The Narayaneeyam is a devotional Sanskrit work, in the form of a poetical hymn, consisting of 1034 verses (called 'slokas' in Sanskrit). It was written by Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri and gives a summary of 14,000 verses of the Bhagavata Puranam. Narayaneeyam was written during the year AD 1586. Melputhur Narayana Bhattathiri was born about the year 1560 in a village near the temple of Tirunavaya in Kerala. He composed the Narayaneeyam at the age of 27.
Other monumental works by Bhattathiri include a treatise on Sanskrit Grammar, entitled Prakriyasarvasva, a work similar to the Siddhanta Kaumudi, but written earlier. It is said that Bhattoji Wichita, the author of the Siddhanta Kaumudi, on hearing about Bhattathiri, set out for Kerala to meet him, but had to return disappointed on hearing on the way that Bhattathiri had died.
Bhattathiri composed many other devotional hymns, as well as a work on Purva-Mimamsa entitled Manameyodaya, and panegyrics in praise of his royal patrons. It is believed that he lived till the age of 105.
Guruvayoor Temple Mahatmyam
The most prominent legend regarding the temple's deity relates to Guru Brihaspathi and Vayu, the Wind God. At the start of the Kali Yuga, Brihaspathi found a floating deity of Lord Krishna. He and Vayu installed the deity in this temple to help mankind in this Yuga. This legend forms the basis for the names of both the statuette Guruvayurappan and the town. It is believed that this idol which is now in Guruvayur was used by Lord Krishna in Dwapara Yuga. In addition, Guruvayur temple is famous for two renowned classical literary works: Narayaneeyam by Melpathoor Narayana Bhattathiri and Jnanappana by Poonthanam, both (late) authors being ardent devotees of Guruvayurappan. While Narayaneeyam is a brisk walk through of the Dasaavatharam (10 incarnations of Maha Vishnu) in Sanskrit Jnanappana is in native Malayalam observing the naked truths of life and preaching the do's and don’ts. However, he is most famous for his masterpiece, Narayaneeyam, a devotional composition in praise of Guruvayoorappan (Sri Krishna) that is still sung at the temple of Guruvayoor.
Guruvayurappan also often written Guruvayoorappan is a form of Vishnu worshipped and held in reverence by Hindus predominantly in South India. This is located in the town of Guruvayur, Kerala, India.
• The word Guruvayurappan, meaning Lord of Guruvayur, comes from the words Guru referring to Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devas, the God of Wind and Appan , meaning father or Lord in Malayalam. Since Guru and Vayu installed Krishna's statue, the name Guruvayurappan was given to the deity.
• It is believed that the idol of Guruvayurappan was worshipped by Vasudeva, father of Krishna, and represents the full manifestation of Vishnu. The idol is made of a stone called "Patala Anjanam" or black bismuth and is in the standing pose with 4 arms carrying the shanku (conch), the chakra (discus), the gada (mace) and padma (lotus). Guruvayur is also hailed as "Bhuloka Sri Vaikuntham" meaning Heaven in Earth, where the deity reveals himself to his devotees in the same majestic form in which he welcomes them in Vaikuntha, his celestial abode.
Birth and Education
Sri Bhattathiri was a Namboodiri Brahmin from Melpathur, on the north banks of Bharathapuzha River, close to a holy town called Thirunavaya famed as the theatre of the Mamankam or Mahamakam festival. Bhattathiri's father was Mathrudattar, a pandit himself. Bhattathiri studied from his father as a child. Learning Rig Veda (adhyayanam) from Madhava, Tharka sastra (science of arguments in Sanskrit) from Damodara, Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar) from Achyuta Pisharati he became a pandit by the age of 16. He married Achuta Pisharati's niece and settled in Thrikandiyur.
Origin of Narayaneeyam
• Bhattathiri's Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar) Guru, Achyuta Pisharati, was struck with paralysis. Unable to see his pain, by yogic strength and by way of Gurdakshina, Bhattathiri is said to have taken the disease upon himself and relieved his guru. To relieve Narayana of this disease, Ezhuthachan, a 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 Lord Vishnu starting with the fish, as narrated in the Bhagavata Purana in a series of Dasakas (Groups of ten slokas). Upon reaching Guruvayur, he started composing one dasaka a day in the presence of the Lord. The refrain in last sloka of every dasaka is a prayer to him to remove his ailments and sufferings.
• Every day, he sang 10 slokas on Sri Guruvayoorappan. Each set of 10 poems ends with a prayer for early cure. In 100 days he finished his compositions. On 27 November, 1587 when he finished the last dasakam ("Ayuraarogya Sowkyam") he was cured. The 100th canto composed on that day gives a graphic description of this form of the Lord from the head to the foot. On that day he had a vision of the Lord in the form of Venugopalan. He was 27 then. He was a propounder of Purva Mimamsa, Uttara Mimamsa and Vyakarana
There are several literary works extolling the glory of the Lord of Guruvayur. The Narayaneeyam is considered the greatest of all such works, creating a Guruvayur in the hearts of everyone who reads or listens to it. The author of this great work is Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, one of the foremost Sanskrit poets and savants of Kerala. Bhattathiri's guru and mentor was Achyuta Pisharati. When Pisharati was stricken with rheumatism, Bhattathiri took the disease into himself, thus curing his guru. The disease was incurable, and Ezhuthachan instructed Bhattathiri to become a devotee of Guruvayoorappan. Bhattathiri did so, sitting before the Lord and composing and reciting 1034 slokas in the praise of the Lord. The slokas are divided into 100 dasakas (sets of 10 verses).
• Each dasaka ends with a prayer to the Lord of Guruvayur for relief of his disease. Legend has it that the Lord signified his approval and acceptance of the poem by providing inspiration to the poet whenever he was at a loss for words. While dealing with the Lord's incarnation as Narasimha, the poet could not visualize his form. There upon the Lord himself took form as Narasimha, springing out of a pillar. The Lord himself enacted Krishna dancing on the Kaliya, and the Kaliya mardhanam slokas in the Narayaneeyam are set to the same tempo as Sri Krishna's dance. According to Bhagavatham, Sri Krishna, as a child, broke a pot with a grinding stone whereas Bhattathiri wrote that Sri Krishna had broken it with a churning stick. While he was grieving that he got it wrong, the Lord himself said that he had broken the pot both with the churning stick and the grinding stone. Narayaneeyam contains the essence of Bhagavata. Its aim is the cure of ills of the present incarnation or life cycle, its ultimate aim is Moksha or liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. In the last dasaka, "Agre pashyami" (HIM I SEE BEFORE ME), the poet has given an inspired and inspiring vision of Srikrishna as Venugopal given to him by the Lord. This was on one Ekadesi day
Om Sri Gurubyo Nama:
Dear All,
Sri Ramanavami is one of the auspicious days of Lord Sri Rama. I wish all of you and your family to avail HIS blessings. Narayaneeyam is one of our precious and precise form of Bagavatha Puranam. All of you may aware that the Maha Puranam itself is Lord Guruvayoorappan. !!!
Good Luck & Best Wishes,
Uma Subu & C.S.Karthik.
Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara
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