Athiyar Mutt and knowing this he was permitted to
sit inside the classroom. He studied Malayalam, Sanskrit
and Tamil languages from this ‘Asan School’. He supervised
the class and therefore, he came to be known as ‘Chattambi’,
which means ‘monitor’. After his education, he practiced
document writing as a job. He was also served as an
Accountant in the Government Secretariat.He
learnt the art of ‘Hat yoga’ from Thaikkattu Ayyavu, a Tamil
Pandit and hat-yogi. He also learnt Tamil vedic works from
Pandit Swaminatha Desika. He became a disciple of
the famous pandit and scholar Subha Jatapathikal.
He traveled thoughout South India and attained knowledge
in different languages and religions. On return, he
obtained expert training in the art of yoga from Admananda
Swamikal.
Sri
Narayana Guru,Chattambi swamikal &Swami Neelakanta
Theerthapaadar
“Here
I met a remarkable man”, wrote Swami Vivekananda when
he met Chattambi Swamikal at Ernakulam. He made
this remark on hearing the clarifications on ‘Chinmudra’
from Chattambi Swamikal. |
Pracheena
Malayalam, Vedadhikara Niroopanam, Sree chakkra Poojakalpam,
Khristumatha Niroopanam, Jeevakarunya Niroopanam, Adibhasha
etc. were the main works of Swamikal.
Pracheena
Malayalam is a precious research thesis as far as the
Nair community is concerned. Swamikal refutes the fabricated
story that Kerala was a gifted land of Brahmins by Parasurama.
He strongly refutes this story through valid and authoritative
documents and through realistic vision. This book
is the authoritative history of Kerala and that of the Nair
community. He established that Nairs were the leaders
of the people. Kerala was not a gifted land of Brahmins
but Brahmins migrated to Kerala and took possession of the
land and property of Nairs and gradually made them their
dependents. The book also reveals that Nairs were
the early inhabitants and rulers of Kerala and they excelled
themselves in warfare, physical strengthy, weaponry and
cleanliness. The foreign travelers in early times
who visited Kerala made made special mention about the lorships
and war tactics of Nairs. The seventh chapter of Pracheena
Malayalam contains quotations of this type of versions.
The
Vedadhikara Niroopanam proves that Vedas are not
the monopoly of Brahmins, but all Hindus alike can verse
it. He established that even Sudras had the right
to learn Vedas as knowledge is essential to all people like
food and water and that no body has the right to deny them.
These
two writings contributed for the social progress of Kerala
by breaking the supremacy of Brahmins and by doing away
with the
superstitious beliefs and customs in society. It also contributed
much for the social reforms of Sree Narayana Guru.
|
Samadhi
Smarakam at Panmana Ashram
|
Photograph
of Shri Chattambi Swamikal taken just 40 days before his
Samadhi
Sree
Vidhyadhiraja Theerthapada Paramabhattrakasram was established
by Chattambi Swamikal in 1089 (ME) (1914 AD).
Elamkulam
Kunjan Pillai remarked that Sri.Vidhyadhiraja Chattambi
Swamikal was a multi-faced personality. He was a saint
ithout the saffron, a saint who attained divine knowledge
without performing Thapass (lonely prayer in jungle),
a friend of the world who loved all creations alike, great
philosopher who pioneered the social relations without being
a part of it, a famous scholar who had no higher education,
an expert who built up his knowledge out of his experience,
a social reformer who succeeded in establishing cordial
relations between different communities and a learned intellectual
genius of our times.
“Ascetic
and holy man who tried to break the Brahmin hold on the
performance of religious ceremonies. Attacked caste
and associated with Izhavas. Said to have taught yoga
to Sri.Narayana Guru” – thus wrote Robin Jeffri.
