VILVAMANGALAM SWAMIYAR

Friends, ,

I do not think there is any Hindu in Kerala or Tamil Nadu and even in North India, who has not heard about Lord Guruvayurappan of Guruvayur, which is called Bhooloka Vaikundam. The Lord at Guruvayur has benn a PRATHYAKSHA DAIVAM or the Visible Devine God to many. Herein I am giving the story of such a person , who is called VILVAMANGALATHTHU SWAMIYAR, to whom Lord Guruvayurappan was a visible God.

Vilvamangalam is the name of a Namoothiri Ilaam ( House). . There is also a version that actually he was an Embranthiri and not a Nambbothiri. As per Late Maha Kavi Brahma Shri. Ullor, S. Parameshwaraiyer the House name of Vivamangalam might have been a Malayalam version of KODANDAMANGALAM ( KODANDAM means VILLU ) hence VILLU MANGALAM later on corrupted as VIVAMANGALAM and hence VELLA ILLAM of THAVANUR. There are many other versions . Some say that it is in Puthenchira in Trichur District, Yet some others say it is in Brahmapuram Desam of Kasrkode. Even Begalis and people of Orissa claim that he is from their place.

I think, I will leave this controversial topic to experts on this. However, I assume it as the first one since the Saint’s mother is said to have been going daily to Vasidevapuram Temple on the south banks of Sacred river NILA.. I think , it is better to leave this controversial topic here as experts say that he lived in 9th centuary AD. . He lernt Thanta from Esana Devan, Somagiri

Friends, here I would like to say that there is a story abot him that, since Vilwamnagalam was not the eldest son of his father and mother, as per old Namboothiri customs he was not allowed to marry a Namboothiri girl and hence he had a sambandam with an AMBALA VAASI lady, whom he loved so much that .he could not pass even a day without being in her presence. Hence it so happened that oneday there was a very heavy storm. Not withstanding this, Vilwamangalam started his journey to his Sambanda Veedu ( the house where his consort was staying ) to see his darling and spend some time with her. It was night time and hence he burnt a CHOOTTU ( an improvised torch with Coconnut leaves, etc. ) and wanted to crossed the river to reach his consort’s house. He could not get a boat since no boatman was willing to take his boat in such a stormy night. At last he found a log of wood floating which he removed from the river. There was a rope tied to it. He used this for crossing the river. After crossing this river he reached miles away from his consort’s house. He tied the log of wood on which he crossed the river to a tree with the rope which was tied to the log. Afterwords he reached her house in the morning. It is rumored that when he reached his consort’s house and told her the incidence, she told him “ IF you would have spent this time to pray God , instead of thinking about me, you would have got the SAYUJYAM or salvation due to God’s blessings. The next day when he went to the place where he had tied the log he found that it was not a log of wood but a dead body of a human being and the rope which he thought was a python. It aapears to me that this story is slightly twisted by Vishnu Bhakthas by sayig that she said, “ if you could have concentrated the same love on Lord Krishna of Guruvayur, you would have attained Sayujyam much fast.” Whatever it may be, this incident made him to write Srikrishna Karnamrutham.


The above story might be to show how he became a Sanyasi which might be written adding exaggeration since there is a proverb which says “ Behingd every successful man there is a woman “.However he madea beautiful poem called SHREEKRISHNA KARNAMRUTHAM, which was instrumental for him to be called as a SHRIKRISHNA BHAKTHA . This he wrote under a pseudo name “Leelasukan” I find in “ ramanuja.org” that his mother was called “Neeli” and father
as “Damodaran”. However , it is said in ‘ramanuja.org” that he was the contemporary of one Desikan of 12th centuary. It is possible that there were many Vilwamangalathu Swamiyars like “Shankarachariar” which are normally titles.

Regarding his literary works, the following 22 works are said to havwe written by him :

(1) Sree Krishna Karnamrutham (2) Shree Chinham

(3) Purushaakaaram (4) Abhinava Kausthubha Maala

(5) Dakshinaamoorthi Sthavam (6) Kalavadha Kavyam

(7) Durgaa Sthuthi (8)) Baalakrishna Sthothram

(9) Bala Gopala Sthuthi (10) Shree Krishna Varadashtakam

(11)Vrindavana Sthothram (12) Bhavana Mukuram

(13) Ramachandrashtakam (14) Ganapathy Sthothram

(15) Anubhavashtakam (16) Maha Kalashtakam

(17) Karkotashtakam (18) Krishna Leela Vinodam

(19) Shankara Hrudayamgama (20) Subandha Samrajyam

(21) Thingattta Samrajyam (22) Krama Deepika

Since nothing much is known about his early days, except some people writing about it as per their fanatacies, I do not like to explain about it except saying that he was a wandering saint. We cannot say that he was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna or Lord Shiva but he was a great saint who has seen God. It is said hat he was a great devotee of Lord Krishna of Guruvayur and he was a rare person who has seen and who could see the lord as and when he liked. I feel this statement is a bit
Hyperbolic, he had a third vision , through which he could visualize the several GODS of the Hindus .
For instance, when he visited Lord Vadakkunnatha Temple at Trichur on a day during the day of Vrischika month with the constellation Krithika , he could not see Lord Vadakkunathan seated inside the Sanctum Sanctorum and hence searched for the lord and found him sitting on the wall of Chutrambalam or Compound wall to see Kumaranellore Kathyayani Devi coming after bath and filly attired. Even now , on this day Pooja to lOrd Shiva or Vadakkunnathan is performed on this particular day on this wall.

It was common in all temples in Kerala to feed all pilgrims with food, called OOTT,U for which Ottupuras. Or Dining Halls are constructed in all teples. It so happened , that on an ASHTAMI


Day ( THITHI ), when Viwamangalam Swamiar visited Vaikkom Temple , he could not see the Lord Vaikkathaapan ( LORD SHIVA ), inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. He searched for the Lord all over and saw him Sitting near a pillar on the northern side of the Oottupura in disguise as an old Brahmin and relishing and enjoying the meals called as SADYA . From this day onwards a NAAKKILA ( A banana leaf with the upper tip ) is kept at this place and all the Sadya preparations are kept on it.
There is one more story that the Lord was seen preparing food for Sadhya in the Oottupra in disguise as a Brahmin cook. From that day onwards in Vaikkom the ash from the Oven or “Atuppu” is considered as Prasadam which cures many types of illness which are incurable.

Chottanikkara Bhadrakali at Keezh Kavu Bhadra Kali is installed by Vilwamangalam Swamiar.
The idol , here, is facing westwards and there is an ancietnt PAALA TREE with many nails fixed on it by those suffering from fits and madness. Here the Guruthi Pooja is conducted after the Athazha Pooja and Deeparadhana at Melkavu.

There is a story about Lord Krishna playing mischief as a small boy often with Vilwamngalam, and Vilwamangalam lost his control and pushed the boy with his PURAM KAI ( the off side of the palm), and scolded Him. This offended lord Krishna, who said that He woud never appear before Vilwamngalam any more in any form and if he wished to see the Lord he should go to ANANTHAN KADU and disappeared. Swamiyar was terribly upset and started searching for the Lord every where and finally reached Ananthan Kadu. Where he found Lord Krishnan in Anantha Sayanam pose with Bhoomi Devi and Lakshmi Devi at HIS head and feet sides . I have omitted many portions from the story as how he found out the place etc. However, he went immediately to the the Maharaja Of Travancore and it is said that the Maharaja ordered to construct a Temple as described by Vilwamangalam Swamiyar which is now known as the famous Shri. Padmanabha Swamy Temple of Thiruvanandapuram .Kindly note that this indicates that the present THIRUVANANTHAPURAM might be a forest, long ago.
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Although, it is possible that Vivamangalam swamigal was instymental to construct a teple at the
Old Ananthankadu which is now Thiruvananthapuram, the deity of Anantha Padmanabha who is depicted as Maha Vishnu resting on the serpent Anantha and which is said to have been carved in one Wood piece of VAAKA TREE ( Sirisha )- Bot. Name : Albizzia Lebbeck Benth. There is another version which says that the Idol is made of 10008 Salagramams processed by a special Aurvedic mix called KATU SARKKARA YOGAM NAVARATHNAM. There is yet another story that the Idol of Shri. Padmanabhaswamy of Thirivananthapuram is the replica of the Idol at Ananthapura in KUMBALA near Thalsserry.
It was Vilwamangalathu Swamiyar who was instrumental for rebuildin the famous temple of PURAHARINAPURA or ETTUMAANUR.
From the above , it will not be correct to say that Vilwamangalam swamigal was a Vishnu Bhaktha. He was instrumental for either newconstruction or bebuilding old temples of many temples for different GODS. Further we can say that he never remained in one plave but was a wandering saint.
I think, it is better to call him as the follower of H.H. Adi Shankara and his Advaida. Who said that the worship of different gods , which is not ultimatre, lead to worship of Paramathma which is ultimate and which is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient but with out any Gunas.

Regards to one and all,

P.R.Radhakrishnan