The 12 Sects Born to a Peryai ( Reed Weaver ) Lower Caste Harijan Woman of Kerala as per Peryai Patta Panthirukulam mythological Story

Kolkata, Wednesday Nd August, 2012

Vayailla Kunnilappan

The Boy God without a Mouth

 "If the child had a mouth, God would feed it " 

Vararuchi
A Legend from Malayalam Mythology
As Percieved by Kottarathil Sankunni
in his Book
Aithihiya Mala
A Garland of Legends

Kottarathil Sankunni

Vayilla Kunnilappan Temple at Vayilla Kunnu

The Mount of Mouthless

As told to me by My late Dad quite early in life.

        The relevance of story today is because, a colleague of mine, was losing sleep, because, he was not able to arrange money, for his daughters medical treatment. I told him, young man, if you lose sleep, how would you arrange the money, If god has given you a daughter, and given illness to your daughter , he will also give you the means, to arrange the money, for her treatment, subject to, you try with calm and composed mind. The crux was, unless you think rationally, you will never find a way to conceive, how to arrange the money. So utmost peace & calm of mind is essential for a rational man, to do anything then I told him this mythological tale of Vayilla Kunnilappan. I confess, I had no idea about the names. I just knew the story vaguely, but the research for this story, made me wiser, so I thought sharing the same with you.

                       This is an inspiring story, which I thought, pertained to Naranattha Brandhan or The Madman of village Naranathil. But actually, it turned out ti be of his father Vararuchi. Further, I was amazed at the story, having relevance to the religious caste system, of modern Kerala, emanated, through this mythological story!

          Vararuchi was a noted Astrologer, Son of Chandragupta and his Brahmin wife , who sat on the throne of Avanti, and abdicate once the other Son of Chandragupta, through his Kshatriya wife came of age, to sit on the throne. 

                   One day he was resting under a tree when he overheard a conversation between two Gandharva's ( messengers between God and Humans & also husbands of Apsaras- Angels as per Hindu Mythology) Talking among themselves, that this Brahman, who doesn't know the scriptures will marry a Perayi ( Paraya a lower caste Harijan Basket Weaver community) girl born just then. To avoid this, Vararuchi, with the help of King, his brother, got all Paraya Girls either killed, or with a nail fixed on their heads, packed them in wooden boxes and, threw them into river. Down the stream, a childless Brahman couple, found the box, found this beautiful girl, fell in love with her , and brought up as a Brahman Girl.

                  Some years later, Vararuchi was passing throught the village, of the very Brahman, who invited Vararuchi for lunch. Vararuchi accepted, on a strange promise. He asked the Brahmin, to feed him 18 types of curries, and leftover rice, after feeding 100 Brahmins. The Brahmin was perplexed, but his adopted daughter said, do not worry. She Panchami ( that was her name) Served on a plantain leaf, A curry of Ginger, which is considered as equal to 18 curries, and leftover rice offering for Vaisvadeva ceremony, equivalent to offerrings to 100 Brahmins. Noting that the girl had to be Brahmins Daugher, he asked for Panchamis hand for marriage. After some years, while talking to his wife, he found out the nail, in her head, realiseng his mistake, he went to a piligrimage, as penance. When they Reached Kerala, his wife was pregnant. When the child was born, Varaharuchi asked her " Does our child has a mouth ? " Panchami answered in affirmative. Vararuchi asked her to put the child into river, though sad, at first, she followed his diktat, always followed her wise husbands commands. When the second time she bore a child, same thing happenned, and the 3rd(the only girl all other were boys) and the 4th and so on. After the 11th time, when she bore the 12th child, she decided, she without looking at the child will say " The child has no mouth " The child was born, it was a boy, Vararuchi asked " Does the child have a mouth ? " Panchami, without looking at the child, answered in negative. Alas, when she looked at the child, indeed he did not have one. Angry, she asked Vararuchi " Why did you do this? " Vararuchi replied  "If the child had a mouth, God would feed it "  

The eleven children who were given away, were all reared in differrent castes as follows. Each one grew to become the master of their own domain/ The 12 Kids indicate the 12 Sects of the Malalyee Society even uptil todayu, uncluding Muslim Salt and Cotton trader Uppukootan ( a Muslim trader of Salt and Coptton) 

Mezhathol Agnihotri (a Brāhman who had performed Yajñam or Yāgam ninety-nine times), Pākkanār (a Paraiya, bamboo basket maker by profession),Perumtaccan (a master carpenter and an expert in Vāsthu), Rajakan (a sage and a learned man raised by a washerman), Vallon (a Paraiya, sometimes identified with the Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar who composed Thirukkural), Vaduthala Nair (a Nair, an expert in martial arts), Uppukootan (a Muslim, a trader in salt and cotton), Akavūr Cāttan (a Vysya, a manager of Akavur Mana), Kārakkal Amma (Kṣatriya woman, the only girl of the twelve children), Pānanār (a Pānan, a singer in Thiruvarangu), Nārānat Bhrāntan (a Brahman, the madman of Nārāṇatt), and Vāyillākunnilappan (not adopted by anybody, deified as the god of silence sanctified on the top of a hill).

The following Malayalam Sloka explains the sects in Malayalee Society!!!

Confession, I do not know how to read Malayalm
those of you who can, please translate and post it as a comment
Thank You
I shall append the translation, under the Sanskrit Sloka!!!

 മേളത്തോളഗ്നിഹോത്രീ രജകനുളിയനൂര്‍ -

          ത്തച്ചനും പിന്നെ വള്ളോന്‍

     വായില്ലാക്കുന്നിലപ്പന്‍ വടുതല മരുവും

          നായര്‍ കാരയ്ക്കല്‍ മാതാ

     ചെമ്മേ കേളുപ്പുകൂറ്റന്‍ പെരിയ തിരുവര-

          ങ്ങത്തെഴും പാക്കനാരും

     നേരേ നാരായണഭ്രാന്തനുമുടനകവൂര്‍-

          ച്ചാത്തനും പാണനാരും

Space for English Translation 






For Naranath Branthan Dtory link

link on Who is Vayilla Kunnilappan?

Link on  Vayilla Kunnilappan 9 there are no links here actually)

Thirthala, the place where The eldest born Mazhathol Agnihotri , was brought up t Mazhathol, in Thrithala.

Perayi Petta Panthirukulam ( The 12 castes borne by the Perayi Panchami) LINK

Paraiyar, or Periyar or Pariyah, or Patayan or Adi Dravid

The Basketweavers LINK

Mazhathol Agnihotri LINK

Pakkannar bamboo basket maker ( Paraya) LINK

Perumthachan ( Carpenter ) LINK

12 KULAS / KULAMS / SECTS
Panthirukulam
( Panthirunda Kulam)

ഓണത്തിന്റെ ആശംസഗല്‍ 

എല്ലാവര്ക്കു  എന്റെ നന്ദി