THULASIDHARAN. V. THILLAIAKATHU

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PREFACE

‘Mahamudi’ is the restitution of ‘Mahabali’. ‘Mahamudi’ is a different version of ‘Mahabali’, that is believed by the Saivites in Tamilnadu. According to the legend, it is believed that God Indiran and his subordinates were annoyed on seeing the great ruler Mahabali and his good deeds. As he was exceptionally good and kind, he had a chance to reach heaven. The Gods didn’t want an Asura (Dravidan) King reach heaven. So, they prayed Lord Vishnu and requested him to prevent it. Thus Lord Vishnu reached the court of Mahabali in the disguise of an ascetic and begged for three feet land to stand and pray. King Mahabali wholeheartedly allowed him to take the three feet land from anywhere he liked. But Vamanan, after raising his right leg above his head, said, as one of his feet was on the earth, all the land of Mahabali, he had owned then. As his second foot was upward just above his head, all the sky above the land came to him, he proclaimed. Then he asked Mahabali, as per the promise he had made to him, he should allow Vamana, to put the third foot on his head and get stamped down into the earth. When he was about to perform that, Mahabali requested Vamanan to allow him to pray and meditate in the underground cave, till his death. So, Vamanan decided to send Mahabali to the underworld (underground cave). However, Vamanan agreed to free Mahabali for one day, every year, to visit his people. The celebration of “Onam” festival is nothing but the welcoming ceremony of the people of their great King Mahabali. But when we go beyond this legend, with the help of the acquired knowledge of social history of India, we will definitely come to the conclusion that, it was nothing but the invasion of Aryans over Dravidans.

The visualized drama is available in youtube- ‘Mahamudi the great Part I, II & III’.

Thulasidharan .V Thillaiakathu 3

About the Author

THULASIDHARAN V. THILLAYAKATHU, M.A. B.Ed, PGDTE (CIEFL) teacher in English at CFD Vocational Higher Secondary School, Mathur, Palakkad, resides at Karunechi, Edakkara, Nilambur, Malappuram Dt. Kerala. He has also given shape to the films, ‘Mahamudi the great’ and ‘Parole’.

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MAHAMUDI

A Nandhi (Statue of a Bull) that is placed in front of a Shiva Temple near Kochi, in Kerala, opens its eyes and begins to speak….

Do you know how old I am. I am more than 500 years old. I have been sitting here infront of my Mahadeva for the past 500 years. I can’t keep mum any more. Yes!, time has come to speak out- speak my mind to someone, who has a compassionate ear to hear about the greatest king that our country has ever seen. It was he, who built this temple and placed me here. The ‘Sivalingam’ of this temple was actually brought from ‘Kailasa’. When this land (central part of Kerala, India) was ruled by him, all the people of this land were of one group, one faith and one God. It was no doubt the great Mahamudi who ruled this country in the second half of the 15 th century. Since the land was blessed with peace and prosperity, it was considered to be the heaven on earth. It was during one of the nights of the year 1485, something unexpected happened. A terrible dream disturbed the sleep of Mahamudi. So in the early morning, Mahamudi looked excessively disturbed and disappointed. Let’s go and see what happened then. ACT I

[Mahamudi restlessly walks up and down in his private room, Mahadevi, his wife enters the room. Mahamudi stops and looks at her. Having understood that Mahamudi is troubled with a problem. She goes near him and talks to him]

Mahadevi : My Lord, you have spent more time in Prayer than usual. Moreover your eyes and face echo that your mind is 5

excessively troubled with some painful thoughts, even after the prayer. Will you please allow me to share if your Majesty think that there is no any harm to reveal them to me.

Mahamudi : Yes! My better half you are right. My mind is entangled with a terrible dream that I had had just before dawn. I am trying to recollect all the visions that I had in it and to infer the inevitable meaning out of them. They are actually, no doubt, the advance message that has been sent to me, by the omniscient Mahadeva.

Mahadevi : My Lord, will you please describe what you had in your dream?

Mahamudi : Definitely my beloved Devi. In my dream I found myself to be an ascetic, leaving all the things I loved and had to protect and moving towards the Eastern mountain to pray and meditate. After reaching the top of the Mountain, I turned and looked about. Then I was thunderstruck to see huge walls, barriers and fences everywhere that trapped my innocent people. My children who were unaware of inferiority and superiority complex were helplessly segregated. They began to curse each other and quarrel with one another. When I turned towards them and warned them not to do so, the earth that I was standing upon began to slip and I fell into an underground cave. When I cried out for help, I heard the voice saying, “the time has come”

Mahadevi : Oh! Mahadev! what does it mean my Lord? Tough I am unable to bear and unwilling to hear your words concerning the dream. I can’t be without knowing it. I only pray to omnipotent Mahadeva to give me enough strength to hear all that you have to say to me.

Mahamudi : Yes dear. I also pray the omnipresent Mahadev to give you enough strength not only to hear the words of me, but to face 6

boldly whatever happens in the days to come. Either a civil war or an attack from outside will take place soon. I will be forced to dethrone…..

Mahadevi : Oh! Mahadev! Mahadev… No… No… Please don’t say … please don’t say such terrible things, My lord... Don’t say …

Mahamudi : Devi, what is this? Control yourself. What is destined to happen will definitely happen. No one can check or change it. Mahadev gives power to peep into the future only to those who will submissively accept it. That is how we have come to know what is going to happen. So, we have to accept the reality. Everything is time bound. Don’t you know time and tide will wait for none ?

Mahadevi : Yes, My lord, I know time and tide will wait for none. But I’m a woman... I’m a wife and I’m a mother!...

Mahamudi : And at the same you are the Queen. Queen of this Malanadu Devi, don’t forget it. So whatever we do, we should be a model in everything, to everyone. So, please allow me to continue, dear. Some other thing may take place, that something will make me leave my throne and lead a life of an ascetic. The same thing will divide the people into different groups. They will fight and quarrel with one another. The hatred will fill the whole atmosphere. So, it will continue to stay and get inhaled by generation after generation. The white cat will begin to claim its superiority over other cats forgetting the reality that all the 7

twelve cats including the white one, were given birth by an ugly black cat.

Mahadevi : My Lord. Won’t there be our son Mahaveera to rule the nation? Can’t he demolish all the barriers and set right things?

Mahamudi : He will try. He will try his maximum but he can’t. He can’t even destroy the barrier that he may find in his own family… I saw him in my dream with an eight year old son. A child with a different religious faith, a child more attached to his Gurus than to his father. An unfortunate son, who will be shaped accordingly even from the very time of his being in his mother’s womb. Unfortunately, he will be unaware of his trapping his own father get killed by a lion, on his blindly following the instructions given by his ‘Gurus’.

Mahadevi : Oh! Mahadeva, what sin have I committed to hear such things? That too, from your majesty, My Lord. Why should our Mahadeva punish all of us in this way at the middle of our life span?

Mahamudi : Devi, it is the will of Mahadev. It is the law of the nature. The frog that eats an insect, the snake that swallows the frog, the mangoose that kills the snake, the man that kills and eats the mangoose… they are all created and appointed to do their duties. So, no curse will come to them on doing these. Everything in this world should get transformed to another at the course of time. In the same way every beliefs even if they are on God, should have a change at the course of time. People will 8

appear from nowhere, incidents will occur unexpectedly to cause the change. So, time has come to thrust a change on our beliefs. All we can, and have to do is, patiently waiting for the battle. Fearlessly, bravely, sincerely and wholeheartedly fighting till the end. The result is in the hand of Mahadev. Either victory or victorious death. So, my beloved Devi, don’t give up your mind. Let’s go to the temple of Mahadev and pray. Come on let’s move.

Mahadevi : My lord, I can’t believe this. Will his own son be a cause for the death of our Mahaveera?

Mahamudi : That is what I have guessed out of the dream. Our Mahaveera will have to marry a girl with other religious faith. She and her son will live with our son worshipping their God. Our son will continuously go with our beliefs. Time will make our son get disliked by them for his continuously abusing their God. So I guess, our son will treacherously be killed, when he smashes a cage of a lion unknowingly, on the demand of his own son. But I believe that both his wife and son will be unaware of the treachery.

Mahadevi : Why? Why, My lord such things in our life ?

Mahamudi : If we come to his world. We should die one day. So, death is not a thing to get cursed. It is actually a chariot that takes us to the divine abode of our Mahadeva. That is why the time of death is kept as a secret till the time of its arrival. I have told you everything with the hope that you have the tolerance to face the hard realities of life. Don’t you have that Devi ? 9

Mahadevi : Yes My Lord, now I have understood. I will tolerate everything as you’ve said, My lord.

Mahamudi : Then, let’s go to the temple of Mahadeva and pray. Come on, Devi.

ACT II

Nandhi appears again and says, …. A few months later, one day Mahamudi was talking to his Military General Kannappan, let’s go and see what’s going on? [Mahamudi stands from his throne and moves forward. Kannappan stands on his left]

Mahamudi : So, you are afraid of a saint. In your words a wolf in the sheep’s skin. I am totally confused Kannappa! Was it you, who shouldered the holy stone from kailasa, having given it the holy dip in the Manasarovar, taking it alone from the far away Himalaya, to get founded in our temple of Mahadeva, years ago, trembling with fear like this, on hearing about the arrival of an ascetic?

Kannappan : My lord, I beg your Majesty’s pardon, if my words were found to have any of the vibration of fear. Though the snake is a very small creeping creature, it has deadly poison in it to kill even an elephant. So, is this ascetic. Wherever he goes, he makes the king there crownless. So I request your majesty either to allow me to kill him or not to allow him enter our virgin land. We shouldn’t forget that a stitch in time, saves nine, my Lord. 10

Mahamudi : If Mahadev decides that we should meet him, we can’t avoid that meeting. My mind says that he is inevitable. As death that is inevitable to all the living creatures. If he is capable of making me crownless, he should be allowed to take away my crown. By the way, what techniques he applies to snatch power and keep the power sustained with him?

Kannappan : The technique that he applies is a new one. It is something like fishing in troubled water. Wherever he goes he makes the land his home. He sows poisonous seeds, that grow abruptly everywhere. We, in this land, divide people into groups according to their ability. But we allow them to learn everything. So in this land, a shepherd’s son will become a priest if he learns the art and rules of the priest. That is how, your majesty, I have become the chief of your majesty’s army, though my father is a hunter. But according to their concept, Shepherds should have only shepherds in their family. It should never be changed. It is stamped forever. How cruel it is to stamp label on the coming generations, without considering their taste, attitude and aptitude. So if we fail to check Gurukumana, he will destroy the unity, power and prosperity of our society, by injecting the cancerous segregation.

Mahamudi : How was he handled by the kings of Northern and Eastern regions? Could he succeed?

Kannappan : Gurukumana and his men are actually from extreme north, near around the countries of Raman who is said to have defeated and killed the mighty Ravan and the valiant Vali centuries ago with the help of the conspirators. They even worship Raman and the like- the eminent rulers of the ancient times. They occupied the 11

Chalukians land centuries ago. But they were driven away by Cholas and Pandians from the Northeastern and Eastern lands, when they tried to enter. However they unexpectedly became victorious immediately after crossing the Eastern mountains. All the kings of Northern region have either surrendered their country of them or converted themselves to Islam. Gurukumana and his men claim the land in between the Eastern mountain and the Arabian sea by saying that they are the legal heirs of Guru Parasu, who discovered and released this land from the Arabian sea thousands of years ago. My lord, is there any iota of truth in it ?

Mahamudi : Absurd! Mere stupidity. They are avaricious. Their greed has no limit. Actually it was their greedy ancestors who drove our ancestors from the North to the South thousands of years ago. Now it is their turn. Actually they behave like pythias of ancient Greek. The pythias had begun to behave and assume themselves as the representatives of God then. At the course of time the people of Greek began to fear those pythias and forgot God. Thus the pythias killed the religions that existed there in Greek then. Actually these people must be the pythias of our faith, which is actually next 12

in seniority among the faiths of this world, waiting to get buried. Then, concerning Guru Parasu, he was a great ascetic, he never hesitated to kill even the kings who were unfit to be the rulers because of their simply focusing their attention on earthly pleasures. Moreover he was cordial with all. He never had a cord across his chest to hate others. Three hundred years ago, it was Madvacharya, who had introduced this system of cord across the chest. He used this cord as a token to serve God. Doubtless, he might not have thought that some of his business minded disciples would use the cord to ill-treat and exploit the innocent people and also to get the fovourable correction even in the holy scriptures. All we have to do here is bemoaning our bitter fate. We have no other way, except accepting it as if it were a natural calamity like that of the great flood that had swallowed the harbour Mussiri before a century.

Kannappan : If your majesty know this much about this dangerous people, why don’t your majesty do something to avoid this people as Cholas and Pandians did in their country.

Mahamudi : God hasn’t chosen me to do so. It was Mahadeva who had made the Raja Raja build the big golden temple along with the huge towers four hundred years ago. It was the same Mahadeva who had made all the Cholas and Pandias build hundreds of big Mahadeva temples with huge towers 13

everywhere in their countries. So they are the chosen people for their chosen lands. The chosen lands are not meant for any kind of pollution from other religious faiths. They are supposed to stand like this for another thousand years to prove the world that the people who had lived there thousands of years ago were of superior race. Spiritually superior enough to know all the secrets about the creation of galaxy, Nebula and Supernova from the divine dance of Nataraj. As the western people are helplessly blind to what our great Thirumoolan said, whatever they will discover or invent in the days to come concerning celestial bodies, it will be only a partial view or concept of what our great Thirumoolan had said. But my dear Kannappa, don’t get disappointed. Our land too has hundreds of Mahadeva temples though they don’t have huge towers like that of Cholas and Pandias. Gurukumana’s people will be in need of another thousand years to convert all these temples to theirs. So, let’s face them boldly whatever happens. Little minds are overpowered and defeated by misfortune but great minds rise above it.

Kannapan : As your majesty wishes, My Lord. By the way, I have brought a glad news. Our Mahaveera saved the daughter of 14

an ascetic, from an elephant yesterday. However both fell in love with each other at their first sight. On the way I tried my maximum to dissuade Mahaveera from the thought of marrying that girl. But it was, doubtless a futile attempt. What is to be done in this matter, my Lord?

Mahamudi : If Mahaveera decides to accept that girl as his wife, we should not stand against it. You should go and know all about the girl and her parentage. Actually, I had a dream echoing all the things what we have discussed so far, including the marriage of our Mahaveera, So, I think the time has come to face the hard realities of life. You should train you heart and mind in such a way that each and every second of our life has been calculated and arranged accordingly by the Almighty Mahadeva. So we must abide by the divine decisions of Mahadeva whatever they are.

Kannappan : As your majesty wish, my lord. Let me be permitted to leave your majesty. Long live our great king.

Mahamudi : See you, Kannappa! Blessing of Mahadeva be always with you.

ACT III

Nandhi appears and says, ….. A few more months passed. Many unexpected incidents happened. As a result, Mahamudi had to leave his country and decided to lead the rest of his life as an ascetic in the forest. His wife too accompanied him. Let’s go and see what was going to happen then. 15

[Mahamudi, in the dress of an ascetic, Mahadevi too in a similar dress. Kannappan, Mahaveera and Gangadevi on their left. Gurukumana on their right. Mahamudi bids farewell to all, in the place.]

Mahamudi : Time has come to leave! Leave my beloved people, holyland and my loving and loveable son and his better half. But I am not disappointed. I will spend the rest of my life pray for the safety and well being of my people and country, in the cave, chanting the five letters of Mahadeva. Gurukumana, I have kept my word. Now it is your turn. You should keep your word.

Gurukumana : My Lord, don’t worry. On your return next year, on the same day you will realize the real change that I want to bring to this country. People will assign duty according to their ability. There will be a systematic worshipping in every temples. Not a single animal or a bird will be allowed to get sacrificed. The dirty creatures like beggars and lazy people will be driven out of the temples and its surroundings. Instead, the temples and its surroundings will be used for the study of holy scriptures. Only the children with blessed souls will be permitted to study the holy scriptures. Everything will be done for the smooth movement and the rotation of the holy earth. This land will be blessed by the nature, climate and the five holy matters of the earth. Your majesty is going to pray for the good and prosperity of the people and the country and I am with my disciples going to do practical works for the good and prosperity of the people and country. So, I am sure, with the grace and blessings of 16

perumal, the protector of this world, this land will become God’s own country in the days to come.

Mahamudi : We believe in our Mahadeva, who lives in our souls and who dances both in our heart and in the very movement of all the celestial bodies. We believe in oneness. But you and your people divide this one into two- one human soul and divine soul. Purifying this human soul is the aim of our life, as far as you are concerned. But at the same time, you argue that this process of purifying the soul is easy and possible only to some people who have come out from the forehead of Perumal. These are all confusing things to my people. So, please don’t thrust your beliefs upon our people. Allow them live freely with their beliefs.

Gurukumana : My Lord, you have mistaken us. Our Guru Madvacharya was also a faithful follower of your Guru Sankaracharya. We both talk about a tree. You say that the root and body of the tree are one. We say if the tree has a weak root, it will not support the tree. So, we talk about the need of the fertile land. We also prescribe the ways to strengthen the root and thereby we want to preserve the whole tree.

Mahamudi : When we see unity in diversity, you try to see diversity in unity. At the course of time the diversity will be increased in number. That will destroy the whole tree. Anyhow I smell danger in what you do now. You and your disciples may go in the right direction 17

now, but after two or three centuries, power and luxurious life may poison the mind and heart of your people. So, they may illtreat people and place your Perumal instead of our Mahadeva. They may either correct the holy scriptures or destroy some of them that they don’t like. They may keep the scriptures for themselves and not allow others to read and understand them. Don’t forget to impose strict rules on your disciples concerning ‘the dos and donts’

Gurukumana : I assure your majesty that my people will be the pillars of the society throughout their life. They will never turnout to be the caterpillars of the society. I will give all the necessary guidelines and instructions at the course of time. Let the blessings of the Lord Perumal be upon you and your Devi for this great sacrifice.

Mahamudi : Thank you Gurukumana, my Mahadeva bless you all then. My dear son Mahaveera, you should remember all, what I have told you. You should be impartial to both Gurukumana’s people and our people. Treat your better half in what way I treat your mother. Every year, on the same day, I will come to confirm my people’s well being.

Mahaveera : I am the most unfortunate son in this world, helplessly allowing you to have a treacherously premature dethronement and at the same time half heartedly allowing myself accept my premature enthronement. I have no other way except obeying your commands. But I’m doubtful whether I will be able to find apt solutions to the strange problems that we may face in the days to come. How can I rule people having different faiths, believing in different Gods? 18

Mahamudi : No, my son, don’t get disappointed. Be bold and face the hard realities of the world. Our Mahadeva has given you this duty because of his considering you as the apt person. Moreover our mighty Kannappan will be with you always. Kannappa, you should remember all the things that I have told you. You should assist Mahaveera in what way, you have assisted me.

Kannappan : As you majesty wish, My Lord.

Mahamudi : My dear Ganagadevi, you should remember all that I have told you. Now you are not only the life partner of my son Mahaveera, you are the Queen of this Malanadu. You should not forget this. Whatever you do or say in the future you should consider these two things. We are the followers of Mahadeva, who has given half of his body to his wife. So, we call our life partner as “Betterhalf”. You are actually the “Sakthi”, the real power of our Mahaveera. You should always remember this.

Gangadevi : As your majesty command, My Lord. Since I have brought up with the faith of Perumal, I know my position. Our Devi sits at the feet of Perumal, when he comfortably lies down on the holy snake. So, I will always be a slave to my swami. I will never forget my duty as a wife and as a Queen.

Mahamudi : Don’t say the word ‘Slave’!. You are the ‘better half’ of my son Mahaveera. My Devi accompanies me not as a slave but as the better half of my body, mind and soul. 19

Gangadevi : Yes your majesty. I will always remember, what your majesty have said.

Mahamudi : Who is there ? Is it Ponnappan ? allow him to come forward. Come on, tell, Ponnappa, what is your problem?

Ponnappan : Long live! long live our great king. I pray for the blessing of the almighty on your majesties. As your majesty graciously allowed us to convert to Christian faith, we don’t need to hand over our fertile land on the river banks to Gurukumana’s men. So, we are very happy now. But at the same time we are terribly doubtful whether we will be excommunicated from the rest of the people. We also fear whether our followers will have to live in their land as foreigners in the days to come.

Mahamudi : No! never ! Ponnappa, nothing to be worried. I have allowed Gurukumana to spread his faith with the condition that he shouldn’t interfere in the business of the followers of Islam and Christianity, when they try to spread their faith. However these faiths have already been accepted by many of our people as it happened in the north. Since these two faiths treat all its followers equally, people of other faiths may come to these faiths in the coming centuries. At that time your followers shouldn’t give them the second position. So you should make all your men remember this day. Within a decade people of your faith from the extreme west will arrive and in the following centuries all our people will be in need of learning their language, copying their education system and imitating all ways and means of their life. 20

Ponnappan : Your majesty, one more request. My people should also be allowed to celebrate the function of your majesty’s arrival every year.

Mahamudi : That is the reason why I have decided to visit this land every year on this very day. On my visit I want to see all my people believing in different religious faiths, unanimously assembling and celebrating the function remembering that all their ancestors were of only one group, with one faith and one God, once. So this is the only land allowing everybody living freely with their religious faiths. Whatever language, you use to pray your God, what ever method of worshiping you practice to pray your God, what ever shapes or no shapes, you want to give to your God, it doesn’t matter. If you pray God, if the prayer is sincere, your prayer will be accepted by God. By the only one God. No doubt, there is no one to snatch that prayer. Because he is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. So there won’t be any quarrel in between the people with different religious faiths in the days to come in this holy land on the name of God. Nothing more to say. Mahadevi, come on. Let’s move. My Mahadeva, who is also the God of other religious faiths, will bless you all. [Mahamudi leaves the palace with his wife]

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Nandhi appears and says, …. I have made you see what I saw 500 years ago. Now it is your turn. What will you do? …….. if you can, go and find a compassionate and considerate person like you and tell him the story of this Mahamudi, who loved not only the Keralites, the Indians but the entire human race of the world. Let your friend be familiarized with this great King.

END

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EXPLANATORY NOTES ACT- I

Mahadeva : The chief God of Saivites, Lord siva Eastern mounatain : The western Ghats, the mountains that separate Kerala and Tamilnadu in south India Malanadu : Central part of Kerala, the land ruled by Mahamudi (Mahabali). : Its believed that all the race of the people in The white cat… Kerala were given birth by a ‘parayi’ (Adi superiority…. dravida) lady. She gave birth to twelve children 12 cats …. who later increased their population and were Birth by an ugly developed into twelve castes. Among them, black cat . Brahmins claim their superiority. Then others

began to occupy their places just below Brahmins. Thus unfortunately, the actual caste of the mother is considered as the lowest in the category (see the notes on chalukians land, Madvacharya, business minded… in ACT II some people… forehead of Perumal in ACT III for more details).

Our mahaveera will : A Vaishnavite girl, who considers lord Vishnu as have to marry… her chief God. other religious faith.

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ACT- II

Kailasa : Kailasa, Which is in Tibet, china is considered as the abode of lord siva.

Manasarovar : Manasarovar is a holy lake that is on the way to kailasa.

How was he… : Cholas, whose capital was Tanjore in northern kings of northern and Tamilnadu. eastern regions? Pandias, whose capital was Madurai in the eastern side of Malanadu Gurukumana… : Rama, was the king of Ayodhya. Ravan, the king Countries of Raman… of Lanka (Srilanka), was killed by Rama, with the mighty Ravan and the valiant vali. help of Vibeeshana, brother of Ravan.

Vali, who was killed by Raman with the help of Vali’s brother Sukhrivan. Chalukians land : Chalukians were dominant power in Deccan (Karnataka & Andra pradesh), during 6 th to 8 th century AD and again from 11 th to 12 th century AD. They were defeated by Cholas from south and by Turks and Arabs who established their 24 kingdom in north. The kingdom of chalukians broke up in 1189 AD. So the followers of Mimamsa beliefs who favoured strict ritualism and who lived luxuriously in chalukians land had to move to safe corners. Some travelled towards west and some other towards south. They couldn’t influence the Cholas and Pandias in the south because of their having a powerful cultural, philosophical and religious background. So some of them moved towards west. When they crossed the western ghats, they found the fertile malanadu (Kerala). There were a number of small kingdoms ruled by a number of kings. All of them were not technologically powerful enough like Cholas and Pandias to check the new race from Chalukians land. Since Parasuraman visited the entire India, they fabricated a story saying that Malanadu was discovered and released from Arabian Sea by their great grandfather’s great grandfather, Parasuraman. So they were the legal heirs of Malanadu. They were not there to snatch power but to stay with them, teaching them the rituals that should be accompanied with the prayer at every temples of Malanadu. They convinced that was actually the command of Parasuraman.

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Guru Parasu : Parasuraman was an ascetic with an axe in his hand. It is believed that he released the land (Kerala) from the Arabian sea by throwing his axe into the sea. Greedy Ancestors… : Aryans (Tribes from central Asia) invaded from north to the northern part of India in 7 th century AD. The race south. Thousands influenced the natives (the Dravidians) soon. of years ago. Some of the natives accepted their culture, technologies and philosophies. But some others didn’t want to pollute their culture and philosophy. As a result the majority of the native dravidans had to move towards south. Thus a new kind of social, cultural philosophical and religious ideologies enriched by Aryans began to flourish in North India Pythias : The high priestesses of ancient Greeks in the I st century BC, who could give Appolo’s answers to the common people for their questions concerning political and religious matters. Madvacharya : A viashanavacharya who introduced the triple cord system to those who would dedicate their lives for serving God, in the early 13 th century. They were said to be the children of Vishnu. The children of Vishnu began to consider only their children as the children of Vishnu. Thus a superior race began its tradition. th th Business minded : From 16 century to 19 century the upper class disciples… ill-treat (Brahmins) people in Kerala didn’t allow the and exploit… in the lower class women to hide their breast. The lower holy scriptures

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class people were not even allowed to enter the temple to pray. The four Vedas were translated into Sanskrit in the 14 th century BC. In the same way many ancient scriptures too were translated. Favourable things for the upper class people were cleverly added in to it. Eg: to get the fovour of God one should donate cow, land or gold to Brahmins, the low class people should keep themselves 32 feet away from a Brahmin, if they find a Brahmin on their way. Harbour Mussri : In a Tsunami like natural calamity, Mussri (the harbour in Kerala) was destroyed in 1341 AD. Raja Raja : Raja Raja Cholan of Tanjore of the 12 th century AD. Thirumoolan : A great sage and ascetic, who wrote “Thiru manthiram”. It possesses 3000 poems this contains many saiva siddhantha views in Tamil. In it, he talks about the nature of the divine, and the creation and functioning of the galaxy and stars. He discusses on the four steps of spiritual progress viz karya, Kriya, Yoga and Gnana. The particulars of Asanas (the physical posture), Pranayama (breathing exercise), Prathyahara (withdrawal of senses), Dharana (fixing the mind on the point), Dhyana (meditation), and Samathi (absorption) are also expounded. He had a firm conviction that the practice of yoga would culminate in the realization of the oneness of 27

Atman and Brahman. He calls this method ‘Sivayoga’. Daughter of an ascetic : Gangadevi is the daughter of Gurukumana.

ACT -III

Five letters of Mahadeva : ‘Na ma si va ya ’, are the five letters used to pray and meditate Lord Shiva. I have kept my word… : As per the agreement executed between keep your word Mahamudi and Gurukumana, Mahamudi should leave his throne to his son and daughter-in-law (Gurukumana’s daughter). Mahamudi should go to forest with his wife and lead a life of an ascetic. Gurukumana and his men should not thrust their beliefs on the people of Malanadu. They should be allowed to live freely with their beliefs or to convert themselves to Christianity and Islam. Gurukumana should assist Mahaveera to rule Malanadu. Systematic worshiping : The implementation of rituals in temples. For Eg: Poojas and Deeparadhanas (rituals) four times a day and special poojas on special occasions. : The children of the upper class people (they are Children with blessed souls born in the upper class family because of their being blessed by God, was the argument of the upper class people). Five holy matters of earth: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky Perumal : Lord Vishnu 28

We believe in oneness : Advaita- the soul of the creator and the soul of the human being that he created are one. The five senses are the stumbling blocks. When one controls the five senses and meditate, he can experience the godliness in him. Your people divide… : Dvaita- Jeevatma (human soul) should get trained human soul and to get united with the paramatma (the divine soul). divine soul Some people… : Vaishnavites believe that Lord Vishnu created from the forehead Brahmins from his forehead, Shatriyas (Kings and of perumal Rulers), from his shoulders, Vaisyas (Businessmen) from his stomach, Sutras (Lower class people) from his foot. Thus the upper class people and lower class people were classified and grouped. The forehead is at the top and the foot is at the bottom. Guru Sankaracharya : Sankaracharya was born in the year 788 AD in Kaladi, Kerala. His father Sivaguru was a priest in a Siva temple. His parents who had been childless for many years, prayed at the Vadakkunathan temple, Thrissur, that Sankara was born under the star ‘Thiruvathira’. As a child Sankara showed remarkable scholarship. He mastered in four Vedas by the age of eight. He accepted Sanyasa and left his house to propogate the Advaita philosophy. He advocated monastic life and didn’t say anything about strict ritualism (Mimamsa schools). He was accompanied by Sadananda from Chola territory in South India, who became 29

his first disciple. He began a ‘Digvijaya’ a ‘tour of conquest’ for the propagation of Advaita philosophy by controverting all philosophies opposed to it. He travelled through out India from South India to Kashmir and Nepal. th Correct the holy scriptures : In the second half of the 18 century, majority of or destroy some of them the holy scriptures, historical records, religious that they don’t like. texts of Kerala written on palm leaves were collected and burned by King Marthanda Varma of Travancore. He accepted Vishnavism in 1750 and decided to dedicate his kingdom to Lord Padmanabha (Vishnu). He made the scholars of his court write the new history of Kerala. Every year on the same : Onam festival is celebrated by the people of day…people’s well Kerala to Welcome their great King, Mahabali being from the underworld. Wearing new cloths, having Onam feast, Singing, Dancing and playing games of Onam are the important activities during Onam. ‘All our ancestors were one when Mahabali ruled’, is the essence of the Onam songs and the message to convey to the coming generations.

People having different : Mahamudi allowed his people to accept any faiths, believing in religion that they need, as he knows that there is different Gods only one God to receive all the prayers of all the people. But Mahaveera worries how he can manage people of different religious faiths. Mahadeva who has : By presenting himself as Ardhanareeshwaran Given half of his body (half Shiva and half Parvathy) Lord Shiva, insists to his wife. 30

that all husbands should give half of their mind and body to their wives. Sakthi : Devi Parvathy is said to be the power of Lord Shiva (it is believed that Shiva is space and Sakthi is the force, action or movement in the space).

Faith of Perumal : Beliefs of Vishnavism

Our Devi sits at the : Lord Vishnu lies down on Adiseshan, a holy feet of Perumal snake in Vaikunda. His wife Lakshmi sits at Lord Vishnu’s feet and pray. Vaishnavites believe that wives are slaves to their husbands. They are inferior, not equal to their husbands.

Christian faith : Christianity th We don’t need … : During 16 century many farmers of Kerala, Fertile land… especially on the river banks, converted themselves into Christianity as they didn’t want to Gurukumana’s men handover their fertile lands to Brahmins. When they became Christians and Muslims they didn’t need to bother about the curse of Brahmins or the favour of Hindu Gods for their donating lands to Brahmins. It was how majority of the people of central Kerala became Christians. : The backward communities who converted At that time… themselves later in the second half of 19 th century shouldn’t Give … and first half of 20 th century were not accepted as second position equals by the Orthodox and Roman Catholics, who had converted earlier. The caste system 31

among Hindus might have influenced them. So they began to consider the latter as inferior to them. So they are known as Latin Catholics in Kerala. : Arrival of Vas-co-da-gama, English company men and other Europeans.

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THULASIDHARAN. V. THILLAIAKATHU