Author of Narayaneeyam (A Short Sketch)
Lord Sri Krishna handed over the idol of Krishna which he himself had worshipped, to uddavar asking to install the same in a suitable kshetram. Uddavar and Vayu Bhagavan went around the world and decided on the present place in which the present Guruvayoorappan temple stands to be the right place for installation of the divine idol. The place thus derived the name Guru + Vayu + Oor. The idol was aptly named Guruvayoorappan.
Narayana Bhattadri was born in a Namboodri family in aplace near Shoranoor in the year 1560 A.D. His Guru was Achyuta Pisharodi (like Namboodiris). The Guru was suffering from severe arthritis. Narayana Bhattadri took upon himself the disease of his Guru as Guru Dakshina.
Bhattadri was well versed in Mimausam Vyakaran and other sastras. He used to worship Devi and Krishna at home like any other ordinary devotees.
During his period there lived a person of lower caste named Thunjathu Ramanuja Ezhuthachhan who also use do the same. He was also an ordinary person but suddenly by HIS GRACE he started writing the Malayalam works like Srimad Ramayanam Bhagavatam, Mahabharatam. Even today in Kerala in 99:1 of the households only his works are being read / recited. In Kerala, where Ramayanam is read, a plank is placed after putting kollam, a jar of water and pieve of white cloth kept on it, during the month (June – July) declared as Ramayana month.
Bhattadri could not bear the pain and to alleviate the same he approached Ramanuja Ezhuthachhan. Ezhuthachhan advised him to go to Guruvayoor and pray to HIM. Bhattadri went prayed and came back stating that I am not such a great devotee, now what should I do, I am not having Bhagavata Sambandham. Ramanujah thereupon advised him to write about Guruvayoorappan start it by touching FISH. Bhattadri understood that, he shuld start with “Matsya Avatar”. He shifted to Guruvayoor and started his work which is named Narayaneeyam.
Narayaneeyam comprises of 1034 verses in Sanskrit. It is Bhagavata Saram. In a day he would write only 10 verses and therefore took him 100 days to complete this great work. This was started in 1584 and completed in 1587 at a young age of 27.
Bhattadri had an understanding with Guruvayoorappan that unless and until HE nodded in ascent about he wrote / recited, he would not go to the next verse. Thus this work is what GOD himself has approved and that is why the greatness of the work. Vishnu Sahasranamam was recited in front of Sri Krishna by Bhishma lying on the bed of arrows whereas Narayaneeyam got HIS consort.
Another contemporary of Bhattadri was one Poonthanam (author of Gnana Paana) in Manipravalam (Malayalam). He also hailed from Shoranoor. Poonthanam used to visit Guruvayoor on every Ekadasi and he watched Bhattadri writing about Guruvayoorappan. He had also heard about the greatness of this person. On one such occasion, Poonthanam with all humility approached Bhattadri with his work Gnana Paana to go through the same and offer his comments.
Bhattadri in his arrogance would not touch the work of Poonthanam as it was in Malayalam and not in Sanskrit. Poonthanam dejected went back to Shoranoor. Next day when Bhattadri sat down to continue his Narayaneeyam, to his surprise he realized he could not do so. He asked Guruvayoorappan the reason for the same. The Lord replied “You have insulted my devotee yesterday and unless you go ask Poonthanam for his pardon and read his work, you will not be able to continue your work!”
Lord continued “Language is no barrier to Bhakti”. Bhattadri went to Poonthanam’s house and called out to him. Poonthanam in all humility asked Bhattadri the reason for his coming. Bhattadri related what happened and asked for his work to offer his comments. Next day when he started to continue with Narayaneeyam he could easily do so.
Narayaneeyam as stated earlier is a compendium of 1034 verses in which he has detailed the descent of the Lord from Hamsa Avatar, Marichi, Brahma, Devas, Rishis Kapila, Koorma, Avesha Parasuramar as also the Poorna Avatars – Sri Rama and Sri Krishna. The work is set in 24 rittam and can be read as poetry or recited as slokas or can be set to music. There is Sabda Shuddi in this work. It is believed that the Lord gave darshan to Bhattadri as Narasimhan and Venugopalan. The Bala Leela of Sri Krishna infatuated him and his verse starting with “Kesha Pasha” is the most enticing sloka.
While describing Narasimha avatar, he was so much in awe and wonder that after stating “Sthambe Kottayathi” he could not proceed further on this avatar. He proceeded to sing in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan.
During the Vamana avatar, when Brahma, Sun God, Kubera and others had gifted many things necessary for a Brahmachari mother Aditi not knowing what to give, finally gave him a Kanpeenam ( piece of cloth made of red cloth to HIM). During the nirmalya seva even today Shri Guruvayoorappan gives darshan to HIS devotees in this piece of red cloth bereft of all HIS accessories.
When he was dealing with Krishna avatar, Bhattadri asks Guruvayoorappan “Were you not born with Shanku, Chakram and Mahalakshmi on your Vakshasthala on a rainy day at midnight with your blue black complexion?” When you gave darshan to Vasudevan and Devaki with your Sarva alankara was not the jail lighted because of the bright complexion of Mahalakshmi?
It is interesting to note 1st Sloka of the 1st verse and ending sloka ends with a similar phrase as shown below.
After he completed Narayaneeyam, he got cured of his arthritis. He moved between Kozhikode, Ambalapuzha (the famous Sri Krishna Temple) and Kochi. His last days were spent in Mukola Kshetram while at Ambalapuzha that he wrote the work called “Prakriya Sarvam” and while at Kochi he composed the “Sripada Sapthapathi”. These are the only two works he composed after Narayaneeyam.
It is believed that he did not live long. He was only 40 years of age when he attained the lotus feet of the Lord in this Devi Kshetram. He did not enter matrimony.
In Kerala it is a practise to recite Narayaneeyam at a stretch in one day and sometimes the players / devotees get dressed as per the avatar that was being recited.
This year December 13th was declared as “Narayaneeyam Day”. Usually it falls on 13th or 14th of December every year.