MELPATHUR NARAYANA BHATTATHIRIPAD - A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

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MELPPATHUR NARAYANA BHATTATHIRIPAD - A BIOGRAPHY

 

Friends,

 

Reading the comments, I received from the valuable group friends including Sri. Chandrasekhra Menon who hails from my own native place, I would like to share with all of you about the famous Narayana Bhattathiripad who wrote the condensed Bhagavatha called "NARAYANEEYAM"

 

Sri. Narayana Bhattathiri was born during the Malayalam Era 735 corresponding to AD.1560, in Melppathur Illam which is in KURUMBATHUR AMSAM of the present Malappuram District, Kerala. Remember, now we are in Malayalam Era 1183. i.e AD 2007. His father's name is Brahmasri. Maathrudaththan . His mothers name is not known but she came from PAYYUR in Thrissur Dt, Kerala. He had one elder brother called Brahmasri. Damodaran and a younger brother by name Mathrudaththan. His education was as per the customs of those times . He learnt Sanskrit, Veda, Tharka, Vyakarana Meemaamsa etc from eminent scholars In good olden days only the eldest in the Namoothiri family will marry (VELI) and others were allowed to have Sambandam from any community.

Hence , Sri. Narayana could not get married to a Namboothiri girl. However, he fell in love with his Guru Achchutha Pisharodi's niece ( sister's daughter ) and had his SAMBANDAM with her. Afterwards he enjoyed the married life for some time. However, when his mentor and Guru. Achutha Pisharody remarked that being born in the superior caste of brahmin , this fellow meaning Bhattathiripad, was wasting his time in search of pure sexual lust and pleasures, transformed him to be a saint almost. He left all his old habits and started a purified life. When his GURU and uncle-in-law, Sri Achchutha Pisharody started suffering from rheumatic problems and even was unable to walk, he prayed to Lord Narayana and took the sufferings of Sri. Pisharody to his body, and thus saw his Guru was relieved of his sufferings. However, he himself became a rheumatic patient. He consulted many native doctors ( VAIDYANS) since during his time English medicines and doctors were not available. He also underwent lot of medications but those were of no avail.

 

He had many learned contemporaries out of whom, I mention here few names such as Sri. RAMANUJAN EZHUTHTHACHCHAN who is the famous author of ADHYATHMA RAMAYANAM – KILIPPAATTU, Kuttancherry Iravi Chaakyaar, and Lord Narayana's favourite BHAKTHA Brahmashri. POONTHAANAM NAMBOOTHIRIPPAD.

 

When Brahmasri. Narayana Bhattaththirippad could not get any relief from the rheumatic pain, he asked his few Brahmin disciples to go to Sri. Ezhuththachchan and ask him whether there was any remedy for his sufferings. Sri. Ezhuththachchan told them to tell Brahmashri. Bhattaththirippad to touch MATSYA and eat. ( In Malayalam " Matsyam thottu kazhikkuka ". Hearing this, the Brahmin disciples were offended as Sri. Ezhuththachchan told the remedy to to touch and eat MATSYA ( Meen ). They came back and said in disgust and pure anguish , since the brahmins are pure vegetarians, the same words which Sri. Ezhuththachchan told, to Brahmashri Narayana Bhattaththirippad adding the word "VASHALAN " in Malayalam language, meaning DIRTY FELLOW. . Hearing this, Bhattathrippad understood the inner meaning contained in it and started BHAJANAM for 100 days at GURUVAYUR TEMPLE during which period he wrote the famous "NARAYANEEYAM" which is a condensed form of Bhagavatham starting from MATSYAAVATHAARAM. Every day he completed one chapter. It is said that on the hundredth day Shri. Bhattaththirippad completed NARAYANEEYAM and he got the Darshan of VENUGOPALA MURTHY, who relieved him of the rheumatic pain All of us know that HE is none other than DHANWANTHARI MURTHY. Thus Brahmashri Bhattaththirippad who took himself the sickness of his Guru got relieved of the same with the blessings of LORD NARAYANA.

 

SHREE NARAAYANEEYAM was completed in the month of Vrischika 28th 762 ( Malayalam Era) , which fell on a Sunday, on the Shubha Nakshathra SWATHY and on the Shubha Thithi KRISHNA DWAADASHI.

 

Shri. Bhattathiripad has written many poems and books in Sanskrit . Apart from that he was a very good scholar and an authority in Sanskrit Grammar. He died after living a long life. I am not giving the exact date, since it is not known properly and accurately.

 

" OM NAMO BHAGAVATHE VAASUDEVAYA "

 

P.R.RADHAKRISHNAN