Narayana Bhattathiri is most famous for his wonderful work nArAyanIyam. It is a condensation of Srimad Bhagavatam. It describes the ten avatAras of Lord Vishnu. It contains 100 parts of 10 verses each with each of the set ending in a prayer to lord Guruvayurappan (Krishna) to remove his disease.
Not many people know that he has written a work in grammar called prakriyAsarvasva – which is also a rearrangement of the work of Panini. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri enjoyed the patronage of Veera Kerala Varma (1601-15), the ruler of Cochin and wrote the Veerakeralaprashasti in his name.
There is a story thus about Bhattathiri and a king (could be Veera Kerala Varma) – पुराणोतिहासश्रवणम् or listening to epics is ordained for kings. On one particular day the king had no one to read out mahAbhArata for him. So he went to a temple in search of somebody who could read devanagari letters, add them up and say in the form of a sloka. It is called kootti vashippadu in malayalam/tamil. He caught hold of someone and asked him to read. This person kept reading and at one point the king heard something which he had not heard before. When asked to read the sloka again, the king was even more confused. He questioned the person about the sloka. The person being none other than Bhattathiri explained, “you asked me to read. The word ‘kootti’ also meaning ‘to add’, I added my own sloka and read”.
भीमसेनागदारुद्धदुर्योधनवरूथिनी।
शिखा खल्वाटकस्येव कर्णमूलमिवागता॥
bhīmasena-gadā-ruddha-duryodhana-varūthinī|
śikhā khalvāṭakasyeva karṇamūlamivāgatā||
The army of duryodhana, being hit by bhIma’s gadA returned to karNa, just like the head of a bald person, for whom the hair is seen only near the ear (karNa).
Showing posts with label mahabharata. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mahabharata. Show all posts
Insights into Mahābhārata - 01
(A new series hoping to bring out lesser known incidents in Mahābhārata)
भीष्मद्रोणकृपाचार्याः राजसेवार्थं दुर्योधनपक्षे युद्धम् अकुरुतेति प्रसिद्धमेवैतत्। तस्मात् कारणात् अभिमन्युहनने एतादृशी घृणारहितता न दर्शयनीया खलु। तच्च धर्मविरुद्धमिति ते ज्ञातवन्त एव। तर्हि कथमेवम् अकुर्वन्निति पर्यालोचने किञ्चिदिव वनपर्वपठनम् आवश्यकम्।
घोषयात्रापर्वणि दुर्योधनः सैन्यैः सह मृगयायै तथा घोषावेक्षणाय च द्वैतवनम् अगच्छत्। गन्धमादनसरसः समीपस्थे वने आवासशिबिराणि स्थापयितुं दुर्योधनः सेनाग्रम् आदिदेश। गन्धर्वाणामिदं वनमिति कारणात् वनद्वारि एव तैः सह युद्धमारभत। गन्धर्वनृपतिः दुर्योधनं बन्धीकरोति स्म। कौरव्याः युधिष्ठिरस्य समीपं गत्वा स्वराजानं मोचयितुं प्रार्थयामासतुः। तेषां कृते अर्जुनः चित्रसेनं पराजित्य दुर्योधनं बन्धात् मोचयामास।
पराजयम् अर्जुनहस्तेन मोचनं च असहमानः सुयोधनः प्रायोपवेशाय उद्युक्तोऽभूत्। प्रायोपवेशात् तं पराङ्मुखीकर्तुं पातलस्थाः दैत्याः दानवाश्च होमं कृत्वा तम् आनाय्य तस्य निश्चयस्य मूढताम् आचक्षुः।
तदलं ते विषादेन भयं तव न विद्यते।
साह्यार्थं च हि ते वीराः संभूता भुवि दानवाः॥ (वनपर्वणि, घोषयात्रापर्वणि, १०)
भीष्मद्रोणकृपादींश्च प्रवेक्ष्यन्ति अपरे असुराः।
यैराविष्टा घृणां त्यक्त्वा योत्स्यन्ते तव वैरिभिः॥ (वनपर्वणि, घोषयात्रापर्वणि, ११)
It is usually said that Bhishma, Drona and Kripa fought on behalf of Duryodhana to show their gratitude to their king. But that does not warrant their inhuman and unscrupulous behavior during Abhimanyu’s killing. A little background study sheds light on their atypical conduct.
When the Pandavas were staying in the forest for 12 years, Duryodhana wanted to see their life, now without prosperity. He undertakes the responsibility of inspecting their cattle stations and includes a hunting expedition to dvaitavana. He decided to camp near lake gandhamādana with beautiful woods surrounding it. As these woods belonged to the Gandharva Chitrasena, there ensued a fight between the soldiers of Duryodhana and Gandharvas. Chitrasena took Duryodhana captive and later released him after being defeated by Arjuna.
Ashamed by the defeat at the hands of Chitrasena and his subsequent liberation by Arjuna, Duryodhana decides to commit suicide. Asuras from the nether world who wanted Duryodhana’s help in defeating devas performed a homa and brought Duryodhana to the nether world. They advise him on the stupidity of suicide. While trying to revert Duryodhana’s mind, they offer their services during war. They inform him that many asuras and rakshasas have been born in the Kshatriyas. They promise him that they would enter the bodies of Bhishma and others, thereby, making them merciless.
(Source: English translation
Sanskrit text Chowkambha Publications)
भीष्मद्रोणकृपाचार्याः राजसेवार्थं दुर्योधनपक्षे युद्धम् अकुरुतेति प्रसिद्धमेवैतत्। तस्मात् कारणात् अभिमन्युहनने एतादृशी घृणारहितता न दर्शयनीया खलु। तच्च धर्मविरुद्धमिति ते ज्ञातवन्त एव। तर्हि कथमेवम् अकुर्वन्निति पर्यालोचने किञ्चिदिव वनपर्वपठनम् आवश्यकम्।
घोषयात्रापर्वणि दुर्योधनः सैन्यैः सह मृगयायै तथा घोषावेक्षणाय च द्वैतवनम् अगच्छत्। गन्धमादनसरसः समीपस्थे वने आवासशिबिराणि स्थापयितुं दुर्योधनः सेनाग्रम् आदिदेश। गन्धर्वाणामिदं वनमिति कारणात् वनद्वारि एव तैः सह युद्धमारभत। गन्धर्वनृपतिः दुर्योधनं बन्धीकरोति स्म। कौरव्याः युधिष्ठिरस्य समीपं गत्वा स्वराजानं मोचयितुं प्रार्थयामासतुः। तेषां कृते अर्जुनः चित्रसेनं पराजित्य दुर्योधनं बन्धात् मोचयामास।
पराजयम् अर्जुनहस्तेन मोचनं च असहमानः सुयोधनः प्रायोपवेशाय उद्युक्तोऽभूत्। प्रायोपवेशात् तं पराङ्मुखीकर्तुं पातलस्थाः दैत्याः दानवाश्च होमं कृत्वा तम् आनाय्य तस्य निश्चयस्य मूढताम् आचक्षुः।
तदलं ते विषादेन भयं तव न विद्यते।
साह्यार्थं च हि ते वीराः संभूता भुवि दानवाः॥ (वनपर्वणि, घोषयात्रापर्वणि, १०)
भीष्मद्रोणकृपादींश्च प्रवेक्ष्यन्ति अपरे असुराः।
यैराविष्टा घृणां त्यक्त्वा योत्स्यन्ते तव वैरिभिः॥ (वनपर्वणि, घोषयात्रापर्वणि, ११)
It is usually said that Bhishma, Drona and Kripa fought on behalf of Duryodhana to show their gratitude to their king. But that does not warrant their inhuman and unscrupulous behavior during Abhimanyu’s killing. A little background study sheds light on their atypical conduct.
When the Pandavas were staying in the forest for 12 years, Duryodhana wanted to see their life, now without prosperity. He undertakes the responsibility of inspecting their cattle stations and includes a hunting expedition to dvaitavana. He decided to camp near lake gandhamādana with beautiful woods surrounding it. As these woods belonged to the Gandharva Chitrasena, there ensued a fight between the soldiers of Duryodhana and Gandharvas. Chitrasena took Duryodhana captive and later released him after being defeated by Arjuna.
Ashamed by the defeat at the hands of Chitrasena and his subsequent liberation by Arjuna, Duryodhana decides to commit suicide. Asuras from the nether world who wanted Duryodhana’s help in defeating devas performed a homa and brought Duryodhana to the nether world. They advise him on the stupidity of suicide. While trying to revert Duryodhana’s mind, they offer their services during war. They inform him that many asuras and rakshasas have been born in the Kshatriyas. They promise him that they would enter the bodies of Bhishma and others, thereby, making them merciless.
(Source: English translation
Sanskrit text Chowkambha Publications)
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