Guruvayurappan - Introduction

After seeing this photo of Guruvayurappan, I am inspired to do a small series on the stories around Guruvayurappan, His devotees and His miracles. I came across very powerful and touching stories and hence strongly felt like sharing them with you all.

Part 1

Why the name Guruvayur?

Before the conclusion of his incarnation as Lord Krishna, the Lord told his friend and minister, Uddhava, that the sea would soon engulf Dwaraka and that his idol would come floating in the sea. Uddhava was to request Brihaspati, the Guru or preceptor of the Gods, to install the idol at a suitable place. Brihaspati and Vayu Bhagavan, assigned this task and guided by Parashurama, went around the world and found the perfect spot to install the idol. This place thus derived the name Guru + Vayu + Oor (meaning place) and the idol was aptly named Guruvayurappan.

Narayana Bhattathiri and Narayaneeyam

Narayana Bhattathiri was born in a Namboodiri family in Melpathur, near Shoranur, in the year 1560 A.D. He was accepted as a student by the great teacher, Achyutha Pisharody and mastered vyakarana under his tutelage. The guru was suffering from severe rheumatism and Narayana Bhattathiri, unable to see his guru suffer, took upon himself the disease of his Guru as Guru dakshina.

During his period there lived one Thunchaththu Ramanuja Ezhuthachan, who came from an ordinary background but by HIS grace, wrote the Adhyatma Ramayanam and Sri Mahabharatam in Malayalam.  In the Ramayanam month (July-August) in Kerala, the Ramayanam is read in the vast majority of the households in Kerala. After lighting the evening lamp, the family gathers around the traditional Kerala lamp, the Nilavilakku, and reads his Adhyatma Ramayanam.

Bhattathiri could not bear the pain caused by the rheumatism and coming to know of Ezhuthachhan, he approached him for his help and suggestions to relieve himself of the pain. Ramanuja Ezhuthachan advised him to go to Guruvayur and pray to HIM.

Bhattathiri went, prayed and came back stating, "I am not such a great devotee, now what should I do? I do not have Bhagavata Sambandham".  Ezhuthachan thereupon advised him to write about Guruvayurappan, cryptically asking him to start with a fish. Bhattathiri promptly understood the message that he should start with the Matsya (Fish) Avatara (the first of the Dashavataras of Lord Vishnu).  He shifted to Guruvayur and started writing his book inside the temple and this book is named Narayaneeyam.

Narayaneeyam is a summary of the 18,000 verses of the Bhagavata Purana and comprises of 1036 verses in Sanskrit.  The 27-year old Bhattathiri would write only around 10 verses (a dashakam) each day and he completed the book in 100 days. On 27^th November, 1587, when he completed the last dashakam, he was completely cured of the condition.

Bhattathiri had an understanding with Guruvayurappan that unless and until HE nodded in assent about each verse that he wrote/recited, he would not go on to the next verse. Thus, this work is what God himself has approved and that is the significance of this work. 

Jai Shri Krishna 🙏