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UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT

SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

THENJIPALAM, CALICUT UNIVERSITY P.O., MALAPPURAM, KERALA - 673 635

III SEMESTER

BA MALAYALAM

COMPLEMENTARY COURSE III/IV SANSKRIT

(2019 ADMISSION)

SKT 4(3) C02 - ºÉÆºEÞòiÉEòÉ´ªÉÉxÉÖ¶ÉÒ±ÉxÉ¨ÉÂ

(SANSKRIT THEATRE AND KERALA CULTURE)

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School of Distance Education

SKT 4(3) C02 SANSKRIT THEATRE AND KERALA CULTURE Page 2

SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION


III SEMESTER

B.A MALAYALAM

COMPLEMENTARY COURSE III/IV SANSKRIT

Prepared by: Dr. K. INDIRA, Assistant Professor on contract in Sanskrit, School of Distance Education, University of Calicut.

UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT

Study material

Scrutinized by: Smt. Sruthi P.A., Assistant Professor, Department of Sanskrit, Sreekrishnapuram V.T. Bhattathirippad College, Mannampatta, Palakkad.




Module I:- Origin, characteristics, technical terms and divisions of sanskrit drama

Module II: - Appreciation of the dramatical works of Kalidasa and introduction to the

other works of Kalidasa

Essential reading Abhijnanasakunthala of Kalidasa Act IV, Chowkhambha Publication, Delhi.

Module III:- Major dramatists and their works –Bhasa, Bhavabhuti and Saktibhadras.

Kerala Sanskrit Theatre - Kutiyattom, Cakyarkuttu and Nangyarkuttu.

Module IV:- Literature - General study of Kerala Sanskrit poets and leader of

Renissance like Kulasekhara, Sankaracharya, Melpathur Narayanabhatta,

Ramapanivada, Sri Narayanaguru, Chattambi Svamikal, K.N. Ezhuthachan, P.C.

Devasya and P.K. Narayanapilla

Module V:- Branches of Sanskrit wisdom

General awareness in major works on Ayurveda

General study of Vastu Sastra



Module I: - Origin, characteristics, technical terms and divisions of sanskrit

drama

The earliest manifestations of a dramatic idea in India are to be found in the

hymns of the Rig Veda. Certain of these hymns Origin. are in the form of dialogues

between various personages of the Vedic pantheon, such as Yama and Yamī, Saramā

and the Paṇis, while the myth of King Purūravas and the nymph Urvaśī is the

foundation for one of the plays of India's greatest dramatist. The lack of accurate data

precludes our knowing much about the origin of the drama in India, but it is probable

that it had its beginning in a combination of these hymns in dramatic form and in the

religious dances, in which certain pantomimic features came to be conventionalized

and stereotyped in later times until we get the classical Sanskrit drama. This theory is

borne out by the fact that in Sanskrit the words for play (nāṭaka) and actor (naṭa) are

from the root naṭ which is the Prākrit form of the Sanskrit nṛt 'to dance.' The native

Hindu account of the origin of the drama was that it came down from heaven as a fully

developed art invented by the divine sage Bharata. This theory, however satisfying to

the Hindu mind, cannot be accepted by modern scholarship, and we are forced to

presuppose a development from the religious to the dramatic, as outlined above, which

is not essentially different from that found in Greece. The earlier stages, which were

connected with religious festivals, and especially with the worship of Kṛṣṇa-Viṣṇu, were

not unlike the early primitive Christian mystery-plays of the Middle Ages in Europe.

Whatever may have been its beginnings, it is certain that the drama flourished in

India, and had a high development. The Character earlier plays as we know them had

considerable freedom of choice of subject and treatment and they can be described, for

the most part, as melodramas or tragi-comedies. Primarily their elements are mixed:

gravity and gaiety, despair and joy, terror and love—all are combined in the same play.

Tragedy, in our sense of the term, there is none, for every drama must have a happy

ending. As, according to the rules, death cannot be represented on the stage, it follows



that one great source of inspiration for European tragedy is entirely eliminated. The

usual subject for dramatic treatment is love, and according to the rank or social

position of the hero and heroine the play is placed in one or another of the ten chief

(rūpaka) or eighteen minor (uparūpaka) divisions of the drama recognized by the

Hindu text-books.

The trials and tribulations of the lovers, relieved by the rather clumsy attempts

at wit of the vidūṣaka, or court jester, the plotting of the viṭa, or parasite, and the

efforts of the rival wives to establish themselves in the favor of their lords and masters,

with the incidents of every day life in the harem and court, constitute the plot of the

play. The laments of the hero to his confidant, the jester, serve to introduce lyrical

stanzas descriptive of the beauties of nature, the wiles and graces of woman, and the

tender passion which fills the hero's heart for some fair maiden or celestial nymph.

According to the Sanskrit treatises on dramatic art the subject of a nāṭaka is to be

taken from some famous legend, and its hero must be high-minded and of noble. For

the technical divisions of a drama and the development of the plot there are carefully

elaborated rules, but of the actual scenic arrangement of a play, the manner of

producing it, and the Technical Divisions and Arrangement of a Play. assignment of

the roles we know comparatively little. Plays seem to have been usually presented at

the spring festival. A drama always opens with a nāndī, or benediction, usually

addressed to Śiva, for the prosperity of the audience, by the sūtradhāra, or director.

This director must have been very accomplished and versatile, for the rules say that

among other things he must know music, technical treatises, dialects, the art of

managing, works on poetry, rhetoric, acting, industrial arts, metre, astronomy,

geography, history, and the genealogies of royal families. He was to have a good

memory, and to be honest, intelligent, dignified, and noble. According to the text-

books he had two associates: the sthāpaka and the pāripārśvika. It is probable that in

the actual practice of the theatre the duties assigned by the treatises to the sthāpaka

were all performed by the sūtradhāra. At the end of the nāndī there is a dialogue

between the manager and some actor complimenting the audience on their critical

ability and ending by introducing one of the characters of the play, after which the

action goes on with regular divisions into acts and scenes. Scenes are marked by the

exit of one person and the entrance of another, as on the Classical and the French

stage, and the stage is never left empty until the end of the act. Between the acts a



connecting scene called viṣkambhaka is often introduced, in which occurrences that

have taken place since the preceding act are explained. The theory of the unity of time,

place, and action, which played so important a part in the Greek drama, appears in

rather a modified form in India. The time of the action is supposed to be the same as

that occupied in the performance, or else to fall within twenty-four hours. But this

rule is not always observed, and we find in the Uttararāmacarita of Bhavabhūti a

lapse of twelve years between the first and second acts. Unity of place is not strictly

observed, and journeys are often made, sometimes even through the air in celestial

cars.

Dṛsyakavya is of two types - Rupaka and Uparupaka or minor Rupaka, where

Rupaka is divided into ten and Uparupaka is divided into eighteen varieties. The ten

Rupakas are – Naṭaka, Prakaraṇa, Bhana, Vyayoga, Samavakara, Dima, Ihamṛga,

Aṅka, Vithi and Prahasana. Uparupakas are Nāṭikā, Troṭaka, Goṣṭhī, Saṭṭaka,

Nāṭyarāsaka, Prasthānaka, Ullāpya, Uparupaka etc.

1. Nāṭaka

The characteristics of Nāṭaka, provided by Sanskrit Dramaturgy are to some

extent rigid. The Vastu or the plot of Nāṭaka should be derived from the traditional or

popular Legend i.e. it must be well known. This plot is an aggregate of all incidents

and episodes. The plot of a drama is of three types- Prakhyāta, Utpādya and Mixed.

Prakhyāta is that where the plot is borrowed from any traditional stories i.e. well

known Legend. The story which is not borrowed from any mythological or historical

source and is the creation of the poet‘s own fancy is Utpādya. Again the plot which is

partially traditional and partially original and at the same time is created by poet‘s

own fancy is called Miśra or Mixed. The plot of Nāṭaka should be Prakhyāta or Khyāta

or popular. The number of acts of Nāṭaka would be five to ten. The Nāṭyaśāstra gives a

brief outline regarding the characteristics of Nāṭaka. Nāṭaka is the most developed

form of drama which narrates some events of the life of a distinguished Prince or

Saintly character. Bharata has classified the hero of a drama into four varieties-

Dhīrodātta, Dhīroddhata, Dhīralalita and Dhīrapraśānta.

2. Prakaraṇa



Prakaraṇa is a type of Rupaka which is distinguished from the Naṭaka or other

Rupakas for its plot and characterization. The plot of a Prakaraṇa should be created by

the poet‘s own capacity or imagination. The Prakaraṇa, like the Naṭaka, consists of five

Sandhis and the number of acts also is similar to that of Naṭaka. Other technicalities

i.e. the five Arthaprakṛties, five stages of action, the different modes of behaviour etc.

follow the pattern of Naṭaka. Yet it has some peculiarities. The Prakaraṇa deals with

narration of the characters of a Brahmana, a Businessman, a Minister, a Purahita or a

Sarthavaha. The hero of a Prakaraṇa would be a Dhirodatta or Dhiraprasanta

character.

3. Samavakara

Samavakara is distinct from other Rupakas for its peculiarities. It deals with

the different objects of deities and demons. The deities include the semi-divine beings

or the super human beings of various classes like the Yakṣas, Kinnaras, Gandharvas

and Vidyadharas. The principal character or the hero of Samavakara would be divine

and this hero would also be well known and gallant (Udatta) type. The number of the

heroes is twelve. Samavakara consists of three acts, three horror, three types of

passion or Sṛṅgara and three types of dejection (sadness). The three types of passion or

Sṛṅgara are Dharmasṛṅgara, Kamasṛṅgara and Arthasṛṅgara.

4. Ihamṛga

Ihamṛga is another variety of Rupaka the plot of which deals with Divine and

Human being. It is of a mixed type which is partly legendary and partly invented by

the poet‘s own fancy. The subject matter follows the acquisition of a divine woman or a

celestial damsel who is captivated by the opponent but is difficult to obtain and the

hero is found to be met with tragic end, yet the actual death of the hero is technically

avoided on the stage. The hero of this type of drama is Uddhata and he may be either

a divine or human character. Ihamṛga contains three types of Sandhis, Garbha and

Vimarṣa are absent here.

5. Dima

Dima is a four-act drama having four junctures. Garbhasandhi is absent in this

type of drama. The plot of Dima is well-known as in case of Nāṭaka. It has sixteen

principal characters possessing Uddhata nature. Most of them are Gods, Rākṣasas,

Yakṣas, Piśācas and other witches. Heroic (Sāttvatī) or Horrific (Ᾱrabhaṭī) are the Vṛttis

which belong to the mode of the behaviour of the characters. Dima contains only six



sentiments and does not admit Erotic and Comic sentiments. Magic, Sorcery etc. are

the important deeds found in the actions of the characters. In this type of drama

Viṣkambhaka and Praveśaka do not get any place though it is important in case of

Nāṭaka.

6. Utsṛṣṭikāṅka

Utsṛṣṭikāṅka is an Rūpaka mainly in pathetic sentiment which depicts a well-

known story of mortal character. Bharata has strictly prohibited the divine character

here and adds the women characters who are found to lament in sorrowful speech. It

contains only one mode of behaviour i.e. Bhāratī Vṛtti while Sāttvatī, Ᾱrabhaṭī and

Kaiśikī are omitted here. Viśwanātha has named it Aṅka.

7. Prahasana

The term Prahasana itself depicts the sense of comedy. It is full of comic

characters and is presented in the costumes, suitable for comic scene. The ruling

sentiment is Hāsya as it arouses laughter in the audience. It is of two types - Śuddha

and Saṃkīrṇa. The characters of Prahasana are Monks, Brāhmanas, Servants, Slaves,

Villains, Courtisans etc. Prahasana contains all the ten sub-divisions of Vīthī. It

follows the pattern of Bhāna in case of behaviour, junctures etc.

8. Bhāṇa

Bhāṇa is a monologue or one-act play, the plot of which is purely created by the

poets own imagination. In this type of Rūpaka the hero speaks for himself and also for

other characters. In Bhāṇa, at the time of presentation of the play on the stage, only

one actor appears on the stage as it is a monologue and addresses to a feigned listener

and also himself acts as the treatment of the addressee. There would be two Sandhis-

Mukhasandhi or opening juncture and Nirvahaṇa or concluding juncture.

9. Vyayoga

Vyayoga is a Rupaka of one-act. It deals with a popular topic as its characters

are also popular or well- known, though it has a little women character. The hero of

this type of drama, according to Bharata, should not be a divine figure, or a king with

saintly character. It contains only three junctures namely the opening, the progression

and the conclusion.

10. Vithi



Vithi is also a one-act play. All the sentiments are introduced in this type of

drama but the principal sentiment should dominate here. It contains Udghatyaka and

Avalagita variety of Induction. Three types i.e. upper, lower and middle characters are

introduced in Vithi category of Rupaka. Vithi has its own thirteen sub-divisions which

are also sub- divisions of Bharati Vṛtti, known as Vithyaṅgas. It contains only two

junctures- opening and conclusion.

11. Aṅka

Aṅka is a Rupaka mainly in pathetic sentiment which depicts a well-known

story of mortal character. Bharata has strictly prohibited the divine character here

and adds the women characters who are found to lament in sorrowful speech. It

contains only one mode of behaviour i.e. Bharati Vṛtti while Sattvati, Ᾱrabhaṭi and

Kaisiki are omitted here. Viswanatha has named it Aṅka.

Module II: - Appreciation of the dramatical works of Kalidasa and introduction

to the other works of Kalidasa

The greatest name in Sanskrit literature is that of Kālidāsa who lived at the

court of Ujjain, probably about the first half of Kālidāsa. The sixth century of our era,

although his date is not settled and the question is still a mooted one. He is the author

of three plays, Abhinjana Śakuntalam, Vikramorvaśī, and Mālavikāgnimitra. The first

two of these compositions reach the highest level attained by the Hindu dramatists

and win for their author a place among the greater poets of the world. Their richness

of fancy and appreciation of nature, added to the beauty of poetic technique and

choice of language, have never been equaled in India, and bear favorable comparison

with the dramas of any nation.

The play of Sakuntala has been known in Europe since its translation by Sir

William Jones in 1789, by which work that great Orientalist really introduced Sanskrit

poetry to the West and started the study of Hindu literature. The play is a naṭaka, or

heroic comedy, of seven acts, and its plot is drawn from the first book of the

Mahabharata. The subject of the drama is the love of King Dusyanta for Sakuntala,

their separation by accident, and their ultimate reunion in the presence of their son

after the lapse of some years. The importance of this play lies not only in the fact that

it is the most perfect Sanskrit drama extant, but also in the fact that its great literary



merit, as was evident from Sir William's translation, aroused a widespread interest in

the literature of India throughout Europe. It was enthusiastically received by the

followers of the Romantic School and exercised a genuine influence upon them.

Jones's English version was soon rendered into other languages, and independent

translations from the original Sanskrit have since been made into almost all the

tongues of Europe, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish,

Swedish, Icelandic, Russian, Polish, Hungarian, and Bohemian.

Kalidasa's other important play is the Vikramorvasiyam. It was first translated

into English into 1827 by Horace Hayman Wilson, a scholar who devoted a great part

of his life to the study of the Sanskrit drama, and whose 'Select Specimens of the

Theatre of the Hindus' is a standard work even to-day. Later investigations have

rendered some of his views antiquated, but his book remained for years the only work

upon the Sanskrit drama as a whole, until the appearance, in 1890, of Sylvain Lévi's

admirable and scholarly treatise, Le Théâtre indien, a work indispensable to students.

The plot of the Vikramorvasiyam is briefly as follows: King Pururavas rescues the

nymph Urvasi, who has been carried away by the demons, and his heroism wins her

love. The lovers become separated by accident, but after various vicissitudes are

reunited in the presence of their son when the latter is about twelve years old.

The third play of Kalidasa, entitled Malavikagnimitra, or 'King Agnimitra's Love

for Malavika,' is a conventional drama of harem intrigue at the court, and is decidedly

inferior to the author's other two plays. So marked is this inferiority that some

scholars have even gone so far as to question its right to bear Kalidasa's name.

Kalidasa is the author of two Mahakavyas, Raghuvamsa ("Dynasty of Raghu")

and Kumarasambhava (Kumara meaning son, and sambhavam meaning possibility of

an event to take place, in this context it means birth. Kumarasambhavam means the

birth of a son (to goddess Parvati and shiva)). Raghuvamsa is an epic poem about the

kings of the Raghu dynasty. Kumarasambhava describes the birth and adolescence of

the goddess Parvati, and her marriage with Lord Shiva.

Kalidasa also wrote two khandakavyas (minor poems): Descriptive:

Ritusamhara describes the six seasons by narrating the experiences of two lovers in

each of the seasons. Kalidasa created his own genre of poetry with Meghaduta (The

Cloud Messenger), the story of a Yaksha trying to send a message to his lover through

a cloud. Kalidasa set this poem to the mandakranta meter, which is known for its



lyrical sweetness. It is one of Kalidasa's most popular poems and numerous

commentaries on the work have been written.

Kalidasa’s Abhinjanasakuntalam - Act IV

During the interval after the last act, Dushyanta has married Sakuntala by the

gandharva form of marriage and has then left for the capital, having promised to send

a suitable guard to take his bride to her rightful home, Dushyanta‘s palace. While

Sakuntala is alone in the hermitage, her thoughts being away with her absent

husband, she fails to offer proper hospitality to the choleric sage, Durvasas, come to

the asrama as a guest. The hot-tempered sage curses her with the words - ― He of

whom thou art thinking, neglecting to recive me properly as a guest- he won‘t

remember you even when remined (of you)‖. One of Sakuntala‘s companions, however,

pleads Sakuntala‘s absentmindedness, and obtains from the sage forgiveness and

concession in so far that, the curse would cease to have effect on the production of

some token of recognition. (this has an important bearing on the plot, as will be seen

later). The two companions say nothing about the curse to anyone; they do not

communicate it even to Sakuntala, as they thought it was not advisable to worry her

with it, and especially as some token of recognition could easily be produced when the

ocaasion needed it. All this is related in an interlude. In the act proper, we learn that

Kanva has come to know of Sakuntala‘s marriage and that he has approved of it. In

the meanwhile the curse has began to operate and Dushyanta has completely

forgotten everything about his forest- bride. But those in the hermitage are not aware

of that; and , as Sakuntala as by this time developed signs of preganancy they are now

preparing to send her to her lawful husband. The whole scene depicting her departure

from the penance-grove wher she had resided so long,and where every plant, creeper

and animal was bound to her ties of affection, is very touchingly portrayed. It contains

also Kanva‘s well-known advice to Sakuntala on the duties of a wife and a daughter-

in-law.

Module III:- Major dramatists and their works – Bhasa, Bhavabhuti and

Saktibhadras



Bhāsa

Bhāsa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit,

predating Kalidasa. His plays had been lost for centuries until the manuscripts were

rediscovered in the early 20th century. Bhāsa had previously only been known from

mentions in other works, like the Kavyamimamsa on poetics from 880–920 AD. In the

Kavyamimamsa, Rajashekhara attributes the play Swapnavasavadattam to Bhāsa. In

the year 1909 the play Swapnavasavadatta was discovered by Pandit Anandalvar of

the Archeological Survey of Mysore, two years later the Mahamahopadhyaya T.

Ganapati Sastri came upon 13 Sanskrit plays that were used in the Koodiyattam

plays. The first discovery yielded ten complete manuscripts (Swapnavasavadatta,

Pratigya Yaugandharayana, Pancharatra, Charudatta, Dootaghatotkacha, Avimaraka,

Balacharita, Madhyamavyayoga, Karnabhara and Urubhanga) and fragments of one.

Later, he found two more: Abhisheka and Pratimanataka. Finally, he found intact

manuscript of Dootavakyamadding up to total thirteen plays believed to be authored

by Bhasa. Unlike other classical plays, none of them mentioned the author, but one

was the Swapnavāsavadatta. Comparing the style of writing and techniques employed

in these plays and based on the knowledge that Swapnavāsavadatta was Bhāsa's

work, all of them were credited to him. Some scholars have disputed Bhāsa's

authorship of all the plays but over the years the plays have generally come to be

ascribed to Bhāsa. The Uru-Bhanga and Karna-bhara are the only known tragic

Sanskrit plays in ancient India. Though branded the villain of the Mahabharata,

Duryodhana is the actual hero in Uru-Bhanga shown repenting his past as he lies

with his thighs crushed awaiting death. His relations with his family are shown with

great pathos. The epic contains no reference to such repentance. The Karna-bhara

ends with the premonitions of the sad end of Karna, another epic character from

Mahabharata. Early plays in India, inspired by Natya Shastra, strictly considered sad

endings inappropriate. The plays are generally short compared to later playwrights

and most of them draw the theme from the Indian epics, Mahabharata and

Ramayana.Though he is firmly on the side of the heroes of the epic, Bhāsa treats their

opponents with great sympathy. He takes a lot of liberties with the story to achieve

this. In the Pratima-nataka, Kaikeyi who is responsible for the tragic events in the

Ramayana is shown as enduring the calumny of all so that a far noble end is achieved.



Plays based on Ramayana Pratima-nataka: The statues Yagna-Phalam: Abhisheka-

natka: The coronation Plays based on Mahabharata, Panch-ratra: The five-nights

Madhyama-vyayoga: The middle one Duta-Ghattotkacha: Ghattotkacha as envoy

Duta-Vakya: The envoy's message Urubhanga: The broken thigh Karnabharam:

Karna's burden Harivamsa or Bala-charita: Hari's dynasty or the tale of Childhood The

Duta-Vakya and Bala-charita are perhaps the only Sanskrit plays by a famous

playwright with Krishna as the central character. His other plays are not epic based.

Avimaraka is a fairy tale, which later became part of a Mani Kaul film, The Cloud Door

(1994). The unfinished Daridra-Charudatta (Charudatta in poverty) tells the story of

the courtesan Vasantasena and is interesting for the same story was developed by

Śhudraka into the more famous Mrichakatika on which 1984 film, Utsav by Girish

Karnad is based. His most famous plays Pratigya Yaugandharayanam (the vow of

Yaugandharayana) and Swapnavāsavadattam (Vasavadatta in the dream) are based on

the legends that had grown around the legendary King Udayana, probably a

contemporary of the Buddha. The first play tells the story of how the king Udayana

married the princess Vasavadatta (his first wife).The second play tells the story of how

the king Udayana, with the help of his loyal minister Yaugandharayana, later married

the princess Padmavati, a daughter of the king of Magadha, and thus made this king

his ally rather than enemy. Though his plays were discovered only in the 20th

century, two of them Uru-Bhanga and Karna-bhara, have become popular due to their

appeal to modern tastes and performed in translation and Sanskrit. Many of Bhasa's

plays are staged in Koodiyattam even now, like parts of Pratijna-Yaugandharayana,

Abhisheka-nataka etc.

Bhavabhuti

The dramatist Bhavabhuti, who lived during the first half of the eighth century,

was a native of Vidarbha, the Province of Bhavabhuti. Berar, in south-central India,

and he wrote under the protection of king Yasovarman of Kanauj. He is the author of

three plays, the Malatimadhava, Mahaviracarita, and Uttararamacarita, which are

distinguished by great poetic beauty and feeling, exquisite verse, polished style, but

little humor or wit (the jester being absent from all), and only moderate dramatic

power. They are, perhaps, dramatic poems rather than dramas. Bhavabhuti's home in

the mountain regions of south-central India doubtless gave him a love of the grand

and titanic aspects of nature instead of the mild and gentle phases described by the



other Hindu authors. His characters have much grace and tenderness and also

possess energy and life. His most popular play is the ten act prakarana, or

melodrama, Malati-madhava, the scene of which is laid in Ujjain. It is the story of the

love of Malati, daughter of a cabinet minister, and Madhava, a young student. This

charming play is often called the Romeo and Juliet of India, but it has a happy ending,

as all Sanskrit plays must have. The whole drama is a succession of contrasted

situations, first of love and then of the weird incantations of the terrible priestess of

Durga, scenes which are used to heighten the dramatic effect as well as to contribute

to the plot. In the fifth act the scene is laid in the field where the bodies of the dead are

burned. The two other plays of Bhavabhuti form a history of the deeds of the hero

Rama, and are based on the epic poem Ramayana. I shall omit a detailed description

of these.

Sakthibhadran

Sakthibhadran was a Classical Sanskrit writer, who lived in ancient Kerala. He

wrote Ascharyachoodamani (Devanagari) the first Sanskrit drama from South India.

He may have been born in Kodumon a village in Adoor, Pathanamthitta, Kerala,

between the 7th and 11th centuries. A popular tradition current in malabar represents

Shaktibhadran as a pupil of Adi Shankaracharya; and if this tradition could be

trusted, Adi Shankaracharya saved 'Ascharyachoodamani' from complete loss by

reciting it from his memory when the work was accidentally burnt. According to

Ascharyachoodamani, he was the first playwright of South India and also wrote the

play named 'Unmadavasavadatta' on popular story of King Vatsaraj.

First Act - In first Act stage-manager give introduction of play. Play start with

Lakshman who made hut for his brother and wife Sita. Surpanakha disguised as a

beautiful woman meet Lakshman and request him to marry her; but Lakshman

refused and went to hut. Rama and sita praise Lakshman for making such a beautiful

hut.

Second Act - Surpanakha requested Rama for marriage but Rama refused and

asked to meet Lakshman so angry Surpanakha in take her real horror form try to

abduct Lakshman but Lakshman cut her ears, nose and breasts.

Third Act - In this Act, sages give magical ring to Rama and chudamani

(hairpin) to Sita. Ravana, A demon-king and brother of Surpanakha take help of

Maricha who take magical form. Ravana disguised as Rama meet Sita; charioteer of



Ravana disguised as Lakshman so Sita went with them. Surpanakha disguised as Sita

meet Rama and Maricha disguised as Rama meet Lakshman.

Fourth act - In this Act, Surpanakha who disguised as Sita meet Rama and

Converse with him but when magical ring of Rama touched Sita; she take his original

form of Surpanakha. Surpanakha tell Rama it's all plan of ravana to abduct Sita.

Ravana who abducted Sita disguised as Rama touch Sita's magical chudamani

(hairpin) and take his real form. Jatayu, a vulture try to help Sita but Ravana kill him.

Fifth Act - Mandodari learns that Ravana arranged vasantotsav (festival of

spring) for Sita but Sita doesn't like this and Ravana treys to convince her but she

refuses. Sixth Act - Hanuman meets Sita in Ashokavana and gives ring of Rama. He

also give message of Rama. Sita give his chudamani as sign to Hanuman.

Seventh Act - Vidyadhara and his wife tell fighting between ravana and Rama.

Rama defeat Ravana. Finally Rama meet sita who wear beautiful ornaments so Rama

makes Sita undergo a trial by fire to prove her chastity. Narada tell secret that

Anasuya give magical ornaments to Sita so she look beautiful. Finally Rama went

Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshman.

Kerala sanskrit theare – Kutiyattam, Cakyarkuttu and Nagyarkuttu Kutiyattam

Koodiyattam, meaning "combined acting" in Malayalam, combinesSanskrit

theatre performance with elements of traditional koothu. It is traditionally performed

in temple theatres known as koothambalams. It is the only surviving art form that

uses drama from ancient Sanskrit theatre. It has a documented history of a thousand

years in Kerala, but its origins are not known. Koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu were

among the dramatized dance worship services in the temples of ancient India,

particularly Kerala. Both koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu originated from the

ancient art form koothu, which is mentioned several times in Sangam literature, and

the epigraphs of the subsequent Pallava, Pandiyan, Chera, and Chola periods.

Inscriptions related to koothu can be seen in temples at Tanjore, Tiruvidaimaruthur,

Vedaranyam, Tiruvarur, and Omampuliyur. They were treated as an integral part of

worship services, alongside the singing of Tevaram and Prabandam hymns.

Koodiyattam Ancient kings are among those listed as authors of works for these

services. There is evidence of these across the ancient subcontinent during the Chola

and Pallava periods. A Pallava king called Rajasimha has been credited with authoring

the play Kailasodharanam in Tamil, which has the topic of Ravana becoming subject



to Siva's anger and being subdued mercilessly for this. It is believed that Kulasekhara

Varman Cheraman Perumal, an ancient king of the Chera dynasty who ruled from

Mahodayapuram (modern Kodungallur), reformed koodiyattam, introducing the local

language for Vidusaka and structuring the presentation of the play into well-defined

units. He himself wrote two plays, Subhadradhananjayam and Tapatisamvarana and

made arrangements for their presentation on stage with the help of a Brahmin friend

called Tolan. These plays are still performed. Apart from these, the plays traditionally

presented include Ascaryacudamani of Saktibhadra, Kalyanasaugandhika of

Nilakantha, Bhagavadajjuka of Bodhayana, Nagananda of Harsa, and many plays

ascribed to Bhasa, including Abhiseka and Pratima. Traditionally, the main musical

instruments used in koodiyattam are the mizhavu, kuzhitalam, edakka, kurumkuzhal,

and sankhu. The mizhavu, the most prominent of these, is a percussion instrument

that is played by a person of the Ambalavas Nambiar caste, accompanied by

Nangyaramma playing the kuzhithalam (a type of cymbal). Traditionally, koodiyattam

has been performed by Chakyars (a subcaste of Kerala Hindus) and by Nangyaramma

(women of the Ambalavasi Nambiar caste). The name "koodiyattam", meaning playing

or performing together, is thought to refer to the presence of multiple actors on stage

who act in rhythm with the beats of the mizhavu drummers. Alternatively, it may also

be a reference to a common practice in Sanskrit drama where a single actor who has

performed solo for several nights is joined by another. He main actor is a Chakyar who

performs the ritualistic koothu and koodiyattam inside the temple or in the

koothambalam.

Cakyarkuttu

Chakyarkoothu is a performance art from Kerala, India. It is primarily a type of

highly refined monologue where the performer narrates episodes from Hindu epics

(such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata) and stories from the Puranas.

Sometimes, however, it is also a traditional equivalent of the modern stand-up comedy

act, incorporating commentary on current socio-political events (and personal

comments directed at the members of the audience). "Koothu" means dance. which is

a misnomer, as facial expressions are emphasized and there is minimal choreography.

It is performed in the Koothambalam; a place inside Hindu temples specifically

designed for performing Kutiyattam and Chakyar Koothu. Ideally, the performance



takes place in conjunction with festivals, presented by members of the Chakyar

community along with the Ambalavasi Nambiars. It is a solo performance, by a

narrator in a distinctive headgear and black moustache with his torso smeared with

sandalwood paste and red dots all over the body. The headgear resembles snake‘s

hood, to symbolise the narration by Anantha, the thousand headed serpent. The

Chakyar narrates the story based on the Sanskrit style of "Champu Prabandha" - a

mixture of prose (gadya) and poetry (shloka). He begins with a prayer to the deity of

the temple. He then goes on to narrate a verse in Sanskrit before explaining it in

Malayalam. The narration uses wit and humor to draw parallels with current events

and local situations. Koothu has traditionally been performed only by the Chakyar

community. Two instruments accompany the performance - a mizhavu and a pair of

ilathalam. This is different from the Nangiar Koothu, which is performed by women

called Nangyarammas who belong to the Nambiar caste, and is a more highly refined

theatre art. Chakyar Koothu was originally performed only in Koothambalams of

Hindu temples. It was Natyacharya- meaning a great teacher and practitioner of

natyam (dramaturgy), a title accorded in his honour- Padma Shri Māni Mādhava

Chākyār, a virtuoso of this art, who took Koothu and Kudiyattam outside the temples

to the common people. He was the first to perform Chakyar Koothu for All India Radio

and Doordarshan. Many consider him to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and

Kutiyattam artist of modern times. The story goes that his guru, Rama Varma

Parikshith Thampuran wrote a Sanskrit champu prabandha called Prahlādacharita

and requested some senior artists to study and perform it, but they found it

impossible to do. It was then young Māni Mādhava Chākyār's turn to try. He agreed

and studied a part of the prabandha overnight and performed it the next day at

Tripunithura, then the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. The incident proved his

mastery of both Sanskrit and the classical art forms. After some months, he performed

the entire Prahlādacharita on the same stage. The late Ammannur Madhava Chakyar

and Painkulam Raman Chakyar were another important 20th century figure in this

art form.

Nagyarkuttu

Nangiar koothu or Nangyar Koothu is an allied traditional art of Kutiyattam, an

age-old Sanskrit drama tradition of India. It is performed traditionally by the women of



the Ambalavasi Nambiar community of Kerala, known as Nangyaramma, but since the

second half of the 20th century it's no longer the case. Nangiarkoothu, an offshoot of

Kutiyattam, is a solo performance with an antiquity of 1500 years. It is the sole

domain of female artistes. The stories for the performance are taken from the text Sree

Krishna Charitam, depicting the life of Lord Krishna. During the performance the

actress presents the long-winded stories of Lord Krishna through hand gestures, facial

expressions, and body movements to the accompaniment of the resonant pot drum

mizhavu.

Module IV:- Literature- General study of Kerala Sanskrit poets and leader of

Renissance like Kulasekhara, Sankaracharya, Melpathur Narayanabhatta,

Ramapanivada, Sri Narayanaguru, Chattambi Svamikal, K.N. Ezhuthachan, P.C.

Devasya and P.K. Narayanapilla

Kulasekhara

Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram are from the royal family in ancientKerala.

Many of the Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuramwere not only greatpatrons of literature;

they were themselves well accomplished scholars whomade original contribution to

Sanskrit literature. Kulasekhara Alvar who maybe considered as the author of the

Mukundamālāand the royal dramatistKulasekhara Varman who may be identified

with the patron of Yamaka poet,Vasudeva are the most outstanding among them.

Kulasekhara Alvar was the son of Dhridavrata, the king of ancient

Kerala.Mukundamālā, a shortdevotional lyric in Sanskrit, is the main work of Alvar.

Inthe text of Mukundamālā, itself the author‘s name is given as the kingKulasekhara.

The language of the poem is quite simple. Owing to the greatpopularity of the poem

there are various recensions of the text, each differentfrom the others in the number of

verses and in their arrangement. The Keralaversion has 31 verses.

The dramatist Kulasekhara Varman was the author of Tapatīsamvarana and

Subhadrādhananjaya. The drama, Tapatīsamvarana describes in six acts the story of

the love between Tapati, daughter of the sun and Samvarana, the king of Hastinapura.

The plot of the drama is taken from Mahābhārata. Subhadrādhananjaya through its

five acts describes the well known story of Arjunas abduction of Subhadra, from

Dvaraka. The dramas of Kulasekharadeserve a prominent place among the classical



dramas in Sanskrit literature. They were very popular in Kerala and are staged even to

this day by the professional actors.

There are many commentaries on the two dramas prevalent in Kerala and

Vyangyavyākhya is most important among them. The author of Tapatīsamvarana

Vyangyavyākhya and Subhadrādhananjaya vyangyavyākhya was a Brahmin

contemporary of Kulasekharavarman. He belonged to Paramesvaramangalam on the

banks of the Periyar. He was a great art critic that attracted the attention of the king.

The king invited him to the palace for writing commenteries and for supervising the

staging of the plays. It was he who popularised these two dramas in Kerala by

introducing humorous verses in Malayalam and Sanskrit mixture, in parody of the

Sanskrit verses. We can identify this commentator with Tolan, the famous court jester

of the king. Tolan is supposed to have written a mahakavya called Mahodaya

pureśacaritam in asimple style, keeping the normal syntax of the language.

Sankaracharya

Sree Sankaracharya (788-820) is considered as one of the greatest scholars in

the world of philosophy. He was the main preceptor of Advaita philosophy in ancient

India. Among the nine philosophical systems of India, the Advaita, one of the

prominent streams of Vedanta, developed and spread beyond other systems all over

India due to the intellectual invincibility of Sankara. He developed the concept of

monism or oneness and explained most of the ancient concepts on the basis of the

system of Advaita. It is noted that all the darsanas in post Sankara period in India are

highly influenced by the views of Advaita philosophy. Sankara travelled across the

Indian subcontinent to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with

other thinkers. He established the importance of monastic life as sanctioned in the

Upanisads and Brahma Sutra, in a time when the Mimamsa School established strict

ritualism and ridiculed monasticism. He is reputed to have founded four mathas

(monasteries), which helped in the historical development, revival and spread of

Advaita vedanta of which he is known as the greatest revivalist.

Life and works of Sankaracharya

The birth place of Sankara is Kalady at the bank of the river Periyar in the

district of Eranakulam. The stories about Sankara describe him as someone who was

attracted to the life of Sanyasa from early childhood. But his mother did not agree with



his vision. According to one of the myths related with Sankara, at the age of eight he

went to a river with his mother to bathe, and where he is caught by a crocodile.

Sankara called out to his mother to give him permission to become a Sanyasin or else

the crocodile will kill him. The mother agrees, Sankara is freed and leaves his home for

education. Then he became the disciple of Govindapada, one of the great scholars of

ancient India.

The Prasthanatraya is considered as the most important collection among his

works. It is the collective name given to the commentaries Upanishads, Bramha Sutra

and Bhagavat Gita, which are accepted as three sources from which the different

schools of Vedanta derived their authority. The commentary of Sankara on the

Brahmasutra of Badarayana is the basic text of his philosophy. Thus Brahmasutra

sankarabhasya is considered as the unavoidable scripture of Advaita School. Ten

major Upanishads are also commented on the basis of Advaita School. They are:

Isavasyopanishad, Kenopanishad, Kathopanisad, Prasnopanishad, Mundakopanishad,

Mandukyopanishad, Taittariyopanishad, Aitareyopanisad, Chandogyopanisad and

Brhadaranyakopanisad. Sankara tries to confirm the infallibility of the philosophy of

Advaita through the explanation of these three bhasyas. He proclaimed the ultimate

reality of the universe is Brahman, the indefinite concept of everything and explained:-

Brahmasatyam jaganmithya - that is Brahma is alone the truth and the empirical

world is illusion. The entire universe is mithya or illusion, derived from the ignorance.

He vehemently opposed the orthodox customs of Vedic culture like yagas and gave

importance to knowledge as the only way of moksha. He rejected the karma tradition

and strictly believed in jnana tradition. That is why he accepted the Veda, especially

the ends of Veda or Upanishads as one of the pramanas of true knowledge.

Sankara's works are the foundations of Advaita Vedanta School. Over 300texts

are attributed to his name, including Bhasya (commentaries), Prakaranagrantha

(original philosophical expositions) and Stotra poetry. However most of these are not

authentic works of Sankara and are likely to be works of his admirers or scholars

whose name was also Sankaracharya.

Melputhur Narayana Bhattathiri

Narayana Bhatta of Melputhur, the well known author ofNārāyanīya, the

Prakriyāsarvasva and the first part of Mānameyodaya, is one of the greatest scholars



that Kerala has produced. He was considered as the great scholar in Sanskrit

literature, grammar, mathematics and Mımamsa darśana. Bhattathri was born in

Melpathur Illam, on the north banks of Bharathapuzha River, close to the holy town of

Thirunavaya, near Tirur. Bhattathiri's father was Mathrudattan, and he studied from

his father as a child. He learned the Vedas from Madhava, Tharka Sastra from

Damodara and Vyakarana from Achyuta Pisharati. He became a scholar by the age of

16. He married Achuta Pisharati's niece and settled at Thrikandiyur. He was one of

the last mathematicians of the Sangamagrama School, which had been founded by

Madhava in Kerala. Paramesvara, Neelakanta Somayaji, Jyeshtadeva, Achyuta

Pisharati, Melputhur Narayana Bhattathiri and Achyuta Panikkar were the main

scholars of this tradition.

Works of Narayana Bhatta Nārāyanīya is the famous work of Narayana Bhatta.

It is a devotional Sanskrit work consisting of 1036 verses. It was written by Bhattathiri

in 1586AD and gives a summary of 18,000 verses of the Bhāgavata Purāna. According

to a myth related to Narayana Bhatta, his guru, Achyutha Pisharati has been affected

by rheumatism. Unable to see his pain, by yogic strength and by way of Gurudaksina,

Bhattathri is said to have taken the disease upon him and relieved his guru. To relieve

Narayana of this disease, Ezhuthachan, Malayalam poet and Sanskrit scholar hinted-

"meen thottu koottuka" (start with the fish). On the face of it, the suggestion would

seem offensive to an orthodox Brahmin, who are strict vegetarians. However,

Bhattathiri, understanding the hidden meaning, decided to present the various

incarnations of Visnu starting with the fish, as narrated in the Bhāgavata Purānain a

series of Daśakas (groups of ten slokas). Upon reaching Guruvayur, he started

composing one daśaka a day in the presence of the Lord. The refrain in last śloka of

every daśaka is a prayer to him to remove his ailments and sufferings. Every day, he

sang 10 ślokas on Sri Guruvayoorappan. Each set of 10 poems ends with a prayer for

early cure. He finished his compositions in100 days.

Prakriyāsarvasva is the most important among the scientific works of Narayana

Bhatta. It is a grammatical work and is an original recast of Panini‘s sutras divided in

to twenty sections, with a lucid commentary explaining all the difficult points.

Mānameyodaya is the important work of Bhattathiri on Purva Mımamsa tradition. It is

noted that the meya portion of Mānameyodaya is written by another Narayana.



Dhātukāvya, Apānīnīyapramānata, Niranunāsikaprabandha, Kotiviraha,

Astamicampu and Subhadrāharana are some of the important works of Narayana

Bhatta.

Ramapanivada

Ramapanivada was a great poet and a scholar of Kerala in 18 AD. A prolific

writer both in Sanskrit and Prakrt, he has to his credit several works of outstanding

merit covering almost all branches of general literature. Some of the scholars strongly

believe that Ramapanivada is another name of Kunchan Nampiar of Kalakkath family.

Rāghavīya, Visnuvilāsa, Sītāraghava, Candrikā Līlāvatī, Madanaketucarita,

Mukuntaśataka, Bhāgavatacampu and Vrttavārttika are the main works of

Ramapanivada.

Sree Narayanaguru

The year 1888 which witnessed the idolatory of Siva of Sri Narayana Guru

(1856-1928) on the despotism of Brahmanas, indicates a new phase of Kerala

renaissance history. The revolutionary activity of Sri Narayana Guru started an

ideological battle against the caste discriminations in the society and the traditional

evil practices prevalent among the Ezhava community. The attempt of idol installation

at Aruvippuram was his debut in the social activities of Kerala. It was the most

important proclamation of human equality and had produced results which eventually

changed the face of the socio-religious-economic-political life of Kerala.

Sree Narayana Guru fought against untouchability, declaring that all castes,

religion and gods are one and same, and the essence of all religions is the same. He

amalgamated the concept of ‗om, cross and crescent‘ into one single symbol, revealing

the unity of all religions. This created a new way of thought and it could banish many

evil customs among the people. He had a vision of a classless society and developed a

full philosophy of the uselessness of caste. The stress that he put on education was

with a view to modernising the lower classes. The feeling of inferiority was washed

away and made them conscious of their dignity as human beings through the

enlightenment ideas of Sree Narayana Guru. The message of Sree Narayana Guru was



not intended for the Keralites alone, but to the whole of humanity. It was universal. He

longed to see human beings united in one caste, one religion and one god for man.

The activities of Sree Narayana Guru encouraged many organizations to fight

against all anti-social evils and caste rigidities prevalent in Kerala in those days.

Moreover, communal organizations in early twentieth century helped to supplement

the activities of social reform leaders in Kerala. The most important organization was

the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP). He was the founder president of

the SNDP Yogam.

Sree Narayana Guru wrote many works including Sanskrit and Malayalam.

Most of them are reveal his philosophy and the vision on social life. Atmopadeśa

śataka is the most important work among his books. Darśana Māla, Advaita Dīpikā,

Brahmavidyā Pancakam, Nirvrti Pancakam and ślokatrayi are other works of Sree

Narayana Guru.

Chattampiswamikal

Sree Vidyadhiraja Parama Bhattaraka Chattampi Swamikal (1853–1924) was

aprominent social reformer in Kerala. His thoughts and work influenced the launching

of many social, religious, literary and political organizations and social movements in

Kerala. Chattampiswamikal was born on 25 August 1853 at Kannammoola, a village

of Trivandrumin southern Travancore. His father was Vasudevan Namputhiri, a

Nambuthiri from Mavelikkara, and his mother was Nangamma, a Nair from

Kannammoola. He was formally named Ayyappan but was called by the pet name of

Kunjan by all. As his parents were not able to provide him formal education, he

learned initial lessons from children of his neighborhood who attended schools.

Knowing his thirst for learning his uncle took him to the traditional school conducted

by Pettayil Raman Pillai Asan, a renowned scholar and writer who taught him without

any fee. It was there thathe earned the name Chattampi on account of his assignment

as the monitor of the class.

Chattampiswamikal denounced the traditional interpretation of religious texts

citing sources from the Vedas. The chief characteristic of Kerala society during

nineteenth century was the deep social stratification based on the caste system. He

vehemently opposed the Brahminic concepts based on the four fold varna system of



social hierarchy and tried to criticize the unwanted customs and worships of the

society. Unreasonable and useless customs had strangled the social body. Both the

Savarnas, especially the Nairs, and the Avarnas were strictly practiced these customs.

Each community then had certain customs and social events of its own observed

almost with religious favour as symbols of their self-esteem and pride, though most of

them were meaningless, unreasonable, and unscientific, not be fitting the modern age

and above all pushing down the lower classes to utter poverty. The society widely

suffered from economic impoverishment arising from wasteful expenditure connected

with the observance of these customs. The customs such as talikettu, tirantukuli,

pulikuti, balikkala etc. were practiced by the people, especially the Nairs. He realized

that all the customs of Nair caste are made for the vested interests of Brahmin

supremacy. He wanted to stop all these practices for the wellbeing of the people. He

proclaimed that every man has the right to learn the sacred texts. The sudras, last

group of the varna system, have the right to learn Vedas and upanisads. He revealed

that the ban on the Vedic education for śudras is mere interpolations of the sacred

scriptures by the Brahminic supremacy.

Vedādhikāranirūpana, Advaitacintāpaddhati and Kristumatanirūpanam are the

important works of Chattampiswamikal. Among them Vedādhikāranirūpana is

considered as most important. The work deals with the interpretation of

apaśūdrādhikarana of Brahmasūtra and the right of sudra to learn the Veda.

Vedādhikāranirūpana has infused strength and inspiration to the subaltern groups to

fight for their rights and spread the ideas that lead the movements for reformation and

renaissance in Kerala.

Dr KN Ezhuthachan

Dr KN Ezhuthachan was born in the village Cherpulassery in Palakkad district,

Kerala. He began his career as school teacher and also worked as a clerk and

stenographer in Bombay for a brief period. Later, he took his Masters degrees in

Sanskrit, Malayalam, and English. In 1953, he joined Madras University as Lecturer

and simultaneously worked for his Ph.D. in the same University. After the completion

his Ph D in Bhāsākautalīyam, Ezhuthachan joined University of Calicut as a Lecturer.

He also served as a Senior Research Officer at Kerala State Institute of Languages,



Research Fellow of Dravidian Linguistics Association and Visiting Professor at

University of Calicut.

He was a prominent writer in Malayalam and Sanskrit. Kathāmālika,

Kathābhūsanam and Kathāmanjusha are the important short stories of Ezhuthachan.

Poems like Kusumopahāram and Pratijna and essays like Ilayum Verum, Katirkkula,

Uzhuta Nilangal, Ezhilampāla, Kiranangal, Dīpamala are other works of Ezhuthachan.

Keralodaya, the great modern Sanskrithistorical kavya, is considered as the

magnum opus of Ezhuthachan. Keralodaya is a beautiful Sanskrit kavya composed in

simple language. It describes the mythology, culture and history of Kerala. It begins

with the myth of the origin of Kerala through the tale of Parasurama and ends with the

description on the day of the origin of the new state Kerala. Keralodaya has 2484

ślokas in its 21 cantos. They are again divided in to five groups called manjaris.

Themanjaripancaka of Keralodaya are: 1.Svapnamanjari, 2.Smrtimanjari,

3.Aitıhyamanjari, 4. Bodhamanjari, 5.Caritramanjari.

PC Devasya

P C Devasya was a well known modern writer of Sanskrit in Kerala. He was

born in a Christian family at Kottayam in 1906. He is the author of Kristubhāgavata

kavya in the world that is fully describes the story and teachings of Jesus Christ. The

life and the teachings of Jesus Christ are beautifully presented through its 33 sargas.

This Sanskrit mahakavya reveals the teachings of Bible through a traditional Indian

genre of literature. The mode of presentation and the simplicity of the language help

the reader to learn the poetical excellence of the author. The Krstubhāgavata contains

over 1600 Sanskrit verses divided into 33 cantos; perhaps corresponding to the

number of years lived by Jesus. Each Sanskrit verse is accompanied by an English

translation. The poem and the translation comprise 434 pages. For composing the

Krstubhagavata, Devasya won several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award

for Sanskritin1980.

P. K. Narayana Pillai

P. K. Narayana Pillai (21 March 1879 – 10 February 1936), better identified as

Sahitya Panchanan P. K. Narayana Pillai, was an Indian literary critic, essayist,



scholar, grammarian and poet of Malayalam language. One of the pioneers of literary

criticism in Malayalam, he wrote more than 25 books which include Panchananante

Vimarssthrayam, a critique of the writings of Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, Cherusseri

Namboothiri and Kunchan Nambiar was one of his major works and the book was

published by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. He also wrote two books on

Malayalam grammar, Leghuvyakaranam and Vyakarana Pravesika. A four-volume

work, Sahitya Panchanante Kruthikal has been published compiling all his major

works.

He was a judge of the High Court of Kerala, a member of the Sree Moolam

Popular Assembly and the founder president of the Samastha Kerala Sahithya

Parishad.

Module V:- Branches of sanskrit wisdom

General awareness inmajor works on Ayurveda

General study of vastu sastra

Ayurveda tradition of Kerala

Ayurveda is considered as one of the great contributions of ancient Indian

culture to the world. Carakasmhitā, Suśrutasamhitā and Astangahrdaya are the

foundations of Indian medicine. Besides these texts, hundreds of works related to

Ayurveda and commentaries on the aforesaid scriptures expanded the knowledge of

Indian medicine. All these treaties on Ayurveda were adopted and developed by the

tradition of Kerala also. Kerala, with its abundant resource of medicinal plants, has a

long history of Ayrveda traditions practiced by healers from all levels of society. The

arrival in Kerala of the canonical Astangahrdaya composed between the 6 and 7

century CE by Vagbhata, a Buddhist from Sind, stimulated the development of a new

dynamic medical culture. Some of the scholars in Ayurveda of Kerala adopted this

work as their source book while continuing to draw on regional folk and physical

medical practices from diverse sources such as poison therapy and Kalarippayatt, the

martial arts of Kerala. The eight fold divisions of Ayurveda, i.e. kayacikitsa,



śalyacikitsa, śalakyacikilsa, kaumarabhrtya, agadatantra, bhutavidya, rasayana and

vajıkarana are also practiced in ancient Kerala.

Between the 13 and the 17 centuries, with generous royal and individual

patronage, a fertile intellectual milieu developed in the Nila valley region in Malabar,

where scholarship and scientific research on medicine, mathematics and astronomy

made significant progress. The Ashtavaidya culture evolved in this environment,

blending the Ayurveda of Ashtāngahridayam with the knowledge and practices of local

healers. Among the healers of Kerala, the Ashtavaidyas represent the scholar

physicians who were masters of the eight branches (Ashtanga) of Ayurveda mentioned

in classical texts. According to tradition, initially eighteen families of Kerala were

designated as Ashtavaidyas. Each family developed its own therapeutic specialties and

its specific methods of transmission. Although many of the specialties were guarded as

family secrets, students outside the family were accepted as disciples. This helped

disseminate their knowledge beyond the family circle and create new lineages of

transmission. They made many commentaries on the foundational texts and wrote

their own medical treaties. Commentaries on the Ashtāngahridayam such as

Hridayabodhikā and Vākyapradīpikā, and compendiums in Malayalam such as Ālattūr

Manipravālam, Cikitsāmanjari, Sahasrayogam and Sindūramanjari are important

among them.

Contribution of P.S. Warrier to Kerala Ayurvedic tradition is remarkable. He

was a great scholar and a physician. His knowledge in medicine embraced both

indigenous and western concepts. He is the founder of the association of Ayurveda

physicians called Aryavaidyasamaja in 1902. The main works of P.S. Warrier on

Ayurveda are: Cikitsāsangraha, Ashtāngaśārīra, Brhacchārīra, Malayalam rendering of

Ashtāngahridayam and Visūcika. PS Warrier is the founder of Aryavaidyacikitsasala

and Aryavaidyasala at Kottakkal.

Vastu shastra

Vāstu śāstra - literally "science of architecture" is a traditional Indian system of

architecture originating in India. Texts from the Indian subcontinent describe

principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement,

and spatial geometry. Vastu Shastras incorporate traditional Hindu and (in some



cases) Buddhist beliefs. The designs aim to integrate architecture with nature, the

relative functions of various parts of the structure, and ancient beliefs utilizing

geometric patterns (yantra), symmetry, and directional alignments. Vastu Shastra are

the textual part of Vastu Vidya - the broader knowledge about architecture and design

theories from ancient India. Vastu Vidya knowledge is a collection of ideas and

concepts, with or without the support of layout diagrams that are not rigid. Rather,

these ideas and concepts are models for the organisation of space and form within a

building or collection of buildings, based on their functions in relation to each other,

their usage and the overall fabric of the Vastu. Ancient Vastu Shastra principles

include those for the design of Mandir (Hindu temples), and the principles for the

design and layout of houses, towns, cities, gardens, roads, water works, shops and

other public areas. The Sanskrit word vāstu means a dwelling or house with a

corresponding plot of land. The vriddhi, vāstu, takes the meaning of "the site or

foundation of a house, site, ground, building or dwelling-place, habitation, homestead,

house". The underlying root is vas "to dwell, live, stay, reside". The term shastra may

loosely be translated as "doctrine, teaching". Vāstu-Śastras (literally, science of

dwelling) are ancient Sanskrit manuals of architecture. These contain Vastu-Vidya

(literally, knowledge of dwelling).

Works on Vāstuvidya

Kerala has had a continuous and rich tradition of architecture, as evidenced by

the volume of literature on this discipline presently available to us, mostly in the form

of manuscripts.

Prayogamanjari

Prayogamanjari written by Ravi is one of the earliest texts on tantra and

architecture in Kerala. Prayogamanjari is also known as śaivāgamasiddhāntasāra. The

text is divided in to 21 patalas on different topics. Some of the patalas are devoted to

the subjects of temple construction. The time of the text is considered as 10 and 11

century AD. Prayogamanjari gives in detail the qualities of the land required for the

construction of temples and the purification methods of the land. The Pradyota, a

detail commentary on Prayogamanjari, of Trivikrama is of great value in

understanding the Prayogamanjari properly.



Mayamata

Mayamata is the first available text that is fully devoted to the Indian

architecture from Kerala. It is assumed that the work could have been produced

between 11and 12 century AD. It contains about 3000 verses in its 36 chapters. It

deals with the various aspect of architecture, including house building, constructions

of villages and cities, planning of palaces, roads and constructions vehicles. Mayamata

is also used as the authority of later works like Iśānaśivagurudevapaddhati. Most of

the later works related to architecture and tantra are widely influenced by Mayamata.

Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati

Īśanaśivagurudevapaddhati or tantrapaddhati is a great work dealing with the

aspects of tantra and architecture. The work consists of nearly 18000 verses in

various meters and distributed in to 119 patalas. There are mainly four parts of this

work Samanyapada, mantrapada, kriyapada and yogapada. Most of the patalas in

kriyapada, deal with the construction of temple and idols. The patalas 23 to43 are

fully devoted to architecture. Selection of the land, preparation of the land, location of

the temple, vastupuja, classifications of temples and houses and the matters related to

the idols are explained through the patalas.

Tantrasamuccaya

The author of Tantrasamuccaya is Narayana (1428) of Cennas family.

Tantrasamuccaya, elaborated treaties in twelve patalas, is a standard work on temple

architecture and worship, widely popular in Kerala. Tantrasamuccaya deals with the

rituals connected with seven deities i.e. Vishnu, siva, sankaranarayana, Durga,

Subrahmanya, Ganapati and sasta. The first patala contains the selection of the land

for the construction of the temple, vastubali, nidhikalaśa, laying of the bricks and the

selection of materials. The second patala of Tantrasamuccaya deals with the types and

measurements of temples and idols. Third patala contains the purification and fertility

of the land and preparation of idols. The sixth patala of Tantrasamuccaya gives the

information about the construction of the installation of mahabalipıtha and the flag

stem of the temple.

Devālayacandrikā



The authorship of Devālayacandrikā is also ascribed to Narayana (1428) of

Cennas family. As its name indicates, the subject matter of the text is the construction

of buildings for the gods. The work should be assigned to Narayana of Cennas family

on the basis of the evidences available in the detailed Malayalam commentary on the

text. The text deals with the selection of good site for temple, the details about the

outer wall, pillars, sanctum sanctorum, drain doorways, decorations of walls, roofing

and rooming.

Manushyālayacandrikā

Manushȳalayacandrikā is a famous work of Neelakantha of Tirumangala on

Indian architecture from Kerala. Most of the works dealing with tantra and

architecture focus on the construction of temples and idols. Manushȳalayacandrikā of

Neelakantha is fully devoted to the construction of dwelling buildings for the men. All

the matters related to the construction of the houses can be seen in the work. The

work is used as a reference manual by traditional carpenters in Kerala. The text is

divided in to seven chapters and each chapter contains twenty to fifty verses in

different meters. Manushȳalayacandrikā deals with the boundaries of a compound,

the site for house, the length and breadth of a house, types of halls, the courtyard, the

pillars, rafters, the underground rooms, cowsheds , bathrooms, the kitchen and guest

rooms.

Śilparatna

Śilparatna of Sree Kumara is an important work on śilpaśāstra and

architecture. The text contains two parts, the pūrvabhāga with 46 and 35 chapters

respectively. The first part deals with the constructions of houses villages and towns.

Iconography and allied subjects are explained in the second part of the work. The text

is considered as the authentic work on iconography in Kerala. Taikkāttubhāsa, the

manipravālam version of Śilparatna, was also familiar among the traditional

carpenters in Kerala.

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