Pūntānam Nambūtiri
16th century · Kerala · Guruvāyūr, Kṛṣṇa bhakti
Pūntānam Nambūtiri was a poet-devotee of Guruvāyūrappan, Kṛṣṇa of Guruvāyūr. Tradition says that after the death of his infant son he found consolation in seeing the child Kṛṣṇa as his own.
His Jñānappāna, “the song of wisdom”, in simple Malayalam, reminds the listener of the shortness of life, the vanity of pride and wealth, and the power of the divine name. It is still recited in Kerala homes and at Guruvāyūr.
Tradition says the learned Melpattūr Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭatiri, author of the Sanskrit Nārāyaṇīyam, dismissed Pūntānam’s Malayalam verses for their simple grammar. Guruvāyūrappan, it is said, let it be known that he preferred Pūntānam’s devotion to Melpattūr’s learning.
Guruvāyūr · Jñānappāna · Malayalam