CHILDREN DELIVERED BY A LOW CASTE WOMAN AND A BRAHMIN WHO WERE BROUGHT UP BY PERSONS BELONGING TO TWELVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES
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Friends,
This is a story I read in ഐതിഹ്യമാല (ஐதிஹ்ய மாலை) written by KOTTARATHTHIL SHANKUNNI an AMBALA VASI of Kerala. It might not be an exaggeration if I say that one cannot find any old household of KERALA without a copy of this valuable book. AITHIHYA means legends and Maala means Garland, Hence AITHIHYA MAALA means a GARLAND OF LEGENDS. The difference between Legends and Myths is while Legends, ARE STORIES about real people who are famous for doing something brave or extraordinary, Myths are traditional stories occurring in a timeless past. They involve supernatural elements and are beyond the frontiers of logic. A story as per dictionary is “a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader.” Stories need not be TRUE. Both Legends, and myths contain stories.
Friends , before I start with the Legend few words about the author of AITHIHYA MALA will not be out of place. Kottarathil Shankunni was born on 23rd March 1855 in KOTTAYAM as the second son of Sriman Vasudevanunni. Sriman Shankunni’ real name was also Vasudevan and as a practice Ladies never used to say their Husband’s name in olden days( The present generation of women call their husbands by name and say அவன், நீ ; അവന്‍, നീ etc.without giving any respect to the husbands and treating them as friends).. Hence his mother started calling him as THANKU which later on became SHANKU. UNNI was added to his name because he was an Ambalavasi Brahmin. Shri Sankunni had no school education but studied under some country teachers called ASAAN (ആശാന്‍) . He learned SIDDAROOPA (सिद्धरूपा) from Manarkkad Shankara Wariar when he was 17 years old and Raghu Vamsham, Magham, Naishadham etc (रघुवंशं, माघां, नैषधं) and some literatures in AYURVEDA from Vayaskara Aryan Narayanan Moosad. At the age of 36 he wrote SUBHADRAA HARANAM in MANI PRAVAALAM STYLE. In the year 1904 he was awarded with a Medal and a title “KAVI THILAKAN” by the Maha Rajah of Cochin. There is no other person other than Kottaraththil Shakunni who got such awards from Cochin, British Malabar and Travancore.
Shankunni’s mother died in Malayalam Year 1048. Afterwards he married for the first time in Malayalam Year 1056 but she was short lived and died within a year. He married for the 2nd time after about five years. Since he could not get a child through her , he married for the third time. Since she also could not bear a son for him , he adopted (ദത്ത്‌,தத்து) the 2nd son of Sri. Evoor PanavEli Krishna Sharma. KOTTARATHTHIL SHANKUNNI died on 22nd July, 1937.
He has written about 59 Books on varied subjects.
As I have written above, this story is taken from AITHIHYAMAALA written by him. All of you might have heard about Vararuchi who was the son of Govindswamy, a famous Brahmin and a learned astrologer. He was the head of the SABHA OF PUNDITS of the famous king VIKRAMADITHYA, to whom the king used to seek advise on different matters. One day morning the king asked the PUNDITS, AS TO WHICH SHLOKA WAS THE BEST IN VALMIKI RAMAYANA. All Pundits told that all verses were equally good. The king was not satisfied with this answer hence asked Brahma Shri Vararuchi for the answer. When VARARUCHI also could not answer, the Maharajah gave him 41 days’ time to find out the answer and also told him not to go back to the SABHA if he was unable to get the answer. SRI. VARARUCHI reluctantly left the court feeling ashamed. In those days there were no proper roads . People had to go through dense forest etc. to reach from one village to another. While Sri. Vararuchi was going through a dense forest became tired due to the weariness of travel and saw a well paved banyan tree and thought of taking rest on the pavement of the tree. He , therefore kept his small bundle of clothes etc. as pillow and lied down on the pavement to take rest. He could not get sleep and was lying by closing his eyes by saying “LET VANADEVATHAS( The fairies of Forest permanently staying on the banyan tree ) SAVE ME FROM DANGERS”. It so happened at about midnight some Vanadevathas from outside came flying and sat on the banyan tree and told the vanadevathas who were permanently staying there that they were going to a place where a delivery was to take place to drink the blood and carcasses and also asked the Vanadevathas settled down on the banyan tree whether they were not accompanying them. The Vanadevathas who were residing on the tree replied that they were not able to go since a Maha Brahmana was sleeping underneath asking them to save him from disasters, and requested the other Vanadevathas to go over to them and tell where was the delivery and other details. They agreed and flew away. However, as promised they came, as the dawn was approaching , to the Tree and told the VANA DEVATHAS who were guarding the Brahmin thus “ delivery was in a PARAYA’S HUT (കുടില്‍, குடில்) and the PARACHCHI ( പറയ പുല്ലി പറച്ചി സ്ത്രീ.ലിം ) gave birth to a female child and this child will be married by this fool who is sleeping under this BANYAN TREE who does not know that the best Shloka in VALMIKI RAMAYANA is :-
रामम् दशरथं विद्धि मां विद्धि जनकातमजाम्
अयोध्यामटवीं विद्धि गच्छ तात यथा सुखम्
(Valmiki Ramayana, AyodhyA KaaNdha, Sargam 40, Shloka 10.)
Saying this the Vana Devathas who came flew away. Vararuchi, who was not sleeping but simply was lying under the Banyan tree, closing his eyes heard this. While he was happy that he came to know the best verse in VALMIKI RAMAYANA was very unhappy to note that he was destined to marry the PARAYA girl child.
The Maharajah was upset in sending Vararuchi who did not return even after completing 40 days. On the 41st day Vararuchi returned, and seeing his face itself all came to know that he had the answer with him. The Maharajah asked Vararuchi “ What happened ? Could you find out” for which Vararuchi said “ by God’s grace, I could get the answer “ and told the above stanza and gave ten different meanings to the verses. Out of this , only two meanings are given in AIthihya Maala, which are as hereunder :-
This verse is said by Sumithra to her son Lakshmana before they started to live 14 years in forest. One meaning is:
rAmam dasaraTtham vidDhi = Think Rama is Dasaratha, your father. mAM vidDhi janakaathmajaaM = Think Seetha like your mother. ayOdhyAmatavImvidDhi = Think forest as Ayodhya. Gacca thAtha yatTha sukhaM =go my son happily.
The Second meaning is :
“rAmaM dasaratTham vidDhi =Know that Rama is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu whose vehicle (VAAHANA) is bird (PAKSHI). janakAthmajAm mAm vidDhi = know thy, sItha is Maha Lakshmi. ayOdhyAm atavIm vidDhi “= Think ayOdhya without rAma is a forest. Therefore my son please accompany them happily.
Hearing the 10 ways of interpretations by Vararuchi the King was very happy. Then when all were chi chatting, Vararuchi told the King thus “ Oh! Maharajan, On checking her horoscope, I found that before the child attains three yeas of age this kingdom will be destroyed. From today you will start finding the adverse effects. The King was startled but did not like the idea of killing the small innocent baby senn life only on the previous day. Hence all the pundits founded a way that is to put the child on a boat made of dried Banana Trunk after fixing a nail on the centre ( शिरस) of the head of the baby and attaching to it a country torch (ചൂട്ട്) and send the baby through the river out of the kingdom. All including Vararuchi agreed to this plan. Accordingly the king ordered to deport the child through the river by affixing a nail on her head.
The child was deported in the said manner on the next day. Vararuchi was very happy beacause a difficult situation which was to come to him was averted. A Brahmin who was taking bath saw the child and thinking that she was the gift of God as he had no children and took her to his house and looked after the child as his own.
After few years Vararuchi was going on a travel. On the way , he felt hungry and entered a brahmin’s house for food.( In olden days Brahmins used to enter any brahmin’s house for meals.) The owner of the house seeing the Brahmin entering the house told him (Vararuchi), to take bath and go soon back to his house since meals were ready. For this Vararuchi told that he had some problems and if it could be solved by the house owner he had no objection to dine in hjs house. The house owner then asked him to tell the problems to which Vararuchi told that as soon as he finished the bath he wanted one വീരവാളിപ്പട്ടു (a small red silk) to wear, and then you must give meals to hundred people before you serve meals to me, you must keep 108 curries to serve me, after meals I must eat three people and 4 people should lift me to sleep. The house owner was perturbed and was thinking what to do. Seeing this his daughter called him and told him there was nothing which cannot be done and told him by red silk cloth he meant only a small cloth to conceal his private part. (കോണകം. கோமணம். कोपीनं ) ; the meaning of his asking to give food for 108 people is only that he wanted to perform VAISYAM ( वैस्यदेवं, வைசியம்,വൈശ്യം) . It is said that performing Vaisya is equal to giving food 100 Devathas; then the meaning of 108 curries is that he wanted Ginger curry and again by saying that he wanted to eat three people he meant only the he wanted to eat Betel leaves, betel nuts and a little lime (தாம்பூலம். മുറുക്കാന്‍, तांपूलं) ; then again by saying that he should be lifted by four people before sleeping is that he wanted to sleep on a cot. Please ask him to go and take bath and come soon and also tell him all will be arranged. The girl got a Red cloth piece , HAVIS for VAISYA , Sandal paste and flowers for POOJA and for meals a small quantity of ginger curry and other things he asked.
Vararuchi came to know that all were done as per his wishes, by the intelligent Brahmin girl and hence requested for her hand in marriage to the house owner. The house owner happily agreed and the lady thus became his wife. Vararuchi was very much attached to this lady and thought that he was very fortunate in getting this lady as his wife. One day when they were talking each other after food the lady was keeping her head on the lap of Vararuchi and Vararuchi was fondling her head. Suddenly he saw a wound mark on her head and asked her what it was. She explained everything she knew, but could not tell that she was a Paraya girl since she did not know it. However, Vararuchi knew it, but consoled himself by thinking “लिखिथमपि ललाटे प्रोजथ्धितुमम् कः समर्थः” “ What ever is written on the fore head who can change it ? “ and and further resolving that he should spend his rest of the life by wandering from place to place. Thus while they were going from one place to another, his wife gave birth to twelve children out of which one was a girl child. Whenever she gave birth to a child Vararuchi asked her whether the child had mouth and if she said YES, then used to say to leave the child since the child with mouth will survive.(വായുള്ള കുഞ്ഞിന്നു ദൈവം ഇരയും കല്‍പ്പിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്) These children were taken and brought up by people of different castes or category. When the lady was to delver the 12th child she thought that this time she should say that the child had no mouth and further thought that at least then HE would allow her to have the child and the one day she delivered the child but said that the child had no mouth. Vararuchi allowed her to take the child but when they reached a hill he told to leave the child there and established a temple for the child. This child is later known as VAAYILLAA KUNNILAPPAN (வாயில்லா குன்றிலப்பன், വായില്ലാകുന്നിലപ്പന്‍) . The names of the 12 children is given as a poem thus :-

“മേഷ(ള)ത്തോള്‍ അഗ്നിഹോത്രി രജകനുളിയനൂര്‍ -
ത്തച്ചനും പിന്നെ വള്ളോന്‍ ( Thirukkural fame Thiruvallvar)
വായില്ലാകുന്നിലപ്പന്‍ വടുതല മരുവും
നായര്‍ കാരയ്ക്കല്‍ മാതാ
ചെമ്മേകേളുപ്പുകൂറ്റന്‍ പെരിയ തിരുവര –
ങ്കത്തെഴും പാണനാരും
നേരേ നാരായണഭ്രാന്തനുമുടനകവൂര്‍ -
ചാത്തനും പാക്കനാരും.”
(The Verse in Tamil Language)
“மேஷ(ள)த்தொள் அக்னிஹோத்ரி ரஜகன் உளியநூர் –
த்தச்சனும் பிபின்னெ வள்ளோன் (திருவள்ளுவர்)
வாயில்லாகுன்நிலப்பன் வடுதல மருவும்
நாயர் காரய்க்கல் மாதா
செம்மேகேளுப்புகூற்றன் பெரிய திருவர –
ங்கத்தெழும் பாணனாரும்
நேரே நாராயணப்ராந்தனும் உடன் அகவூர் –
சாத்தனும் பாக்கனாரும்.”
Friends, Sri. KOTTARATHTHYL SHANKUNNI has written more about these children. I confine to this story here only, since this is the subject matter. I shall conclude now after giving the names of each child :

(1) MELATHTHOL AGNI- HOTHRI, (2) RAJAKAN (3) ULIYANOOR THACHCHAN (4) VALLON (THIRUVALLVAR) (5) VAAYLLAA KUNNILAPPAN (6) VATUTHALA NAAYAR (7)KAARAIKKAL MAATHAA (8) UPPU KOOTTAN (9) PAANANAAR (10) NARAYANA BHRANDAN (11) AKAVOOR CHAATHAN (12) PAAKKANNAR.
Note : Names are not in serial order.
Regards to one and all.
P.R.RADHAKRISHNAN