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If
there ever was another writer who could be Ezhuthachan's equal in
bhakti, if not poetic power, it was Poonthanam Nambudiri, a contemporary
of Melpathur Bhattatiri and possibly of Ezhuthachan himself. His
chief poems in Malayalam are Bhasha Karnamritam, Kumaraharanam or
Santanagopalam Pana and Jnanappana. The first of these is a devotional
work intended to create Krishna bhakti in the readers. The second
is a touching narrative in very simple and straight-forward language
and fast moving verse. It tells the story of a Brahmin father who
lost all his children and sought the help of the Pandava prince
Arjuna. Arjuna proudly offered to help him preserve his next child
alive, but he was unable to keep his word. The Brahmin abuses Arjuna
to his great anguish and in his wounded pride he decides to commit
suicide by leaping into flames. Krishna out of love for Arjuna,
intervenes at the last moment and takes him to Vaikuntha from where
they recover all the lost children of the Brahmin. Krishna's infinite
love for his devotees is thus the central theme, but the poem also
makes its appeal because of its down-to-earth realism and unmistakable
touch of authenticity.
The divine Poonthanam had the following dream. A beautiful air ship
landed in the courtyard of his house. The messengers of Lord Vishnu
had come to pick up Poonthanam to take him to Vaikuntam. Poonthanam
received them properly. The messengers led Poonthanam to the plane
with due respect. That plane passes through many worlds and reached
Vaikuntam. The messengers guided him throughout and Poonthanam got
out of the plane-He saw many other messengers there who had reached
Vishnu’s abode due to their intense devotion and self-realization
Poonthanam did namaskar to the divine place. As soon as he reached
the entrance two gatekeepers with a humble bow received him. Poonthanam
thought he was unfit to receive that kind of honors from those immortals.
But they said they were two plantain trees growing near the portico
in Poonthanam’s house in their previous birth. They got to
here his Bhagavatham recitation everyday, which elevated them to
the level of immortals. So they respected Poonthanam as their Gurudev.
By this Poonthanam woke up from his dream with exciting memories
of Vaikuntam. When he went to the front yard he saw those two plantain
trees had fallen on the ground.
Narayaneeyam is a famous composition written by Narayana Bhattathiri
who has an ardent lover to Guruvayoorappan. He was suffering from
severe arthritis. He was begging God for remody and started his
composition. By the time he finished Narayaneeyam he was completely
recovered by the grace of God. And he became noted for his devotion.
Around that time, Poonthanam had written Njanappana. He wished Bhattathiri
to correct his writings. Bhattathiri who was a Sanskrit scholar
look down to the scholars of other languages. So he suggested Poonthanam
to get it checked by some other scholars. Poonthanam began very
humble took the suggestion very well and decided to act accordingly.
With in a few days after this incidence Bhattathiri’s arthritis
again started acting up. In his meditation, he heard the Lord Guruvayoorappan
telling him that Poonthanam’s composition with humble devotions
more precious to him. Bhattathiri’s high knowledge with arrogance.
Bhattathiri realize his mistake and sent off for Poonthanam’s
Njanappana –then he understood the magnificence of the poetry
and gave due respect to Poonthanam and his famous composition. He
got well with in a short period
Jnanappana or the Song of Divine Wisdom is a veritable storehouse
of transcendental knowledge, which is firmly rooted in the experiences
of this world. In a language, absolutely free from regionalism and
dialectal influences, unadorned with excessive rhetorical features,
through a series of concrete pictures taken from contemporary life,
the poet is able to drive home his perception of the short lived
nature of the ephemeral aspects of life. His religious meditations
flow uncluttered and unencumbered with irrelevant matter.
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