Sree Vidyadhiraja Parama Bhattaraka Chattampi Swamikal (1853–1924) was a Hindu sage and social reformer. His thoughts and work influvenced the launching of many social, relegious, literary and political organizations and movements in Kerala and for the first time gave voice to those who were marginalized.
Chattampi Swamikal denounced the orthodox interpretation of Hindu texts citing sources from the Vedas. Swamikal along with his contemporary Nārāyana Guru, strived to reform the heavily ritualistic and caste-ridden Hindu society of the late 19th century Kerala. Swamikal also worked for the emancipation of women and encouraged them to come to the forefront of society. He said that the enslavement of women was a manifestation of male arrogance. Swamikal promoted vegetarianism and professed non-violence (Ahimsa). Swamikal believed that the different religions are different paths leading to the same place. He strongly opposed the conversion activities of the Christian missionaries but was not against Christianity. Chattampi Swamikal throughout his intellectually and spiritually enriched life maintained a large number of friends from different regions of Kerala . He authored several books on spirituality, history, and language staying with these friends.
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Chattampi Swami was born on 25th August 1853 at Kollur, a suburban village of Trivandrum in southern Travancore. His father was Vasudeva Sharma, a Namboothiri, from Mavelikkara and mother Nangamma a lady from Kollur. He was formally named Ayyappan. But he was called by his pet name Kunjan by all and so was later known as Kunjan Pillai.
As his parents were not able to provide him formal education, he leaned letters and words from children of his neighbourhood who attended schools. Also he learned Sanskrit by overhearing the classes at a Brahmin house nearby. Knowing his thirst for learning an uncle took him to the traditional school conducted by Pettayil Raman Pillai Asan, a renowned scholar and writer who taught him without any fee. It was there that he earned the name Chattampi on account of his assignment as the monitor of the class. The school served as a meeting place for many scholars of that time and it facilitated Kunjan to acquaint himself with many great men. He also could learn Tamil from Swaminatha Desikar and philosophy from Professor Sundaram Pillai during his study at the gurukulam. Kunjan Pillai was introduced into the science of yoga by the Thykattu Ayyavu a scholar and yogi who used to give lectures at the Gurukulam. A wandering sadhu who came to the village temple initiated him into spiritual world by giving the Balasubramanya Mantra. Mastering this mantra gave him a new vigour and zeal and he assumed the name Shanmukhadasa due to his deep devotion of Lord Subramanya.
As the burden of supporting the family fell on him, Kunjan Pillai took to many manual works. For some time he worked as a document writer. He stood first in a test for clerical posts in Government Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram conducted by Sir T Madhava Rao the then Divan of Travancore State. But he left the service after a short while as it prevented his wanderings and studies.
He spent many years learning under a great scholar Subba Jatapadikal in the village named Kalladiakurichi in southern Tamil Nadu. There he acquired deep and extensive mastery of all sastras in Tamil and Sanskrit. He also learned Siddha medicine, music, and martial arts. During this period he was greatly influenced by the works of Kodakanallur Sundara Swamikal a great advaitin. He later translated his work Nijananda Vilasam containing the cream of Vedanta into simple Malayalam to guide spiritual aspirants. He spend long periods of learning and under a Christian priest and a Muslim saint and also spent months with many avadutas in Southern Tamil Nadu. At the end of his wanderings and quest he was led to self-realization by an avaduta whom he met at a wayside in Vadaveeswaram a village in in Tamil Nadu. He returned to Kerala as a great scholar and saint.
In 1882 at the Aniyoor Temple near Vamanapuram Chattampi Swami met another young man Nanu Asan who was in search of spiritual guidance. By then Swami was well versed in yoga and spiritual matters and their meeting proved to be the start of a profound and cherished companionship, although the two were of different temperaments. In those days Nānu Āśān was a soft-spoken introvert while Kunjan Pillai an outspoken extrovert. They lived and travelled for many months together. Later Swamikal took Nānu Āśān, to his guru Thykkattu Ayyavu.
After completing Nānu Āśān's studies under Ayyavu Swami they left him and wandered together in southern Tamil Nadu where they met many saints and scholars. It was with Chattampi Swamikal that Nārāyana Guru made his first trip to Aruvippuram, which was chosen as Nārāyana Guru's abode for meditation and spiritual activities. He was led to self realization at this beautiful and serene place and there Guru established a Siva temple the first such move by any from the lower caste in the region. Chattampi Swamikal did not stay there for long, although the two maintained their contacts, respect and regard for each other throughout their life. Later he met Neelakanta Theerthapada a great Sanskri Scholar and Theerthapad Pramahamsa who established an ashram in the name of Chattampi Swami and also Theerthapada System for the line of snayasins following Swami's teachings and methods.
Chattampi Swamikal has got many disciples; grihastha disciples like Bodheswaran, Perunnelli Krsihnan Vaidhyan, Velutheri Kesavan Vaidhyan Kumbalath Sanku Pillai etc. as well sanyasi disciples like Narayana Guru, Neelakanta Therthapada and Theerthapada Parmahamsa who played very important role in renaissance and reformation in Kerala.
Toward the end of his life Swamikal settled down at Panmana, a village in Kollam district. After a short period of illness during which he objected to take any medicine, at an auspicious time marked by him on May 5, 1924 Swamikal attained Maha Samadhi. His mortal remains were enshrined at his Samadhistanam at Panmana. This site is today called Panmana Ashramam, which is a centre for social service and spiritual practices.
The variety is represented by the works of Chattampi Swamikal illustrates the vastness and depth of his scholarship. The compositions of Swami have come out in various forms of single stanzas, muktakas, bhajan songs, essays, critical works, translations, commentaries, short notes, and letters. Vedadikara Nirupanam is considered as one of his greatest works. It refuted the baseless customs and rules that existed in Kerala. For the first time in the region’s history the work questioned the monopolization of Vedas, sciences and education by a minority. Vedadikara Nirupanmam has infused strength and inspiration to the subaltern groups to fight for their rights and spread the ideas that lead the movements for reformation and renaissance in Kerala.
Swami led a wandering life and left what he wrote with those who were with him at the time of writing. There were no later attempts to collect and conserve them, which led to the gradual loss of many of his works. A few works that got unearthed and published eight decades after his death and inspiring serious discussion show the value and the extent of the loss that occurred to Kerala society which was at one time unmindful of preserving his works. Recently Centre for South Indian Studies has initiated Chattampi Swami Digital Archive (CSDA) project as an attempt to collect and collate documents related to Swami that still exist. Major works of Swami available in print are the following:
| This article is part of the Renaissance of Kerala series |
| Renaissance of Kerala |
| Background |
| • Caste system in Kerala • Indian caste system • Untouchability • Forward caste • O. B. C. • SC and ST • Rejection • Apartheid • Stratification • Hindu reforms • Varna • Pulayar |
| Leaders |
| Vaikunda Swami Sri Narayana Guru Chattampi Swamikal Ayyankali Arattupuzha Velayudhappanikkar Sahodaran Ayyappan Vagbhatandan Brahmananda Sivayogi Pandit Karuppan T. K. Madhavan Mannathu Padmanabhan Anandathirthan Agamananda Swami V. T. Pandit Karuppan Swadeshabhimani Kumaragurudevan Vakkom Moulavi Chempakaraman Pillai G. P. Pillai Dr. Palpu Kumaranasan C. V. Kunhuraman C. V. Raman Pillai E. M. S. |
| Others |
| Channar Lahala Consecration at Aruvippuram S. N. D. P. Yogakshemasabha N. S. S. Vaikom Satyagraham Kalpathi-Suchindram Satyagraham Guruvayur Satyagraham Malayali Memorial Ezhava Memorial Nivarthana Agitation Paliam Satyagraham Upper Cloth Revolt Temple Entry Proclamation |
The following works are not available, except through excerpts published in various journals and books by contemporaries.