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Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan ((マラヤーラム語:തുഞ്ചത്ത് രാമാനുജൻ എഴുത്തച്ഛൻ), ') was a Malayalam devotional poet and linguist from around the 16th century. Today he is known as the father of Malayalam language – the principal language of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territory of Lakshadweep – and its literature.〔Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). "(Malayalam )" ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World.'' 2014: (Dallas, Texas) Web. 29 Sep. 2014.〕〔K. SANTHOSH. ("When Malayalam found its feet" ) THRISSUR, July 17, 2014 ''The Hindu''〕 Ezhuthachan was born in Trikkantiyur, near the present day Tirur municipality, in south Malabar in an under-privileged ''sudra'' caste. After the birth of his daughter, Ezhuthachan became a monk and wandered throughout southern India before finally building his monastery at modern day Chittoor, Palghat.〔(''Ezhuthachan - Father of literary tradition in Malayalam'' ) Jul 5, 2003 ''The Times of India'' 〕 Ezhuthachan's contribution to the Malayalam language is widely considered as unparalleled. He brought massive changes and standardisation in the language through his works. He translated the two Hindu epics, the ''Ramayana'' and ''Mahabharata'', to Malayalam for the common man with the mingling of the Sanskrit and Dravidian languages.〔G. PRABHAKARAN ''Ezhuthachan’s abode needs a prop'' CHITTUR (PALAKKAD), October 19, 2013 ''The Hindu ()〕 According to historians and linguists, Ezhuthachan refined the "style" of Malayalam language and it was during his period that Malayalam literature attained its "individuality" and Malayalam became a "fully fledged" independent language. He also brought the language to the level of the non-Brahmins's understanding. Ezhuthachan used Malayalam language to challenge the prevailing social conditions. He is known for using his literary works as a powerful tool against the rule of privileged.〔''Ezhuthachan's contributions recalled''. THRISSUR, March 21, 2011 ''The Hindu'' ()〕 Ezhuthachan is also considered as a significant voice of the Bhakti movement in Kerala.〔 (gave voice to the voiceless: Azhikode'' ) THRISSUR, July 27, 2010 ''The Hindu''〕 Ezhuthachan's other major contribution has been in establishing an (51 character) alphabet system equivalent to Sanskrit instead of Vattezhuthu, the 30-letter script of Malayalam.〔K. SANTHOSH. ("When Malayalam found its feet" ) THRISSUR, July 17, 2014 ''The Hindu''〕 The highest literary honour instituted by the Kerala Government is known as the "Ezhuthachan Award".〔''M.K. Sanoo wins Ezhuthachan Award'' Kochi, November 2, 2013 ''The Hindu''〕 == Birth and life == Ezhuthachan is generally believed to be lived c. 16th century.〔Burnell, Arthur Coke. ''Elements of South-Indian Palæography from the Fourth to the Seventeenth Century AD''. 1874. p. 35-36. Print.〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala )〕 Though poet – turned – historian Ulloor S Parameshwara Iyer has surmised that he was born in 1495 AD and lived upto 1575, other scholars are not sure about it. Backed by painstaking research, C. Radhakrishnan argued that Ezhuthachan’s age must have been between 1475 and 1550 AD. It is however generally accepted that he lived in the sixteenth century.〔(''Ezhuthachan - Father of literary tradition in Malayalam'' ) Jul 5, 2003 ''The Times of India'' 〕 Ezhuthachan was born at Trikkantiyur, near the modern-day municipal town of Tirur, in south Malabar. His precise birthplace is now known as Thunchan Parambu. His parent's names are not known clearly and there is some confusion about Ezhuthachan's actual name as well. After completing his education he got married but embraced "sanyasa" after the birth of a daughter. Leaving house he travelled to various places in Andhra and Tamil Nadu and learnt Telugu and Tamil. Some scholars surmise that his ''Ramayana'' and ''Mahabharata'' were adopted from the Telugu versions of these Sanskrit epics.〔(''Ezhuthachan - Father of literary tradition in Malayalam'' ) Jul 5, 2003 ''The Times of India'' 〕 Though born in an under-privileged class (a low caste belonging to the "sudra" varna) of the social hierarchy of the times, Ezhuthachan had mastered the Veda and the Upanishads.〔G. PRABHAKARAN. (''Thunchath Ezhuthachan's memorial starved of funds'' ) CHITTUR (PALAKKAD), June 14, 2011 ''The Hindu''〕 It is believed that Ezhuthachan on his way back from a pilgrimage to Tamil Nadu had a stopover at Chittur (in Palghat) and settled down at Thekke Gramam near Anikkode with his disciples. A monastery, then called "Ramananda ashrama" and now known as the Chittur Gurumadhom, was constructed by him on a piece of land donated by the Nair barons of the area. In this village he founded a Rama temple as well as a Siva temple. Ezhuthachan lived for nearly four decades at the monastery, writing his masterpieces (such as ''Adhyatma Ramayanam'' and ''Sri Mahabharatam''). In his monastery, he trained a group of famous disciples, such as Suryanarayanan Ezhuthachan, Karunakaran Ezhuthachan, Devan Ezhuthachan and Gopalan Ezhuthachan. Suryanarayanan's ''Skandapuranam'', Karunakaran's ''Shivaratri Mahatmyam'' and Devan's ''Vijnana Ratna'' and ''Vedantasaram'' are still considered as gems of religious literature in Malayalam. 〔(''Ezhuthachan - Father of literary tradition in Malayalam'' ) Jul 5, 2003 ''The Times of India'' 〕 The madhom is flanked by temples of Rama and Siva and the street has an array of Agraharas (where the twelve Brahmin families migrated along with Ezhuthachan live).〔G. PRABHAKARAN. (''Thunchath Ezhuthachan's memorial starved of funds'' ) CHITTUR (PALAKKAD), June 14, 2011 ''The Hindu''〕 At the madhom, some of the instruments used by Ezhuthachan are still preserved. A Sri Chakra and a few idols worshipped by him, the stylus, the wooden slippers, and a few old manuscripts are exhibited for visitors. 〔G. PRABHAKARAN ''Ezhuthachan’s abode needs a prop'' CHITTUR (PALAKKAD), October 19, 2013 ''The Hindu ()〕 Ezhuthachan's samadhi is also situated there.〔(''Ezhuthachan - Father of literary tradition in Malayalam'' ) Jul 5, 2003 ''The Times of India'' 〕 Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, the author of famous ''Narayaneeyam'', was a friend of Ezhuthachan. It is said that when he sought the advice of Ezhuthachan about how to start his intended book, he gave him a cryptic advise to "start with fish", meaning to start with Matsya avatara - the fish avatar of god Vishnu. Bhattathiri understood the enigmatic message and started composing his poem in the Guruvayur Temple.〔(''Ezhuthachan - Father of literary tradition in Malayalam'' ) Jul 5, 2003 ''The Times of India'' 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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