The story of Vishu and Konna poo

Happy Vishu everyone!

There are many stories behind Vishu. But all of them are focused on either Krishna or Vishnu. In Indian astrology, Vishnu is considered as Kaala Purusha, the God of Time. As Vishu marks the first day of this calendar, he is worshipped by Hindus.

Of all the stories about Vishu, one told about a small boy is most famous. Once there lived a Brahmin boy named Unni who was a great devotee of Unni Krishnan (Guruvayurappan). His widow mother brought him up with great difficulties. Every day his mother used to tell him stories of Unni Krishnan and gradually a great desire began to grow inside him – to see Unni Krishnan once. 

He began to pray in the nearby Krishna temple telling him the desire to see him at least once. Krishna’s mind melted and one day he gave ‘darshan’ to Unni in the form of Bala Krishna. Seeing Unni’s innocent love and Bhakthi, he gave his ‘Kaasi waist chain’ made of gold. Kaasi means shape of small coins. Earlier, simplest of all coins was 'kaas'. Unni returned home with great happiness of seeing Unni Krishnan, with the waist chain in his hand.

Next day when Poojari opened the temple, he was shocked to see Murthy’s waist chain (Aranjaanam) missing. News of the theft spread like a forest fire and very soon Unni was caught as a thief. Even though he told the truth crying, no one believed him. In anger, he threw that chain to the nearby tree!

As soon as the waist chain touched the tree branches it changed to yellow flowers closely resembling the golden coins. Seeing this, everyone believed the poor boy’s words.This flower is known as ‘Kanikonna’ or ‘Konna’ in Malayalam and are offered to Krishna as pooja flowers. Surprisingly, through the months from February until April (sometimes in May too), these trees blossom all over Kerala. So, it’s really a spectacular scene to view in Kerala during this season.

Another Version:

During Vishu, yellow flowers called Konna Poo are offered to Lord Krishna while keeping Vishu Kani. These flowers have a story behind it.

In a small village in Kerala, there was a small temple of Sri Krishna. The zamindar of the village had employed a poor thirumeni( priest ) to do the pooja in the temple every morning and evening. The priest used to come to the temple daily with his son who was about 3 years old. While the father used to perform his duties inside the temple, the son used to play in the premises of the temple. In the afternoon the father used to sleep in the verandah of the temple and the boy used to play nearby. With his half closed eyes, he used to watch his son playing. 

The fact was that, Unni Krishnan used to come out of the temple and play with the little boy and so the boy was enjoying and playing. The boy used to play as if he is playing with a group of boys, laughing, screaming, running. This practice followed everyday. 

Once, on the day before Vishu, the father cleaned the entire temple premises. He was very exhausted and slept outside the temple in the verandah. He told his son to play nearby and not to go very far. The boy was playing near his father and that afternoon Unni Krishnan gave his waist belt which was full of golden bells to the boy as the Vishu Kayneetum. The boy was very happy to receive it and he was holding the waist belt and gazing at it.

At that time the zamindar arrived at the temple and he saw the golden waist belt of Krishna in the hands of the boy. He immediately started shouting and called all villagers and declared that the father and son are thieves. He seized the waist belt from the boy's hand. The father started crying and pleading that they are not thieves and have not stolen it. 

At that time, Unni Krishnan, who was watching this drama got very angry. He miraculously caused the waist belt to fly out of the zamindar's hand which fell on a konna tree next to the temple. The golden bells of the waist belt became soft, yellow flowers. These flowers are called as Konna poo which are even now offered to Lord Krishna in the Vishu Kani, because it pleases Lord Krishna and reminds us of his love for the small boy who was very dear to him!

Guruvayurappan - Poonthanam

Part 3

Poonthanam Neelakantan Namboodiri (1547-1640 AD), the  famous Malayalam devotional poet, was born in the Illam of  Poonthanam after his mother had partaken the Trimadhuram (Plantains, Honey and Jaggery) that was prepared in the Thirumanthamkunnu Bhagavathi Temple, which is  near Angadipuram, in the present Malappuram district of Kerala. As he was born with the blessings of the Devi, at this temple, he was also known as Mathru Dattan. He was one of the most ardent devotees of Lord Krishna at Guruvayur and he is chiefly remembered by the Malayalis for his masterpiece in Malayalam “Njanappaana” which means “the Pot of Wisdom”.

There is a belief that the celestial Devas would visit this temple every night and perform pujas to the Bhagavathi.  So, before closing the doors of the Sanctum Sanctorum at night, the Namboodiris would prepare a bowl of this Trimadhuram and place it inside the temple for the pujas to be conducted  by the Devas.

It is this Trimadhuram that was offered by the Melshanthi of the Bhagavathi Temple to the woman devotee of the Poonthanam family that resulted in the birth of Poonthanam who later became a great devotee of Lord Krishna, at Guruvayur.

Poonthanam was a contemporary of Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri and Thunjathu Ezhuthachhan, the great Malayalam scholar and writer. He also hailed from Shoranoor.   He did not have much of an education unlike the others. 

Poonthanam Namboodiri got married very late comparatively. The couple waited for a long period to be blessed with a baby. At last, the Antharjanam (wife of Namboodiri) gave birth to a baby boy. This made the whole village happy. Poonthanam Namboodiri being a devotee of Guruvayurappan, used to pray that when he gets a baby, he will give the Lord’s name to his baby.

They invited all their relatives to the naming ceremony. The house was full of relatives, Namboodiri’s wife fed the baby and made him sleep in the corner of the room and was busy with the guests. Due to non-availability of adequate light in the room, whoever came in, left their angavastram in one corner of the room. After some time, everyone was searching for the baby and found that he had died of suffocation there.

After this tragedy, Poonthanam became more and more devoted to his Lord, Guruvayurappan. He thought when the Lord himself is playing in my mind, why do I need a baby! Thus, he consoled himself and started giving Sri Bhagavatham lectures in and around the village temples. People used to gather in huge numbers to hear his lecture because he used to explain Sri Bhagavatham in a very simple language, so that everybody could understand.

There is a story in the Srimad Bhagavatham about Narada whose mother died of a snakebite and that incident helped the Rishi to focus all his attention towards Maha Vishnu. The same happened to Poonthanam whose bhakti-yoga became more intense after this tragedy. By stoically absorbing it with a sense of reality, Poonthanam submitted himself to the will of Guruvayurappan. He was at once blessed with a glorious vision of the divine child Sree Krishna, inspiring him to sing the famous verse, "While baby Krishna is playing in my mind, do I need another baby of my own"?

Poonthanam composed the world famous Njanappaana while suffering this agony. He transferred his vatsalya for his dead son, to Lord Guruvayurappan, as the little Unnikrishnan, whom one can see daily at the famous Guruvayur Temple in Kerala, during the early morning Nirmalya Darshan. Right from the time of his personal loss, Poonthanam would derive solace by believing in this little Unnikrishnan of Guruvayur.

He adopted the little Unnikrishnan at Guruvayur as his son and obtained enlightenment. His enlightenment started with his reciting the puranic story of Kumara Haranam. It is believed that he would often repeat, “It is all his divine play.  One who lives in opulence today becomes a pauper tomorrow. But when my little Unnikrishnan is playing in my heart, do I need another son of my own?”

How many grieving fathers could take solace in such staunch belief? But it happened to Poonthanam, because his devotion to Guruvayurappan was such and He engulfed him and accepted him as his Parama Bhakta.

Totally devoted to the Lord of Guruvayur, Poonthanam would spend days together inside the Guruvayur temple praying to his Lord. In fact, the temple of Guruvayur had become another home away from home for him. This gave him back his peace of mind, mental balance and tranquility.

Among the Malayalis, Njanappaana is considered as an epitome of Bhakthi Yoga. And through these verses, the Lord of Guruvayur makes his devotees realize how the sufferings of a tortured soul, could be converted into an outpouring of divine hymns, only if the devotee has immense faith in Him.