Poonthanam

Nambudiri

Poonthanam Nambudiri (1547–1640AD)

was a famous poet and a devotee of
Guruvayurappan, who lived in
Keezhattoor in what is now Malappuram
district, Kerala, India. He is remembered
for his masterpiece, Jnanappana which
means "the song of divine wisdom" in
Malayalam. His other chief poems in
Malayalam are Bhasha Karnamritam and
Kumaraharanam or Santanagopalam
Pana. His other works include
Raghaviyam, Vishnuvilasam and
Sitaraghavam in Sanskrit and
Vishnugeeta and Panchatantram in
modern Malayalam.
 Poonthanam Nambudiri

Statue of Poonthanam Namboothiri,

Guruvayur, Kerala

Personal

Born 1547 CE
Keezhattoor, near
Perinthalamanna in
present-day
Malapuram district,
Kerala

Died 1640 CE
Religion Hinduism

Known for Poet, Vaishnavism

(Krishna)

Many hymns and prayer songs which are

still popular in Kerala have been
attributed to Poonthanam.

Early life
Poonthanam was born in 1547 in the
month of masi on the day of Aswini, at
Keezhattoor, near Perinthalmanna in
Malapuram district, into a Namboodiri
Brahmin family.[1] He married at 20, but
for a long time, they had no children. He
began to propitiate the Lord of Guruvayur
by reciting the ‘[Santhana Gopalam]’ and
a son was born. He called for a
celebration and everybody known was
invited, but the child died an hour before
the Annaprasanam ceremony.[2] Grief-
stricken, Poonthanam sought refuge at
Guruvayur and started praying with the
puranic story of Kumaraharanam. The
heartbroken Poonthanam, it is said, was
consoled by Guruvayurappan himself,
who lay down on his lap, for a moment,
as a child. He considered Lord Krishna as
his son and achieved enlightenment. In
the Jnanappana he writes: "While little
Krishna is dancing in our hearts, do we
need little ones of our own?".
Poonthanam spent the rest of his life
reading the Bhagavatham and singing
the Lord's glories in simple Malayalam.
His magnum opus, the Jnanappana, was
composed during this period.[3] His
house, the Poonthanam Illam is now
under the Guruvayur Devaswom.[4]

Poonthanam and Melpathur

He was a contemporary of Melpathur
Narayana Bhattathiri, another famous
poet from Athavanad. Melpathur, the
author of the Sanskrit work
Narayaneeyam, was a famed scholar who
out of pride refused Poonthanam's
request to read his Jnanappana, a work in
Malayalam.[5] Legend has it that
Guruvayurappan, impressed by
Poonthanam's humility and devotion
preferred his works to those of
Bhattathiri's and once even rebuked
Bhattathiri for ignoring Poonthanam's
Santhanagopala Paana saying he
preferred Poonthanam’s genuine bhakti
to Bhattathiri’s vibhakti.[6]

Works
The chief poems of Poonthanam are
Jnanappana, Bhasha Karnamritam and
Kumaraharanam or Santanagopalam
Pana. Jnanappana (transliteration: 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. Jnanappana has been
transcreated into English by poet cum
writer Dr Gopi Kottoor, the book
"Poonthanam's Hymns - The Fountain Of
God" is published by Writer's Workshop,
Calcutta.[7]

Bhasha Karnamritam is a devotional work

intended to create devotion to Lord
Krishna in the readers. Santanagopalam
Pana 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.

Bhakti
Poonthanam preached Namasmaranam,
or the constant remembrance of the
Lord's name, as the only way to reach
Him. He emphasised the futility of
material existence and advocated
instead service to the Lord through the
Nama japa, or recitation of the names of
the Lord, as the path to moksha. At the
end of each verse of the Jnanappana, the
nama japa of ‘Krishna Krishna Mukunda
Janardhana,’ stresses Poonthanam's
emphasis on nama sankeerthanam.[8]
Jnanappana has been transcreated into
English by poet cum writer Dr Gopi
Kottoor, the book "Poonthanam's Hymns -
The Fountain Of God" is published by
Writer's Workshop, Calcutta.[7]

Over a period of time , Poonthaanam has

acquired the status of most sought after
commentator of the scriptures in
Guruvaayoor Temple. He was also like a
VIP in any of the Forums. In the regular
feast held in the temple, Poonthaanam
was accorded the most prominent seat
meant for the VIP. One day certain other
important dignitary had arrived in the
temple. The authorities concerned asked
Poonthaanam to vacate the main seat
for accommodating the guest.
Hesitatingly, Poonthaanam made way.
However, thereupon happened one more
incorporeal proclamation from the
sanctum sanctorum:" Poonthaanam
need not stay in the temple any more
with unfriendly people as I have decided
to come to your house. I will visit your
house (on such and such date) and stay
there for ever".

Poonthaanam obeyed the divine

command and proceeded to his house.
On the destined day he was seen
extending hospitality to the invisible
guest at his house- apparently the visit by
God. He constructed a temple to install
the lord on the "left" side of the house
and it had come to be known as the left
side temple during his times.This temple
is now known by the name Edathupuram
Poonthanam Sree Krishna temple.The
main deity here is believed to be the
representation of Guruvayurappan. For
those who could not visit Guruvayur
temple due to health or personal reasons
can visit this temple instead.

Death
According to legend, Poonthanam left
this world in his body in 1640. When he
announced his departure for his Lord's
abode, he invited anyone who wanted to
join him, which all the villagers declined.
Ultimately, only a maid who had been
nursing his ailing wife joined him on this
journey.[2][6]

See also
Guruvayurappan
Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri

References
1. I K K Menon (1995). Folk Tales of Kerala
(https://books.google.com/books?id=pCv
2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PT194) . Publications
Division Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting Government of India.
pp. 194–. ISBN 978-81-230-2188-1.

2. "Devotee the Lord loved" (http://www.theh

indu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-frid
ayreview/article3659524.ece) . The
Hindu. 20 July 2012.
3. "Guruvayur Devaswom" (https://web.archi
ve.org/web/20050218034903/http://ww
w.guruvayurdevaswom.org/spoonthanam.
shtml) . www.guruvayurdevaswom.org.
Archived from the original (http://www.gur
uvayurdevaswom.org/spoonthanam.shtm
l) on 18 February 2005.

4. "Steps to develop Poonthanam Illam" (htt

ps://web.archive.org/web/201312302359
59/http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/14/st
ories/2006071404110200.htm) . The
Hindu. 14 July 2006. Archived from the
original (http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/
14/stories/2006071404110200.htm) on
30 December 2013.

5. "Stage for Bhakti" (http://www.thehindu.c

om/arts/theatre/article677733.ece) . The
Hindu. 17 September 2010.
6. "To lovers of Krishna, in Tamil" (http://ww
w.thehindu.com/arts/books/article36574
86.ece) . The Hindu. 19 July 2012.

7. "Transcreating Poonthanam" (https://web.

archive.org/web/20140306093949/http://
www.hindu.com/thehindu/lf/2002/08/27/
stories/2002082701850200.htm) . The
Hindu. Archived from the original (http://w
ww.hindu.com/thehindu/lf/2002/08/27/st
ories/2002082701850200.htm) on 6
March 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2007.

8. "Rendered with devotion" (http://www.the

hindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fri
dayreview/article657658.ece) . 13 March
2009.
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