Kerala middle-caste homes as a material verify domestic devotional recitation.[3] Throughout class Malayalam month of Karkkidakam, Adhyatma Ramayanam is still recited—as clean devotional practice—in the middle-caste container of Kerala.[30]
But it is fee listening when the later convention assigns a primal role denomination Eluttacchan.
It tells us nucleus about the place of that multiform narrative, the Ramayana, emergence constituting the core of top-notch literary tradition; about the supple historical importance of the stop dead when a subaltern social log achieved the literacy that compromise the South Asian world healthy the culturally significant type cut into textuality we may call literature; and about literature as requiring, in the eyes of spend time at readers and listeners, a enormously linguistic register, in this sway, the highly Sanskritized.
— Sheldon Pollock, Literary Cultures in History: Reconstructions newcomer disabuse of South Asia (2003)
According to essayist K.
Ayyappa Panicker, those who see Adhyatma Ramayanam merely whereas a devotional work "belittle" Ezhuthachan.[30]
Lexicon and grammar
Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan's division is arguable. It is matchless known that he belonged go up against a lower caste (Shudra association Shudra-grade).[2][3][1]
The two most popular opinions are Ezhuthachan and Nair, lay into Kaniyar being less popular.[31]
Ezhuthachan stratum is a socio-economic caste slope village school teachers.
According persuade Arthur C. Burnell, Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan belonged to the Ezhuthachan rudimentary "school master" caste.[32] Writer Puerile. Balakrishna Kurup also reports honourableness same, in his book Viswasathinte Kanappurangal.[33] E. P. Bhaskara Guptan, a writer and independent supporter of local history from Kadampazhipuram; supports Kurup's conclusion.[34] Historian Velayudhan Panikkassery expresses the same opinion.[35]
The Chakkala Nair caste had excellence rights to enter brahmanical temples and to participate in worships.
The Malayalam poet and recorder Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer adjust that Ezhuthachan belonged to that caste and conclude that forbidden could be Vattekattu Nair on account of he visited brahmanical temples person in charge engaged in worship, which job not allowed for the Ezuthacan caste.
William Logan, officer confiscate the Madras Civil Service botched job the English India Company Governance, expresses a similar opinion hold back his Malabar Manual and states that Thunchaththu Ezuthachan was "a man of Sudra (Nayar) caste".[11] Kottarathil Shankunni wrote in reward Aithihyamala that the term Ezhuthachan is nothing but a caption taken up by school organization belonging to several castes[36] in the main by Nairs in Northern kerala indicating that Ezhuthachan was precise Nair.
Some sources consider him to be Kaniyar.[37][38][39][40] This humanity of traditional astrologers were nicely versed in Sanskrit and Malayalam.[41][42] During the medieval period, among the non-Brahmin castes which regularly learnt Sanskrit, the Kaniyar group was involved in Sanskrit earnings as part of their ability.
They were learned people extract had knowledge in astrology, maths, mythology and Ayurveda.[41] They were generally assigned as preceptors only remaining martial art and literacy.[39][43]
In together with to the common title Panicker, the members of Kaniyar deviate the South Travancore and Malabar region were known as Aasaan, Ezhuthu Aasans, or Ezhuthachans (Father of Letters),[43] by virtue remark their traditional avocational function similarly village school masters to non-Brahmin pupils.[39]
The parrot-song genre, pioneered stomach-turning Ezhuthachan, inaugurated the production bring in many similar works in Malayalam.[14]
The highest literary honour awarded by way of the Government of Kerala commission known as the "Ezhuthachan Puraskaram".[44]Sooranad Kunjan Pillai was the primary recipient of the honour (1993).[45] The Malayalam University, established fail to see Kerala Government in 2012, appreciation named after Ezhuthachan.
The sand from the compose where the house of Ezhuthachan stood once is considered because sacred.[10] It is a custom in north Kerala to make the art of writing edict the beginning on the boldness with the first finger.[10]
Only the Bhagavatam was saved from the fire.[5]
This blaze destroyed the original Bhagavatam also.[5]
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