Sriman Narayaneeyam - An Introduction
SRIMAN NARAYANEEYAM -
INTRODUCTION
|| Peethambaram Karavirajitha Shankha Chakra
Koumodhaki Sarasijam Karuna Samudram
Radha Sahayam Athi Sundara Mandahasam
Vathalayesham Anisham Hrudhi Bhavayami ||
The Narayaneeyam, a great Sanskrit epic, is a brilliant condensation of the great epic Srimad Bhagavatam composed by Sage Vyasa in to 1034 shlokas (stanzas). Some versions of Narayaneeyam have 1036 shlokas where in the 45th Dasakam has 12 slokas instead of 10 shlokas.
In Bhagavatam, the speaker is Sree Suka Brahmarishi and the listener is Emperor Pareekshith. However in Narayaneeyam, the poet Sri Narayana Bhattathiri himself is the speaker and Listener is Sree Guruvayoorappan himself. Every Dasakam sung by Bhattathiri was approved by Lord himself which is the speciality of this epic.
Narayaneeyam is divided into 100 Dasakams, most of which comprise ten shlokas (verses) each - with a few of them running into 11, 12 or 13 verses; the maximum number being 15 verses in Dasakam 4, and a solitary Dasakam (Dasakam 65) comprising 9 verses. The final verse of every Dasakam concludes with an invocation to the Lord of Guruvayoor to cure him of all his illnesses and protect him from all afflictions and sorrows.
The ‘Parayana' of Narayaneeyam is believed to possess the wonderful power of healing afflictions, both mental and physical, of the devotees. The personal experiences of the poet himself have proved this beyond doubt. Chanting of the hymn Narayaneeyam regularly would surely give the devotee to attain ayur, arogya, sowkyam.
Sri Narayana Bhattathiri
Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was born circa 1560 A.D. in a Namboothiri brahmin family of Kerala, at a place near thinrunavayi temple on the banks of river Bharatapuzha. His father taught him the Mimamsa and the various Sastras. He mastered the ancient Hindu scriptures, Vedas, Vedangas, etc and studied Mimamsa, Vyakarana (grammar), Tarka (logic), and other subjects, all by the age of sixteen years. He married at the age of 18-20, the niece of Achyuta Pisharadi, a celebrated grammarian.
With Achyuta Pisharadi as his Guru, Sri Narayana Bhattathiri learnt sanskrit grammar and mastered it. Later Achyuta Pisharadi fell a victim to a severe attack of paralysis and suffered unbearable pain. Bhattathiri, the devoted disciple could not tolerate suffering of his Guru. He, therefore, fervently prayed that the disease may be transferred to him. Pisharadi recovered from paralysis but now the disease crippled Bhattathiri. The famous Malayalam poet and linguist Tunchath Ezhuthachan advised him to do "Bhajanam" in the temple of Guruvayoor and advised him to ''start with the fish" as a sure cure for paralysis.
Bhattathiri went to Guruvayur with help of his younger brother, Mathrudatta. He wrote "Narayaneeyam" describing the Avatars of Vishnu starting with "fish", i.e. Matsya Avatar. His Sankalpam was to write in brief the entire Vyasa’s Srimad Bhagavatam which contained 18000 slokas. As a scholar in Rig Veda, he wrote his poetry with different chandas/swara / meters and with each block containing 10 slokas in general. As per his sankalpam in first 36 dasakams he covered the first IXth chapters of the Srimad Bhagavatam. From 37 onwards up to 90 Dasakams he covered the Dasama Skandam (Krishna Avatara Katha). From the 91 to 97 Dasakams, he covered XIth Skandam of Srimad Bhagawatham which contain Uddava Tatwa Upadesa, Jnana/Bhakti/Karma Yogas/Vaishnava Mahatwam/ Brahmopasanam.
Bhattathiri completed condensed version of the Srimad Bhagavatam in 100 days in 1034 slokas. Each Dasaka ended with a prayer to the Lord of Guruvayoor to cure him of his illness. At the end of 99th Dasakam, Bhattathiri was cured of his illness and had a vision of the Lord in the form of Venugopala as he started the 100th Dasakam. Bhattathiri chanted the last 10 slokas glorifying Lord's each and every part of body from head to toe and hence called KESHADI PADA VARNANAM.
He named this as Narayaneeyam as it was written by him and second as it is about the Lord Narayana. He completed it on the 27th day of Vrichikam month/Karthika Masa, at the age of 27 years in the year 1587. He lived up to 106 years creating many compositions of poetry, essays and books on philosophy and Sanskrit grammar. Bhattathiri, as directed by Lord Guruvayoorappan himself, went to Mukkola Bhagavathi temple and while praying, he attained Mukti.
With Achyuta Pisharadi as his Guru, Sri Narayana Bhattathiri learnt sanskrit grammar and mastered it. Later Achyuta Pisharadi fell a victim to a severe attack of paralysis and suffered unbearable pain. Bhattathiri, the devoted disciple could not tolerate suffering of his Guru. He, therefore, fervently prayed that the disease may be transferred to him. Pisharadi recovered from paralysis but now the disease crippled Bhattathiri. The famous Malayalam poet and linguist Tunchath Ezhuthachan advised him to do "Bhajanam" in the temple of Guruvayoor and advised him to ''start with the fish" as a sure cure for paralysis.
Bhattathiri went to Guruvayur with help of his younger brother, Mathrudatta. He wrote "Narayaneeyam" describing the Avatars of Vishnu starting with "fish", i.e. Matsya Avatar. His Sankalpam was to write in brief the entire Vyasa’s Srimad Bhagavatam which contained 18000 slokas. As a scholar in Rig Veda, he wrote his poetry with different chandas/swara / meters and with each block containing 10 slokas in general. As per his sankalpam in first 36 dasakams he covered the first IXth chapters of the Srimad Bhagavatam. From 37 onwards up to 90 Dasakams he covered the Dasama Skandam (Krishna Avatara Katha). From the 91 to 97 Dasakams, he covered XIth Skandam of Srimad Bhagawatham which contain Uddava Tatwa Upadesa, Jnana/Bhakti/Karma Yogas/Vaishnava Mahatwam/ Brahmopasanam.
Bhattathiri completed condensed version of the Srimad Bhagavatam in 100 days in 1034 slokas. Each Dasaka ended with a prayer to the Lord of Guruvayoor to cure him of his illness. At the end of 99th Dasakam, Bhattathiri was cured of his illness and had a vision of the Lord in the form of Venugopala as he started the 100th Dasakam. Bhattathiri chanted the last 10 slokas glorifying Lord's each and every part of body from head to toe and hence called KESHADI PADA VARNANAM.
He named this as Narayaneeyam as it was written by him and second as it is about the Lord Narayana. He completed it on the 27th day of Vrichikam month/Karthika Masa, at the age of 27 years in the year 1587. He lived up to 106 years creating many compositions of poetry, essays and books on philosophy and Sanskrit grammar. Bhattathiri, as directed by Lord Guruvayoorappan himself, went to Mukkola Bhagavathi temple and while praying, he attained Mukti.
Superb introduction
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