Kantaloor Sala Paper presented at National history conference DHANUVACHAPURAM NSS college Thiruvanathapuram 3/3/2023
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National Seminar On
KNOWLEDGE DISCOURSE
IN ANCIENT KERALA
The Role of Kāntaloor Sāla in
Popularisation of Indian Knowledge Systems
Organised Jointly by
KĀNTALOOR SĀLA
INSTITUTE OF HIGHER LEARNING &
RESEARCH IN ANCIENT INDIAN WISDOM
Thriruvananthapuram
&
PG DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
VTM NSS COLLEGE
DHANUVACHAPURAM
On Friday 3rd March 2023 at 11:00 am
At PG DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
VTM NSS COLLEGE
Thiruvananthapuram
SESSION 2 ; 11:00 -13:00 am
KĀNTALOOR S̄ALA AND
INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM
Paper
On
“ Kāntaloor S̄ala :”
“Academic and Administrative Models”
Presented by
Sri K .Narayanan Potti
Chairman, Kāntaloor Sabha Trusty Board.
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While discussing the subject,’ Kāntaloor Sāla and Academic and administrative Models of it’ ,the points raised are what was the nature and the status of Kāntaloor Sāla which everyone knows as an ancient educational institution and who were involved in it and for what purposes the activities of it were constituted and in what manner it was run in ancient time?
In chapter 7 of the book “The Survey of Kerala History written by renowned historian of Kerala Prof.Sreedharan Menon says:
“He the Ay King Karuna Dhadkan established (in April 28 AD 869) here at Pārthivasēkhara Puram a Sālai (A Vedic College) ,in which arrangements were made to give free boarding,lodging and tuition to 95 Chãtrās (meaning students ) all of them being Namboothiris.Perhaps he himself was the founder of the famous Kāntaloor Sāla
as well” ( page 117)
He continues:
“ There was a Sāla attached to a very important temple of Ay kingdom and the premier Sālas of the kingdom were Kāntaloor Sāla and Pārthivasēkhara Puram Sāla .The Sāla was a boarding school in which brāhmin̩ youth got free boarding and lodging and underwent a course of studies in the Vedas and other branches of Sanskrit learning.
The Huzūr Office Plate makes it clear that admission to Pārthivasēkhara Puram Sālai was restricted to brāmins, the 95 Kalam̦s (Seats) in the institution being distributed among pupils of the Pavizhiya Charan̦am̦. (Pakazhiya means Āswalayana R̖gvēda Shroutha Sũtra and Gr̦hya Sūtra the name pertains to Malayalam language among Namboothiris only),Taittirēya Charan̗am̗, of Yajurvēda ,and Talavakāra Charan̩am̩ of Jaiminēya Sāma Vēda. Discipline was strictly enforced in the S̄ala. These rules as given in the Huz̄r Office Plate were intented to build up the moral character of the pupils; the use of vulgar language in the premises of the Sāla was prohibited. Brawls and physical assaults were severely punished .No inmate was permitted to carry offensive weapons with him.Gambling of every Kind was banned and those people who violated these rules were denied the day‘s meal.Maid servants were strictly prohibited from entry into the hostels .The scrupulous enforcement of such rules of discipline made Kāntaloor Sāla , Pārthivasēkhara Puram Sālai and other Sālas of the Aykingdom ideal educational institutions.Kãntaloor Sāla has even been referred to as the ,”Nalanda of the South”, as it was looked upon as a model by the people of that time.The Padmanabhaswamy Temple at Trivandrum received special patronage of the Ai Kings” (ibid 119-120).
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The chapter IX of the same book in page 137, Prof Sreedhara Menon says that the consensus opinion is that Valiayasāla temple in Trivandrum very near to Sri Padmanābha Swāmy Temple, was the place where K̄antaloor Sāla existed ,where sometimes Br̄hmin̩ youths were given military training also.
Prof Dr Retnamma ,in her book called,Prāchēna Sāsan̩ang̩alum̩ malayāla Paribhāzhayum̩”,in her Malayalam translation of inscription says:
“The inscription is mainly about the “Kāntaloor Maryāda”,(the procedure and disciplines of Kāntaloor Sālai),pertained to the residential schooling facility given for ninety five Brāhmin̩ students”.(Page 69)
….“This is the oldest inscription in which the word Kāntaloor Sala is mentioned.(Page 76).
Prof Dr T P Sankaran Kutty Nair, who conducted exhaustive studies in Kāntaloor S̄alai in his book named,” Kerala Samskāra Pat̩amangal̩”, in the chapter of “Sãlais of Kerala”,says:
“In short we can say that K̄antaloor Sālai was undoubtedly an international University, it taught all the arts (ie Sar̩vakalās of ancient wisdom ) and all Vedās and all religions in the sense of assimilating the cultural values in them and it excelled more than Taks̃has̄ila and it excelled to any university in the world; the texts like Kuvalayam̄ala give testimony to it. (Page 312-313).
He further says in Page 307:
“Kavi Moni Desavinayakam Pillai in 1936 published a short book named “KāndalūrSālai” in that book he establishes that Kāntaloor Sālai was not an harbor or a city near to sea but he established that Kāntaloor Sālai was a Vedic College”.
“Anantha puram̩ Varnanam̩”,a poetical Manipravāla treatise written in AD 1300 in it’s Stanza 107 -108 describes Kāntaloor Sāla thus:
“When we turn from the north-eastern corner of Sri Padmanābha Swāmy Temple ,to the right in the eastern side we can see the famous Kāntaloor Sālai, brightly in front of the temple ….and even Brahm̩a Lōka is not equal to it and even Bramha could not explain the grandeur of this S̄alai”.
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Stanza 132-138 of the same book says like this :
“in the Southern side we can see the performance of tough Vedic competitions like Vāram̩ chanting, a test of proficiency in chanting of Veda,where heated discussions about the violation of rules of chanting and appreciation of correct procedure were being deliberated by students and very learned Veda Pandits “
Now we can directly look into the first source of evidence as is seen in the inscription.
The fourth plate of the inscription further says about the curriculum and procedure and tests to be conducted and about the procedure to examine the students whoever to be admitted, to the higher learning of Veda according to Kãntaloor Maryāda adopted in this Sāla”
“ Vyākaranam̩, Poorva and Uttara Mēmām̩sa,Purōhota Vr̩tri ie the ability to conduct Shrouta and Smāraha rituals and ability in chanting Ōthu ie Chanting of Veda up to Kr̩ama Pāt̩a and proficieny in the knowledge and application of viniyogās in material, social and spiritual domains, and then only thestudents will be admitted to higher studies.For their admission at least five students should endorse their application approving their proficiency in his own Veda ,and that as much teachers of the institution ,also should endorse the same thing for one should be admitted.He should be proficient in chanting not only Kr̩ama pat̩a of his own Veda but he should be proficient in chanting Brāhm̩n̩a and Āran̩yaka of his own Veda.
One should observe the nine qualities of chanting by observing proper pronounciatuiin of Anudāttā,Udāttā,Swarita,Prachaya,Hr̩sva,
Dēr̩gha,Hr̩swa Kam̩pa and Dērgha Kam̩pa.
They should be able to chant two Kr̩ma Vārams continuously from any portion of their Vedic text without having prior knowledge about the portion instantaneously pronounced and asked to chant at the test.”
The very same procedure was also in vogue for getting admission to participate , earlier in Kadavalloor Anyōnayam a Veda Pareeksha in northern Kerala.
Main thantrēs,the chief priests of all temples in the vicinity of the area of Kantaloor Sala up to Cape comerin are still assigned only to the ancient Namboothiri families of this area .
They are Manalikkara,Koopakkara,Nedum̩Vilākam̩,Vanchiyūr Athiyara and Neytas̄s̃eri.They are addressed as Pottis a name synonymous to Namboothiri in Southern Trāvancore.A ritual like Sucheendram Kaimukku in this area was attended by Kaimukku Vaidikan of Irinjalakkudāalakkuda of Trichur district.
These facts confirm that the procedure of Vedic studies and rituals here were in the same nature as that of Namboothiris in the north and not similar to Tamil Brāhmins.
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Volume 2 Part 2 pages 152,147,148 of Travancore Archeological Series mentions the name of ancestral Namboothiri families known as Pottis of the area lived near to Kāntaloor Sāla and Pārthivapuram Sāla who performed Somayāgā and Atirātras in earlier times which corroborates the fact that these area were dominant,once upon a time with great Vedic culture not inferior to any one.
The Churunās of Matilakom Rekha the archeological records of Sri Padmanabhābha Swāmi Temple shows that there existed in this area of Trivandrum probably comprising an area from Karunagapally to Kanyakumari the 32nd Gramam ,the southern most settlement of Namboothiris called “Neermanna”,which is described in the records as Neeramankara Gramam.The proximity of Neeramankara Siva temple an ancient temple discovered, which was in a dilapidated condition in 1940’s now renovated is believed as the village temple of Neermanna Gramam .
(Ref: narayanan potti Wikipedia page ;Neermanna Gramam and ;Churuna 2602,ōlab285-287(202-236-779-7-1)&Thripparappu,Fragmentary Copper plate inscription ;Page 195 ;Travancore. Archeological Series vol 2 part. 2).
In a study of Prākrit Jain Champu dated
779 AD namely ,Kuvalayamāla composed by Udayan̩ Sūri and it’s Sanskrit digest called Kuvalayamāla katha of Retna Sūri in 13 th Century AD tells the story about the world-famous Vedic and Sanskrit University in the Southern part of Kerala near to sea where all most all the ancient knowledge systems in ancient India where taught.
In this treatise ,the hero of the story Kuvalaya Chandra was described as in search of his Paramour Kuvalaya Māla and then he there found a Great Mata where students of various 18 countries like Leda, Kannada ,Malviya ,Kanyakubja,Maharashtra ,Saurashtra ,Dhaka ,Andhra ,Sesa, Matsya Magadha,Pratihara,Barbara Gurjara,Kosala, Manda ,Parashara and Dasana were found studying.
Some of the subjects taught in that university mentioned in the book are the following :
Five subjects of Dhanurveda ,In the Vyākarana mandali and In Darsna and Mẽmāmaa seven subjects like Varna Vikara and Āgama were included .In arts Ālekham,Gētam,Vādham,Abhinayam,Nrutta,Nātay,Mantra,Yoga,Yogamāla,Yantramāla, Maricha,Gārugs Vidya,Jyoti’s̄ha,Ras̄ayaan Vidya,Chanda..Sāsta,Indrajālam̩,Kāyakarma,Vis̃hahāra Tantra,Bhoota tantra,Danda Karma,Niruktam were some among the subjects included in the curriculum.There were more than thirty departments and more than thirty subjects in the curriculum.Lepana Tantra Kanaka karma,Visarga tantra ie Toxicology,As̄va Sāstara,Bhurjara
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patra Saastara ie manuscriptolgy ,Lokāyatana,Vyākhaana Mandala,Charvakāka Tatva,and Budha Tatva were also the subjects taught in the University.
Marma Chikitsa, Kaaya Chikitsa and Sidha vaidya are still being traditionally practiced by certain families of Naadar communities in an around the Thiruvananthapuram and Vizhinjam which were considered as remnants of the earlier culture points out the fact that along with Vedic studies of higher order secular subjects being taught with a secular view in the matter of admission to many subjects like those mentioned.
K G Krishnan an eminent Epigraphist of Mysore identifies the “Sarva Chattan Madham”of ‘ Sarvakalas ‘of Vijayapuri mentioned in Kuvalayamāala as Kāntaloor sāla in his research paper published namely, Chattina Madhom it’s identification ,Journal of Oriental Institute;Volume XIX No 4,1970,P.P 346-350)
Dr T K Raveendran opined that Pallipati mentioned in Kuvalayamāla as Pallichal a place near to Thiruvanathapuram and the name of the river Makkakara mentioned in it as the river Karamana.
(Dr TK Raveendran in Institution and Movements in Kerala History Trivandrum 1978 P.P 11-23)
Mana is a name ascribed to the house of Namboothiris.From which an inference also can be made that at the banks of Karamana river at earlier times many Namboothiri families lived who might have been fled to north due to foreign invasions.
The discovery of many rare ancient manuscripts in Vedic Sāstar̄ic subjects and rare Buddhist texts from Manalikkara family in this area in the last century and formation of Trivandrum Manuscript Library and “Trivandrum series “by late Dr T Ganapati Sāstrigal corroborates the fact that history of an ancient erstwhile ancient University,that might have existed here likely to had been buried and went in to oblivion by facing incessant foreign aggressions.
From this area rare manuscripts are recently also being discoverd.Manuscripts of Gomadi dāsan known as Elantoor Ramaswamy Sastrigal (1823-1887) was found from a family of his sixth generation at Nēramankara here which had a collection of twenty six bundles of more than fifty gran̩thās and that have been handed over to Manuscript Library
Period of Existy of Kantaloor Sala
Though it has been confirmed by historians that Kanta
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Conclusion:
After this discussion a conclusion can be derived that at the southern Travancore near to Thiruvananthapuram thousands of years before mainly during the rule of Ay dynasty a world renowned Vedic and Sāstatic University flourished, local Namboothirs mainly were taught Vedic knowledge of highest order excelling to any such culture at any part of the Kerala or outside of it and sixty four Arts forms and seventy four vidyas of ancient Indian knowledge system had been taught in secular subjects with an attitude mainly consisted of a secular outlook and inclusiveness for the dissemination of knowledge systems of ancient wisdom of ancient India.
Time of Existence of Kāntaloor Sāla
Though no evidences of Kāntaloor Sāla being mentioned in any documents after the description of it in An̩an̩tapruam Varn̩an̩am̩ of 13th Century AD,historians never seemed to have discussed about the period of origin of it.But Ptolemy of 2nd Century in his annals mentioning about Ay Kingdom at Baris(Pampa).Prof A Sreedhara Menon says that th Ay dynasty existed in the 2nd Century AD.
So since Kāntaloor Sa̅la was patronised by Ay Kings,it might also have existed at the time of emergence of world Universities in India like Taxila and Nalanda whose origin of existence was attributed to a period 3rd and 5th Century AD respectively.
Moreover a recent study conducted by a team of Archeology ,University of Kerala involved by Dr Ajith Kumar Head of the Department
confirmed that the book of Periplus of the Eu Thraen Seas (Periplus Maris Erythraei ) of first century AD,the name of the place Nincydia or Nelcynda mentioned in it as per the description 500stadia ie about 92 Kms from Muziris (Kodungalloor) by sea and 120 stadia (about 22 Km) from Barcare (Purakkadu) is near to the waterways of Pampa between Kadapra and Pandanadu.
(Institute of Oriental Study Thane 2008 Hindu,-Study point to ancient trade centers in central Travancore)
Prof A Sreedharamenon says:
“ The Ays ruled over an extensive area stretching from Nagarcoil in the South to Tiruvalla in the North including the Sahyadri ranges .Ptolemy(2nd Century AD) refers to the region from Baris (Pampa) to Cape Comerin as Aioi,where the Chieftains of the Ay clan ruled.They had their capital at the Aykidi in the Podiyan mountain .The Ay had come in to prominence even before the Cheran established themselves as the dominant political power in Kerala.The Sangham works refer to the three important Ay kings viz Ay Anyiran,Titiyan and Atiyan.The Ay Kingdom in due course as a buffer State between the Pandya and Chera Kingdoms.(A Survey of Kerala History
Page (70-72)̣.
So possibilities not to be discarded while affirming the time of existence of Kantaloor Sala and Neermanna Gramom both of which could have existed far more an ancient period than normally believed to have existed.Rather it creates doubts about the pre existence of Vedic culture of Neermanna Gramom and Kantaloor Sala compared to that in Northern parts of Kerala where it proliferated in a comparatively later period though at the place of it’s earlier origin that might have been vanished due to many invasions.
Bibliography
1.A Survey of Kerala History
Prof A Sreedhara Menon
2.Pracheen saas tar galun Malayala Paribhaashayum Dr K Retnamma
3.Ananthapura Varnanam ISBN 978-9387866-67-6
4.Travancore Archeological Series Vol 2
5.Travancore Archeological Series Vilume 2 Volume 1
1992 Reprint Gopinathan Rao A (Ed)
Department of Cultural Publications ,Govt of Kerala ,Trivandrum.
6.Kerala Samskaara Patanangal
By Prof Dr T P Sankaran Kutty Nair
7.Institution and Movements in Kerala History
8.K G Krishnan; Chaathan Madhom it’s Identification,Journal of Oriental Institute Vol XIX No 4. 1970;Pap 346-50
9.Sha Umakant,1968, Chathan Madham A gleaning from the Kuvalaya Mala Katha -Annals of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune ABOR I Volume 48/48 ,Golen jubilee Volume 19171967
10. Upadhyaya A N,1970;Udyotana soori Kuvalaya Mala and Retnaprabha soori’s Kuvalaya Mala Katha , Bharatheeya Vidya Bhavan Bombay
Retnaprabha soori, Annals of Bhandarkar Research Institute ABOR VoL 48/49;Golden Jubilee Volume 1917-1996
11.M S Dhiraj; Proect Fellow (UGSC- SAR -DRSH) Dept of History Pondicherry,University India
Kala sastra Vijnana imparted in the early Medieval Alisa toon of Kerala as gleaned from the Jain Cmpu Kuvalayamala .
12.Epigraphic Indica Vol XLI 1975-76
Parthivapuram Inscription of Kollam Year 98+1
13. ‘ narayanan potti Wikipedia ‘ ;
page,user
Notes on Erstwhile N̄rman̩n̩a Grāmam̩
1.Dr Kesavan Veluthattu in his book Brāhmin̩ settlement in Kerala says:
“Nīrman̩n̩a written variously as Neeramankara,Nīrmanna etc in different versions of Keralolpatti ,the present name of this village is Nīraman̩kara.Dr Stella Kramrisch has given the photographs of a ruined temple and Vishn̩u image of 14th century enshrined theirein .This Village has ceased to be a Brāhmin̩ settlement.”(Page 31)
2. Kodungalloor Kunji kuttan Thampuran in his book,Keralam Page 24,25 says:
‘The thirty to gramoms of Kerala that are arranged from north to south in order here but not able to arrange the other 32 gramams of north.
Nīrman̩na is the last one.’
3.Aryanmarude Kudiyettam Volume 2 by Kanippayur Sankaran Namboothiris padu
says ,that sine Kunjikuttan Thampuran arranged thirty two namboothiri gramams from north to south in an order ,the Nirmanna the last one mentioned in that arrangement ,the N̄rman̩n̩a certainly be the southern most one encompassing an area from Pandalam̩ of south of Chengannur to Cape Kanyākumari.
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4. Malayalam Bhasha Charithram by
P Govinda Pillai Volume 2 page 87 mentions that Nīrman̩n̩a gramom existed south of Chengan̩n̩ūr.Namboothiris here were called as Pottis.They are original Nampoothiri’s. Kalkulam and Itan̩iyal taluks were belonged to this gramom.Kovunni Nedungādi also opined it.
5.M G Sasibhooshan and Dr R P Raja in their book,” Charitram Kuricha Padmanabha Swamy Kshetram”! given an account about Churuna Number 2602, ōla 285-287/202-236(779-7-1).In it it is given that to Athiyara illam from idakkodu Matom of “ Nīraman̩kara gramom “a Dattu was given.
6. Āttūr Kris̩hn̩a pizhāradi in his Kerala Charitram 162 says that the Original Chirava Swaroopam of Vēnadu was formed from the Ay Yadu vams̍a who fled from Thiruvananthapuram to a place near to Pam̩pā river due to the invasion of Parāntaka Pān̩dyan.
7.Travancore Archeological Series Volume 2 Part2 page 143 section 5 189-199
is given the name of ‘San̩karan s̄adayan Akki Sarvakriȳayāji’, in the inscription mentioned by Karunandadakkan.Neduveli a local illam like Nedum̩bilakam was the illam to which he belonged also has been given in the Thirparappu Fragmentary Copper plate Inscriptions.
8.San̩kun̩ni Aiyar in his book called ‘Kerala charitrathile Chila Ajn̩atha bhagangal’ has given the name of an illam ‘Somāyi Mangalam’ which still exists.
9.Malayinkeezh Sreekrishna Swamy Kshetra Charitram by Thiruvalla P Unnikrishna Nair in page 153 mentions about Mulavana Bhattathiri an Agnihotri and Chola Ilamon̩ a Somayajippadu.These I’lloms prevail even today in Thiruvalla. Page 142 of Thiruvalla Sassanian mentions about the Neduveli Madom Somayaji who might have migrated from here who earlier belonged to Nedum Vilakom madom of Munchira.(Travancore Archeological Series Volume 2 part 2 Page 142, Section 5.)
10.P Rajendran in his book Kshetra Vijnan Kos̄am ,Par 251 gives an account of Tali Kshetram at Karamana and it’s relation to certain illoms at Niran̩am where earlier they might have lived at Thaliyal and in fact it might have been due to their escape to Niranam in war times they were later associated to Niranam.
11. the Edaȳana̩athu illam Still prevails in Thiruvananthapuram and Attingal which is mentioned by P Unnikrishnam Nair as existed in Niran̩am might also have fled to there like Chen̩garappally who still exists in Karun̩agapally.Ther is a saying that”Malayalathil Pakuti Edayavanam” which means the land of half portion of Malayalam speaking community earlier possessed by Edayaanathu Matom. Unnikrishnan Nair Neermanna Gramam, Namboothiri website.
Since Baris( Pamba) and Neycenda(Kadapra -Pandanadu) according to Ptolemyof 2nd Centur AD and Periplus of 3rd century AD were the places attributed to Ay dynasty whose head quarters was at Thiruvananthapuram,the remnants of Neermanna of a Neeramankara of Thiruvananthapuram and Kantaloor Sala and families of Namboothiris of Neermanna gramom of Thiruvananthapuram had also been seen at Niranam a place near to Pampa which might have occured since Ay kingdom was a “buffer state” frequently withstood many an invasions unleashed by Pandya,Chola and Cheran empires.
12. Search also “ narayanan potti Wikipedia” page.
14 Time of existence of Ay Dynasty
New studies
https://www.orientalthane.com/archaeology/news_2008_01_30_3.htm
K .Narayanan Potti
Mob: 09447711147
President
Kantaloor Sabha Trust
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