I SSN 0975-4067

KIRAVAL
Journal of Sanskrit Research Foundation
The New Trivandrum Sanskrit Series
Vol.V. Book.I & II
January-June
2013
SANSKRIT RESEARCH FOUNDATION
T.C 39/37
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-36
KIRAVAL
Journal of Sanskrit Research Foundation
Editor
Dr.M. Manimohanan
Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit,Kalady
dr.m.manimohanan@gmail.com
Executive Editor
Dr.C.S.Sasikumar
Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit,Kalady
drsasikumarcs@yahoo.co.in
Managing Editor
Dr.G.Narayanan
Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit,Kalady
dr.g.narayanan@gmail.com
Editorial Board
Dr.V.Sisupalapanikkar,Professor of Sanskrit(Rtd.) Uty. of Kerala
Dr.R.Vijayakumar, Professor of Vyakarana, S.S.U.S.Kalady
Dr.K.Muthulakshmi, Associate professor in Vedanta, S.S.U.S.
Kalady
Dr.K.K.Sundaresan, Registrar, Kalamandalam
Editorial Advisory Board
Dr.T.Devarajan, Professor of Sanskrit(Rtd), University of Kerala
Dr.P.Chithambaran, Rtd.Professor of Vedanta,S.S.U.S. Kalady
Dr.P.K.Dharmarajan, Professor of Sahitya, S.S.U.S. Kalady
Dr..S.Sobhana, Associate professor in Vedanta, S.S.U.S.Kalady
Dr.K.Sekharan, Professor of Sanskrit, University of Calicut
Associate Editor
Prof.R.Jinu
jichelnu@yahoo.co.in
Views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not
necessarily those of the publishers
Contents
Ia Upaniad and Rmyaa Dr.V.Vasudevan- 7
Bhadrakalikalam- a Reminiscence of
Dhuli Chitra: A study Babu.K -15
Modern and Vedantic Views
on Mental Health Dr.H.Sylaja -38
Cultivation and related income
in the Arthastra Pushpadasan Kuniyil -44
Rmyaa Plays of
Bhsa Dr. N. Vijayamohanan Pillai - 49
The Creative Genius
in Sree Narayana Guru Dr.Asaletha.V -56
Eco Feminism Shamshad Begum.R - 62
Ajitamahtantra:
Treatise on Vstuvidya Soumya. K -70
Historical and Cultural Aspects Reflected In
Ashtamimahotsava Prabandha Krishnaveni -79
Influence of Buddhism in the Social Health
Environment of Kerala Soumya.c.s -84
-.... .|...... :...-. ...+ -
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E&- Ehi M & .E .E -104
-.|.. :... -. +. ... ..|- :. . |.. -. . |.-..+ -..|
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Influence of Buddhism in the Social
Health Environment of Kerala
Soumya.C.S
Buddhism represents the way of compassion. The Buddha
manifested a complete compassion and is respectfully seen as the
compassionate protector of all beings. He taught that for those who
wish to follow his Path should practice loving-kindness, not to harm
the life of all beings - not only to protect mankind, but also to protect
animals and vegetation. As in the other parts of India, Buddhism had
penetrated in to Kerala also. The records reveal not only the existence
of Buddhist shrines but also the real patronage of the creed by the kings.
It is very difficult to comprehend the nature of the dissemination of
Buddhism in to Kerala owing to the inadequacy of evidence. However
the first wave of Buddhism might have come to this land through traders
since most of the Buddhists were from this class. Buddhism must have
been introduced in Kerala in the third Century B.C itself during the
reign of Aoka. In addition to the Buddhist missionaries sent by Aoka
those from Ceylon also seem to have come to Kerala and other South
Indian kingdoms to spread Buddhism. The script of inscriptions of the
rocks also shows similarly to the Ceylonese cave records of the same
period. It is not from Ceylon alone that Buddhism had come to Kerala.
Scholarly Buddhist monks reached Kerala through the coastline of
Gujarat and Maharashtra most of whom were disciples of
Mahsangharakitha who was deputed by Aoka to preach Buddhism
in the Maratha region .Besides South India has contributed many
Kiraval 85
towering intellectuals for the cause of whom were the sons of Kerala.
Health Environment
One of the greatest contributions of Buddhism to mankind is the
organization of medical services on altruistic values. The blessed one
entrusted to Jvaka, the most famous physician of his time ,the task of
under taking medical relief to the needy, later on ,the Buddhist
dispensation of medicine centered round the Vihra or Caitya and
services to the sick, the injured and the invalid had become a matter of
faith to every Buddhist. Precious herbs and rare medicinal plants grow
all over Kerala and the adoption of Buddhism has led to a new search
and new valuation of them in the Sahya ranges of South Travancore.
There is the Maruthvmala which is renowned for its medical herbs.
Studying and researching the properties and efficiency of various plants
,Bhaanta Ngrjuna, a great Buddhist monk and physician ,spent
more than 18 years in Thiruvizha in Cherthala teaching, prescribing
and writing on medicines .Young members of the Buddhist families in
Cherthala with the aptitude to learn medical science became his
disciples and the Taluk later on ,has produced great physicians and
herbalists of rare eminence. The most conspicuous contribution of
Bhaanta Ngrjuna is Rasavaieika sthra , an illuminating
commentary on which is written by his illustrious disciple Narasimha
who was a native of Cherthala .It was by the untiring effort of
Narasiha, the preaching monk ,almost every family in Kerala has
come to possess knowledge of some herbs and their various usages.
During the Buddhist period of Kerala, Kodakkarapalli, five kilometers
west of Cherthala town was a famous Buddhist centre of medical
knowledge where renowned physicians and herbalists periodically met
to exchange and enrich their knowledge. distinguished Buddhist monk
to rise as an original genius in medicine was Vagbhaa , the celebrated
author of Anghahdhaya which is religiously learned and faithfully
followed by all Ayurvedic physicians of Kerala. The father of Indian
86 Kiraval
surgery Suruta and Caraka.the physician par excellence were both
devout Buddhist and had sent during their times , medical teams to
Kerala for exchange of knowledge with the Ayurvedic experts and
herbians.
Buddhism and Environmental Protection
Living in contentment does not mean the elimination of desire of
knowledge and truth, but to live in harmony with all beings and with
nature. On that basis, those who understand the Buddha s teaching
will limit their selfishness, to live in harmony with nature, without
harming the environment. They will see what should be explored and
to what level, what should be protected for future use by the next
generations and other beings. Excessive greed to possess everything
for themselves, or for their own group, has make men becoming blind.
They are prepared to fight, make war, causing deaths, disease, starvation,
destruction of life of all species, gradually worsening the living
environment. By all means, they try to maximize their profits, without
being concerned of the negative impact of unplanned exploitation
leading to depletion of natural resources, discharge toxics into the air,
water, earth, leading to environmental pollution, destroying the
ecological balance.
For thousand years, the Buddhist forest monasteries have manifested
a harmonious living with nature, being established in the mountains, in
the forests. Tranquil life in the forest helped Buddhist practitioners to
improve their inner mind, and at the same time, they also worked for
the protection of animals living in the area. With loving and tolerant
heart, the Buddhists live with natural vegetation, wild animals in the
forest in harmony and for mutual survival. Men used oxygen partly
discharged by trees, live by their shadows, and in return, men looked
after the trees. Wild animals may come to eat crops planted by the
temple without running the risk to be killed. The harmonious living of
Buddhism is completely different from the competitive, opposing living
Kiraval 87
and fighting against the nature as seen in the West and also in an
increasing number of countries in the East, which tend to destruction
for selfish gains.
Education
An unforgettable gift of Buddhism to Kerala is that the Education
and literacy. The Buddha vihras are also educational institutions. In
small sheds, unselfish monks taught every child to write on a spread of
soft sand with the index finger the alphabet of Malaylam. With the
vanishing of Buddhist ascetics, their place was taken by the village
teacher called n equally unselfish and entirely devoted to the task
of removing ignorance from the mind of the populace. Even after the
monastery of cast has become ubiquitous ,on a rough estimate ,there
were about 20000 n pallikams or Kuipallikams all over Kerala
of which more than half was run by ns belonging to communities
which suffered the oppressions of caste. The ezhuthupallis of Kerala
were based on the schools attached to Buddhist Vihras. The part played
by Buddhist monks in the spread of learning in Kerala deserves special
mention. The Buddhist monks appear to have been pioneers in the field
of education. They had numerous charity establishments associated with
their vihras and these served as centers for the spread of learning
.Monasteries became cultural centers both for the monk and laity. It
was the monastery that arranged for the enlightenment of the general
population. It was the monastery that possessed the biggest library and
helped the cause of the multiplication of books by getting them copied.
The part played by Buddhist monks in the spread of learning in Kerala
deserves special mention. The Buddhist monks appear to have been
pioneers in the field of education. They had numerous charity
establishments associated with their vihras and these served as centers
for the spread of learning.
Literature
The large admixture of pli , words which are find in Malaylam
88 Kiraval
was the product of Buddhist influence. The woks of the poet Kumran
n like Karua, Canlabhikuki and Sr Buddhacaritam also show
the profound impact of Buddhism o Malaylam literature. Sr
Buddhacaritam is a free rendering of Edwin Arnolds The Light of
Asia in to Malaylam.ns Karua and Canlabhikuki are based
on Buddhist doctrine. Nalappat Narayanamenons translation of The
Light of Asia entitled Pourastyadhpam is an important work.
Aswaghoas Buddhacaritam, the Jtaka stories, etc., were also
translated.
Expansion of Buddhism in Kerala cannot be explained in terms of
monuments as found in places like Sanchi and Ajanta. Hardly there
was a need of raising imposing sthupas or towers and architecture
marvels in Kerala. In the land of flourishing vegetation and multiplicity
or rivers, the creation of a spacious Sang rma or vihra was a matter
of marking out its boundaries on a selected spot.
Main Buddhist centers in Kerala
Some of the major temples of Kerala today like the Kurumba
bhagavati temple ,Koungallur and the Vaakkunnatha temple ,Trichur
seem to have been Buddhist shrines in ancient days. Buddhist images
have been discovered from a number of places like Mvelikkara,
Pallickal, Karumi, etc. in the Quilon-Alleppey territorial belt. The
great Buddhist pilgrim center of Srmlavsam must have been located
somewhere in the region between Ambalapuzha and Tkkunnapuzha
in Alleppey district. Evidences of Buddhist influence are available from
different fields life and culture in Kerala even today.
Conclusion
Environmental protection is one of the urgent problems facing
mankind today. The awareness of protecting life and living environment
has been generated in recent time. However, in Buddhism, it is one of
the main basic laws which were set out by the Buddha some 25 centuries
ago for his students to follow. All scientists, economists, philosophers,
Kiraval 89
researchers through newspapers, television, radio, etc. analyzed and
were alarmed on the serious adverse impacts of toxic substances on the
living environment of human, animals, and vegetation. It is ironic that
man is the one who pollutes his own health, and kill the life of all
beings in this Earth. The risk threatening our ecology is not minor. It
leads to many measures to prevent or minimize the pollution, of world-
wide scale, including the ten important International Conventions to
protect the environment.
Buddhism had made immense contribution and influence to Indian
life and thought. Buddhas teaching like his heart was all-expanding
and all-embracing, so it has survived his body and swept across the
face of the earth. Although Buddhism was forced to disappear from
Kerala as a religion its spirit could not be eliminated from the life of
the people. Caste and untouchability have reduced the state to an evil
den for three centuries from the seventeenth, but the teachings of the
Buddha lived in the mind of the masses and in the humble and peace
loving, and Buddhist system of knowledge and medicine devotedly
carried on by their unostentatious and dedicated votaries to the benefit
of the people.