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JANUARY, 19241
RAMAVARMA-YASOBHUSHANAM AND VASUMATI.KALYANAM
merit; for its author, evidently an East Coast Brahman, whose knowledge of or interest in the history of Travancore in those troublous times could never have been great, has failed to give an historical setting to his panegyrical verses, and has only revelled in the usual stereotyped but commendable descriptions, similitudes and imagery. If this should be so in the case of an author who flourished only a century and a half ago, there is nothing to wonder at in the paucity of historical material in the compositions of many of our earlier Sanskrit poets, with but a few honourable exceptions. The criticism that the average Indian author is laoking in the historical instinot can hardly be regarded as undeserved.
The few points worthy of attention in this work may now be noted. That the hero of the work is none other than the nephew of Marttandavarman, the Great-the illustrious Rama-Kulasekhara-Vanchipala of the Solar race, who ascended the throne in Kollam 934 (A.D. 1759) and had a long eventful reign of 40 years till Kollam 974 (A.D. 1799), is understood from a verse, 10 which records, with a double entendre, that after Marttanda (tho king, the sun) had set, Raja (king Rama varman, the moon) asoended the Udayagiri (Udayagiri hill near Padmanabhapuram, the eastern hill). One item of new information furnished by this book is that Ramavarman was the son of a queen oalled Parvati 11, and it follows therefore that the princess of the Kolattunad family, who was adopted by Unni-Keralavar. man!in Kollam 893 (A.D. 1718), had this name or got it on adoption, Lakshmi and Parvatt being alternately the names borne by the Raņis of Travancore. The fact that the king has bson compared to god Subrahmanya!! may also contain the additional reference to his natal star baing the Kurttigai-nakshatra. He must have had more than two brothers, for they are referred to in the plural number a sagarbhydh, 13 and are cited as types of DMiralalita heroes. spending their time in their mansions in amorous dalliance; but we know ot only one brother Ravivarmanly (probably tho Makhayiram-tirunal of the Genealogioal Table16), who was present at the time of the dedication of the Travancore State to the god Padmanabha, the tutelary deity. The munificence16 and charitable disposition.
10 सतां मार्गे स्थिरवा सकलशुभमाधाय जगतां
विपक्षक्षोपीभृत्तिमिरहरतेजस्विनि विधेः। गतेऽस्तं मार्तण्डे विधुरिव जनानन्यजनक:
कलासिन्धूराजाधुदयमधिको विजयते ॥ 11 पार्वस्यास्सुकृतोदयेन जगतीक्षेमाव साब
दुष्टानामिह शिक्षणाव सपुनः स्कन्दस्सरे प्रार्थितः। भूस्खा वविधराधिपः प्रथिवया शतया रिपून शिक्षवन .
सनमण्वपदं बनकि भुवने श्रीरामवर्मा नृपः।। .. 11 Travancore State Manual, Vol. I. pago 824 10 सौधामोरितरत्नदीपकलिकाम्बाजार्कबिम्बोदक
म्याक्षिनभयप्रदानचतुरस्त्रीवास्थचन्द्रोपः। गावहिनियोवतः प्रतिनिध सत्तास्सग नृपा
परिक्षोषिपतेनिरन्तरवस्संपार्थयन्तै मुदा ।। 14 Travancore Archmological Series, Vol. IV, pago 110 ., quoting
तदनुज रविवर्मा भागिनेवः स्वनामा
स्वयमपि सतु पस्तिश्मापतिकभावा। सकलभुवनभार पचनाभाव इत्या
मनुपतिकुलभूपे स्वामिभृत्वस्वभावः।-Balardmabharatam, 16 Travancoro Stato Manual, Vol. I page 388. "विद्यानाप निरकृयवसिमस्त
करागुः कनकपालिकानुबन्धान । कवावास प्रतिपदं ननु पबिवाल
श्रीरामवर्मकुल खर सार्वभौमः॥
