Author: Dr. P.C. Simon
Words:499
url: http://www.interchange.ubc.ca/psimon/book2.htm
format: 64 cpl
author's e-mail: psimon@alumni.ubc.ca
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KERALA Part 2
Mythological Origin
by
Dr. P.C. Simon
Copyright 2005
Sri Padmanabha Swami (Vishnu) was the tutelary deity of the rulers of Travancore (now part of Kerala). The Rajah and his successors held possession and the right to rule the state as servants of the deity. Marthanda Varma dedicated the whole of Kerala state to the Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple.
Kerala lies on the southwest coast of India. It is bounded by the State of Karnataka in the north, the Western Ghats and the State of Tamil Nadu in the east and south, and by the Arabian Sea in the west. Kerala is a beautiful land of lakes, white-water rivers, golden sandy beaches, and calm sea inlets with overhanging coconut trees with dancing fronds. Its high hills are covered with verdant tropical forests. In beauty, it far exceeds all famous resort areas in the world including the Hawaiian Islands. A visit is an unforgettable experience.
According to one story in Hindu mythology, Kerala was created by Parasurama, (Rama with the Axe) Vishnu's sixth incarnation. He came to destroy Kartavirya, a wicked Kshatriya king who terrorized the Brahmins. When Parasurama killed Kartavirya, Kartavirya's vengeful sons murdered Parasurama's father. In retaliation, Parasurama slaughtered Kartavirya's sons. They reincarnated twenty-one times, and each time Parasurama axed them to death until all were annihilated .
On the advice of a sage, Visvamitra, Parasurama went on a pilgrimage to the ocean shore in the south as penance for the slaughter he had committed. From the shore at Gokarnam, he heaved the execution axe into the ocean. The axe fell at Cape Comorin (komo-rin), about 400 miles from where he stood. The land between him and where the axe fell rose up from the ocean and became Kerala.
Outside the Kerala-History-Museum near Ernakulam, this myth is commemorated by a statue of Parasurama throwing his axe into the sea.
According to another story Parasurama was born as the youngest son of a pious hermit Jamadagni. Jamadagni's 's wife happened to see a young couple frolicking in the pool and was overcome by impure thoughts. When Jamadagni divined her thoughts, he asked each of his sons to behead her and all refused except Parasurama.
Parsurama struck off her head with the axe given to him by Shiva. Jamadagni was pleased and promised to grant him a boon. He immediately asked for his mother to be made alive. Thus she was restored to life.
Kerala has many other mythological associations as well. It is here that Rama, King of Ayodhya and seventh incarnation of Vishnu, spent part of his fourteen years of exile. During this exile, Rama's wife, the goddess Sita, bathed in a lake. Hence it came to be known as Devikulum (lake of the goddess).
It was from Kerala that Sita was abducted by Ravana and taken to Sri Lanka.
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Resource Box: Dr. Simon is a retired research microbiologist and author of The Missing Piece and The Philosopher's Notebook. For more information, visit http://www.interchange.ubc.ca/psimon/book2.htm