Revathi Pattathanam
Encyclopedia
Revathi Pattathanam is an annual assembly of scholars held since ancient times at Kozhikode
in Kerala
, India
. Traditionally a seven-day event, the festival used to be held under the patronage of the Zamorin of Kozhikode. The prime event of the assembly, is the conferring of the title Bhatta along with a panakizhi (purse of money) to selected scholars. The word Pattadhanam is derived from Bhattadanam, which in Malayalam
means "awarding of the Bhatta". The assembly used to begin on the day of the Revathi
asterism, and hence the title Revathi Pattathanam.
The Calicut Grandhavari (Calicut Chronicles) states that the Zamorin Raja, when he was the Naduvazhi (chiefetain) of Ernad earlier, confiscated the Tali Siva temple and forcefully removed sixty Saivite Brahmin trustees. Some of the trustees who resisted where executed. Tradition has it that Revathi Pattathanam, a competition for scholars, came to be organized in the 14th century as a Prayaschitta
for this Brahmanahatya
(murder of Brahmins, described as one of the five great sins in Dharmashastras
). Following the take over of the temple, the royal family came to the verge of extinction due to the absence of progeny. This was interpreted as the consequence of the Brahmin curse. To remove this curse, the Saiva saint Kolkunnattu Savankal, a contemporary of poet Raghavananda towards the end of the thirteenth century, advised the Zamorin to institute the competition on the latter's birth asterism of Revati every year.
The competition was a major event in south India during the medieval period. Great scholars like the famous Uddanda Shastri from Tamil Nadu was a prominent pariticipant in the contest for the Bhattasthana (the seat of a bhatta). The competition was conducted annually and gifts were distributed for winners in four fields of knowledge- Tarka
, Vyakarana
, Mimamsa
and Vedanta
. More subjects were added at later stages.
The competition was conducted for seven days beginning from the asterism
of Revathi
in the month of Tulam on two mandapas (platforms) on either side of the vatilmadam (entrance hall) of Tali temple. The competition was conducted under the watchfull eyes of judges who were chosen from recipients of the sthanam in previous years, known as the 'Old Sabha'. The Raja himself was seated at the southern end of the long hall on the southern side. Bhatta Mimamsa, Prabhakara Mimamsa, Vyakarana and Vedanta were represented by lighted lamps on different parts of the platform. The debates were of serious nature and was conducted with high degree of merit and erudition. It is noted in this regard that even the candidature of a great scholar like Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri
, the author of Narayaneeyam
and Prakriya Sarvasvam was rejected by the Old Sabha six times.
The Pattathanam starts with an invitation sent to the two important yogams of Brahmin scholars in Kerala belonging to Cheviyannur and Kotamangalam respectively. On the last day, Mangat Achan announce the list of winners prepared by the judges. The Raja would prostrate before the winners to seek their blessing and distributed kizhis (purses) containing one hundred and one Panam each to one hundred Smartas
(one who is proficient in the Smritis
).
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, 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...
. Traditionally a seven-day event, the festival used to be held under the patronage of the Zamorin of Kozhikode. The prime event of the assembly, is the conferring of the title Bhatta along with a panakizhi (purse of money) to selected scholars. The word Pattadhanam is derived from Bhattadanam, which in Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
means "awarding of the Bhatta". The assembly used to begin on the day of the Revathi
Nakshatra
Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic...
asterism, and hence the title Revathi Pattathanam.
The Calicut Grandhavari (Calicut Chronicles) states that the Zamorin Raja, when he was the Naduvazhi (chiefetain) of Ernad earlier, confiscated the Tali Siva temple and forcefully removed sixty Saivite Brahmin trustees. Some of the trustees who resisted where executed. Tradition has it that Revathi Pattathanam, a competition for scholars, came to be organized in the 14th century as a Prayaschitta
Prayascitta
Prāyaścitta is the Hindu term for penance and, along with vyavahāra and ācāra makes up the dharmaśāstra. It is the word used for the portion of Hindu law and the dharmaśāstra that has to do with the expiation of sins...
for this Brahmanahatya
Brahmanahatya
Brāhmanahatya is Sanskrit for "the act of killing a Brahmin". Puranic Hinduism considers this act to be a major sin, worse than "ordinary" murder....
(murder of Brahmins, described as one of the five great sins in Dharmashastras
Dharmasastra
Dharmaśāstra is a genre of Sanskrit texts and refers to the śāstra, or Indic branch of learning, pertaining to Hindu dharma, religious and legal duty. The voluminous textual corpus of Dharmaśāstra is primarily a product of the Brahmanical tradition in India and represents the elaborate scholastic...
). Following the take over of the temple, the royal family came to the verge of extinction due to the absence of progeny. This was interpreted as the consequence of the Brahmin curse. To remove this curse, the Saiva saint Kolkunnattu Savankal, a contemporary of poet Raghavananda towards the end of the thirteenth century, advised the Zamorin to institute the competition on the latter's birth asterism of Revati every year.
The competition was a major event in south India during the medieval period. Great scholars like the famous Uddanda Shastri from Tamil Nadu was a prominent pariticipant in the contest for the Bhattasthana (the seat of a bhatta). The competition was conducted annually and gifts were distributed for winners in four fields of knowledge- Tarka
Indian logic
The development of Indian logic dates back to the anviksiki of Medhatithi Gautama the Sanskrit grammar rules of Pāṇini ; the Vaisheshika school's analysis of atomism ; the analysis of inference by Gotama , founder of the Nyaya school of Hindu philosophy; and the tetralemma of Nagarjuna...
, Vyakarana
Vyakarana
The Sanskrit grammatical tradition of ' is one of the six Vedanga disciplines. It has its roots in late Vedic India, and includes the famous work, The Sanskrit grammatical tradition of ' is one of the six Vedanga disciplines. It has its roots in late Vedic India, and includes the famous work, ...
, Mimamsa
Mimamsa
' , a Sanskrit word meaning "investigation" , is the name of an astika school of Hindu philosophy whose primary enquiry is into the nature of dharma based on close hermeneutics of the Vedas...
and Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
. More subjects were added at later stages.
The competition was conducted for seven days beginning from the asterism
Asterism (astronomy)
In astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars recognized on Earth's night sky. It may form part of an official constellation, or be composed of stars from more than one. Like constellations, asterisms are in most cases composed of stars which, while they are visible in the same general direction,...
of Revathi
Revati (nakshatra)
Revati is the twenty-seventh nakshatra in Hindu astrology, corresponding to ζ Piscium.It is ruled by Puṣan,one of the 12 Ādityas...
in the month of Tulam on two mandapas (platforms) on either side of the vatilmadam (entrance hall) of Tali temple. The competition was conducted under the watchfull eyes of judges who were chosen from recipients of the sthanam in previous years, known as the 'Old Sabha'. The Raja himself was seated at the southern end of the long hall on the southern side. Bhatta Mimamsa, Prabhakara Mimamsa, Vyakarana and Vedanta were represented by lighted lamps on different parts of the platform. The debates were of serious nature and was conducted with high degree of merit and erudition. It is noted in this regard that even the candidature of a great scholar like Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri
Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri
Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri , third student of Achyuta Pisharati, was of Madhava of Sangamagrama's Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. He was a mathematical linguist . His most important scholarly work, Prkriya-sarvawom, sets forth an axiomatic system elaborating on the classical system...
, the author of Narayaneeyam
Narayaniyam
Narayaniyam is a medieval Sanskrit text, comprising a summary study in poetic form of the Bhagavata Purana. It was composed by Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, a devotee-poet who lived in the Indian state of Kerala, in the sixteenth century AD...
and Prakriya Sarvasvam was rejected by the Old Sabha six times.
The Pattathanam starts with an invitation sent to the two important yogams of Brahmin scholars in Kerala belonging to Cheviyannur and Kotamangalam respectively. On the last day, Mangat Achan announce the list of winners prepared by the judges. The Raja would prostrate before the winners to seek their blessing and distributed kizhis (purses) containing one hundred and one Panam each to one hundred Smartas
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...
(one who is proficient in the Smritis
Smriti
Smriti literally "that which is remembered," refers to a specific body of Hindu religious scripture, and is a codified component of Hindu customary law. Smṛti also denotes non-Śruti texts and is generally seen as secondary in authority to Śruti. The literature which comprises the Smrti was...
).