Kulashekhara
Encyclopedia
Kulasekara Varman also known as Kulashekhara Alwar (Tamil
: குலசேகர ஆழ்வார்) was the founder and King of the Later Chera Kingdom (Mahodayapuram Kulasekharas) from 800 AD until his departure from public life, a devotional Vaishnavism poet and one of the 12 celebrated Alwars.
The initial territories of Kulasekhara Varman included Kudamalainadu only. Kulashekhara Varman re-united the present day Kerala state into a united homogeneous entity and ruled from the capital city of Mahodayapuram (present Kodungallur
) built around the great Siva temple of Thiruvanchikulam
. During his Zenith, Kulasekhara kingdom extended throughout the present day Kerala state, Nilgiris district, including Gudalur
and Salem-Coimbatore
region. It was probably during this period Udagai became the second capital of the Kulasekara dynasty with a member of the Kulasekara family appointed to rule over this region.
He is one of the 12 Alvar
saints of South India
, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism
. The temples reverred by these azhwars are termed Divya desam.
Alvar
saints of the Vaishnavite movement of South India who composed the Perumal thirumozhi, one of the most celebrated devotional works of the Tamil
Bhakti
cult. In this work he calls himself ruler of kolli (a mountain in Namakkal dt.), the master of Kudal (Madurai), the ruler of Kozhi (Uraiyur near Trichy) and the overlord of Kongu (Salem- Coimbatore region).
He is also considered the author of the beautiful devotional lyric in Sanskrit, the Mukundamala
. His poems are devotional in nature, being dedicated to the most prominent Avatar
s of Vishnu
(Rama
and Krishna
). The great Advaita philosopher Sankaracharya
is a younger contemporary of Kulshekhara Alwar. Kulasekhara Alwar is said to have married a Pandya Kings' daughter. Kulasekhara was supported by the Tamil Clans Villavar, Malayar, Vanavar and Pazhuvettaraiyar.
It is believed that he renounced the crown to become a sanyasi and lived in Srirangam
to serve the deity of Ranganatha
. He is revered as the 9th of the alvars
(one of 12 mendicant saints venerated by South Indian Sri Vaishnavism) and composed bhakti songs filled with yearning towards God called paasurams which are an important part of Carnatic
classical music repertory. A great devotee of Rama
, he considered the painful experiences of Lord Rama to be his own. He is therefore also known as ‘Perum-al’, meaning ‘The Great’ – an epithet for the Lord. His devotion was so intense that he worshipped the devotees of the Lord as the Lord Himself.
away to Gokul
where Nanda and Yasodha, the foster parents, looked after them. Kulasekara expresses Devaki's desolation at being separated from her child and for union with him. This is the same sense of sorrow of separation and yearning for union that pervades the outpourings of all the mystic poets of India
.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: குலசேகர ஆழ்வார்) was the founder and King of the Later Chera Kingdom (Mahodayapuram Kulasekharas) from 800 AD until his departure from public life, a devotional Vaishnavism poet and one of the 12 celebrated Alwars.
The initial territories of Kulasekhara Varman included Kudamalainadu only. Kulashekhara Varman re-united the present day Kerala state into a united homogeneous entity and ruled from the capital city of Mahodayapuram (present Kodungallur
Kodungallur
Kodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...
) built around the great Siva temple of Thiruvanchikulam
Thiruvanchikulam
Thiruvanchikkulam was the capital of the Chera kingdom. Thiruvanchikulam is situated near the modern city of Kochi in the Kerala Province of modern India south to Mahodayapuram and north to former Muziris, the famous sea port on the Malabar coast...
. During his Zenith, Kulasekhara kingdom extended throughout the present day Kerala state, Nilgiris district, including Gudalur
Gudalur
Gudalur may refer to:towns in Tamil Nadu* Gudalur * Gudalur * Gudalur...
and Salem-Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
region. It was probably during this period Udagai became the second capital of the Kulasekara dynasty with a member of the Kulasekara family appointed to rule over this region.
He is one of the 12 Alvar
Alvars
The alwar or azhwars were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are...
saints of South India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. The temples reverred by these azhwars are termed Divya desam.
Works
He is also one of the famous HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Alvar
Alvars
The alwar or azhwars were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are...
saints of the Vaishnavite movement of South India who composed the Perumal thirumozhi, one of the most celebrated devotional works of the Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
Bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
cult. In this work he calls himself ruler of kolli (a mountain in Namakkal dt.), the master of Kudal (Madurai), the ruler of Kozhi (Uraiyur near Trichy) and the overlord of Kongu (Salem- Coimbatore region).
He is also considered the author of the beautiful devotional lyric in Sanskrit, the Mukundamala
Mukundamala
Mukundamala is a poem in Sanskrit written by Kulashekhara Alvar, one of the last kings of the Chera dynasty in Kerala, and the 9th Alvar c.1100CE. It is written in the style of Bhakti saints and asks Mukunda, another name for Krishna, to give the unworthy author freedom from Samsara...
. His poems are devotional in nature, being dedicated to the most prominent Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
s of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
(Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
). The great Advaita philosopher Sankaracharya
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
is a younger contemporary of Kulshekhara Alwar. Kulasekhara Alwar is said to have married a Pandya Kings' daughter. Kulasekhara was supported by the Tamil Clans Villavar, Malayar, Vanavar and Pazhuvettaraiyar.
It is believed that he renounced the crown to become a sanyasi and lived in Srirangam
Srirangam
Srirangam , Old name is Vellithirumutha gramam and Tamil name is Thiruvarangam , is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli , in South India....
to serve the deity of Ranganatha
Ranganatha
Ranganātha , also known as Sri Ranganatha, Ranganathar, or Ranga, is a Hindu deity, more well known in South India. The deity is a resting form of Lord Vishnu, one of the foremost of Hindu Gods. His consort is Goddess Lakshmi, also known as Ranganayaki, Thayar...
. He is revered as the 9th of the alvars
Alvars
The alwar or azhwars were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are...
(one of 12 mendicant saints venerated by South Indian Sri Vaishnavism) and composed bhakti songs filled with yearning towards God called paasurams which are an important part of Carnatic
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
classical music repertory. A great devotee of Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, he considered the painful experiences of Lord Rama to be his own. He is therefore also known as ‘Perum-al’, meaning ‘The Great’ – an epithet for the Lord. His devotion was so intense that he worshipped the devotees of the Lord as the Lord Himself.
Hymns
His involvement in the myths and legends of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama has produced some excquisite devotional poetry. In one song, he iddentifies himself with Devaki, the biological mother of Lord Krishna, from which KrishnaKrishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
away to Gokul
Gokul
-In Vedic Scripture:-Geography:Gokul is located at . It has an average elevation of 163 metres .-Demographics: India census, Gokul had a population of 4041. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Gokul has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of...
where Nanda and Yasodha, the foster parents, looked after them. Kulasekara expresses Devaki's desolation at being separated from her child and for union with him. This is the same sense of sorrow of separation and yearning for union that pervades the outpourings of all the mystic poets of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
External links
- Mukunda Mala Stotra (Prayers of King Kulashekhara)
- Kulashekara's contribution to theatre
- - Information about the 12 Alvars