#6B8E23 Dr. R. Nagaswamy A purāṇa called Kaisiki purāṇa is regularly sung and read in the Vishnu temples of Tamilnadu during the month of Kārthikai . On th ekādasi day of the month the devotees undertake fast called “Waking fast” . The whole night they fast and keep awake singing the greatness of Vishnu. At dawn of the next day they worship with music the exploits of Vishnu and then take food., this marks the 12th day This purāṇa Kaisiki purāṇa is read during that previous fasting night. A stusdy of the Kaisiki purāṇa shows that the story of the Caṇḍāla who regularly observed this vrata of singing and goes to sing Vishnu in the next morning with Vina is the same found in Varāha purāṇa.He was caught by a Brhma Caṇḍāla who threatens to kill him and eat him. The Caṇḍāla pleads with the Devil to spare him for a few hours more so that he could sing the praises of Vishnu next morning and then return when the Devil could kill and eat him. The Brahma Caṇḍāla refuses to let him go but the Candal promises to return as he believed in the truthfull living/ The Brahma Caṇḍāla appreciating his sincereity allowed to him to go and return later after the worship. The Caṇḍāla s goes and sings the glory of Vishnu in the morning with his Vina. When he returned on the way a gentleman appears and tries to divert him to escape through another route. But the Caṇḍāla refuses escape and returns as promised the Brahma Caḍāla was surprised. The BrhmaCaṇḍāla requests the Caṇḍāla to present his spiritual merit of singing Lord Vishnu to him so that he can get redeemed from the horrible devilish form. The Caṇḍāla refused to give the spiritual merit. The Devil then asks him to present atleast the merit of singing one song but this request also was turned down by the Caṇḍāla but he asked the devil what caused him to be turned into a Brahma Caṇḍāla , who revealed that he was a Brāhmaṇa in his previous birth and did a sacrifice with Mantras knowing the proper mantra, its pronounciation etc. Sticken with a severe abdominal pain he had to abandon the sacrifice and so was born as the Brhamarākshas . He appealed to the Candala to help him to purify himself and adopt Vishnu bhakti so that he can attain moksha. The devil also told him if he does not help him he will never recover and be permanently doomed. The Caṇḍāla taking pity on the Brāhmaṇa Caṇḍāla presented the merit of singing Vishnu in Kaisiki paṇṇ. The Brahma Caṇḍāla a was saved and so was the Caṇḍāla also reached emancipation. The available Purāṇa gives some very important information. It is clear that the purāṇa has been taken from the Varāha purāṇa, chapter 139. The commentator accepts that it is from Varāha purāṇa but calls it a separate purāṇa, whereas the Varāha purāṇa includes it only as a chapter. The local purāṇa in Tamilnadu is also called sometimes Kaisiki māhātmya. The Varāha purāṇa sometimes gives the name “Caṇḍāla- Brahmarākṣaasa samvāda.” So it was called Saukara Māhātmya which is said to have taken place near Mithila according to Varāha purāṇa. A careful comparative study of the Varāha Purāṇa and Kaisiki Purāṇa shows that the major part of the legend as given in the Varāha purāṇa has been adopted verbatim by the Kaisiki purāṇa and thus clearly an adaptation. Further the Kaisiki purāṇa also begins with the state ment “Varāha uvāca” so narrated by Varāha a very clear evidence of this being from Varāha purāṇa. However it is seen that the Kaisiki Purāṇa receives its name from the musical tune Kaisiki paṇṇ emphasizing the art of music and its role in liberation. It also shows that even if he be a Caṇḍāla he will certainly get liberated by singing the greatness of Vishnu. It will be shown that the Kaisiki purāṇa is a creation of Tamilnadu. And is a fine example localization of the legend. It localizes the legend and states that it took place at Thiruk-kurunkudi in Thirunelveli district (Tamilnadu) while the original took place at Mithila in the north. There are other minor additions that are not found in the original. The sacred Vishnu kshetra of Thirukkurunkudi is near a mountain called Mahendragiri. The Vishnu temple is located on the bank of a river nearby The Kaisiki purāṇa locates the event at this site while the Varāha purāṇa locates at Mithila near Nandanavana in north India. महेन्द्रो नाम पर्वतह् तत्र क्षीर नदी पुण्या दक्षिण सागर सन्गमा तत्र सिद्धाष्रमे भद्रे चण्दालह् क्रित निस्चयह् दूरात् जागरणे याति मम भक्त्या व्य्सवस्थितह् asti dakṣiṇa dik bhāgee mahendro nāma parvatah tatra kṣīra nadī puṇyā dakṣiṇa sāgara sangamā tatra siddhāṣrame bhadre caṇdālah krita niscayah dūrāt jāgaraṇe yāti mama bhaktyā vysavasthitah Secondly the Varāha purāṇa does not refer to the Kaisiki paṇṇ (tune). The Varā purāṇa calls the Candala as only a singer with Vina and eater of dog’s meat. The introduction of the name of the Pann is a Tamil tradition. The Varāha purāṇa does not give the name of the singer but the Tamil tradition gives his name as “Nam pāḍuvān”. The name Nampāḍuvān means “Our singer” which seems to be a Tamil name for “mama gāyanah” in Sanskrit source. Thirdly the Kaisiki purāṇa is rendered by the Araiyars who are hereditary singers and dancers of “Prabandhams” at Thirukkurungkudi on the sukhla paksha (bright fortnight) ekadasi night in the temple. The Araiyars are the exponents of Vaishnava hymns in the temple and on festival days enact the meaning of the compositions and also narrate the events. The exposition of this purāṇa was in their hands of bhaṭṭas and as it extols devotion through music The Araiyars laid great emphasis on this story focusing on Gāna yoga. The Kaisika purāṇa itself says that that the Candala pleased Vishnu with this Kaisiki paṇṇ and so the purāṇa itself derives its name from that Paṇṇ. Further the Kaiski purāṇa tells at the end that one who sings the greatness of Nārāyaṇa through that paṇ will be born in the family of Vaishṇava bhāgavatas. It also says that one who sings the paṇṇ with sampa tāla and one who dances will obtain great wealth and noble birth. It ends with the saying that the three aspects of music The vocal music, instrumental music and dance rendered in front of Vishnu during the waking rites will reach Vaikuṇṭa. This concluding part is found in the Varāha purāṇa but not in the Kaisiki purāṇa. We have seen that the Kaisiki purāṇa interpolates two verses in the beginning for locating the place as thiru Kurungudi in Tamilnadu. It is evident that this was introduced by the Bhaṭṭas or Ariayar of Thirukkurungudi who were reading or enacting the purāna in the festival. There were other verses also interpolated by the Bhattas or Araiyar in the Kaisiki-purāṇa but not found in the Varāha purāṇa. When the Brahma rākṣhasaa caught the candela at the jungle and wanted to eat him pleads that he may be spared for some time so that he could go and worship Vishnu at the dawn and return. The Caṇḍāla a first refuses at that time that he might escape. There the Candāla says “If I do not return I would fall in the the hell of those who break their promise and those who break the truth.” It is eulogy of Truth –Satya. These are not found in the Varāha purāṇa. Also at the end of this situation there are two more verses which are found in the Kaisiki purāṇa but not in the Varāha purāṇa. These two verses speak of extreme Vaishnavism of sectarian character which is against the tenor of Varāha Purāṇa.. The following are the two verses so found. “If I do not return as promised I will fall into a despicable hell in which those who do not worship the omnipresent Vasudeva but worship other gods will fall. I will be afflicted with same terrible sin as those of who equate other gods and goddesses with Nārāyaṇa.” वासुदेव परित्यज्य ये अन्यम् देवम् पर्युपासते तेषाम् गतिम् प्रबद्ये अहम् यद्यहम् नागमे पुनह् नरायणम् अथ अन्यैस्तु देवैस् तुलयम् करोति यह् तस्य पापेन लिप्येहम् यद्यहम् नागमे पुनह् vāsudeva parityajya yee anyam devam paryupāsatee teeśām gatim prabadyee aham yadyaham nāgamee punah narāyaṇam atha anyaistu deevais tulayam karoti yah tasya pāpeena lipyeeham yadyaham nāgamee punah These two verses not found in Varāha purāṇa but found in the Kaisiki purāṇa shows that extreme sectari outlook and intolerance towards other religious faith have crept in when the Kaisiki purāṇa was composed.. It is necessary to note that a commentary on this Kaisiki purāṇa is available in Tamil ascribed to Parāsara bhaṭṭa of Srirangam who seemed to have been an accountant of the Srirangam temple. If he is identical with Parāsara bhaṭṭa the soon of Kurattālavān, it would mean this sectarian outlook has crept in even in the time of Rāmānuja. for the Prasara Bhatta was a younger contemporary of Rāmānuja. Further the verses found in the Varāha purāṇa at this stage in the Varāha purāṇa speaks of the glory of satya and evils of sins only in three verses the Kaisiki purāṇa the satya is dismissed in one verse but the evils of bad behaviour is elaborated in 18 verses. Though the tenor of the contents are similar in both the purāṇas, the verses given are different The Kaisiki purāṇa being too sectarian. If its stipulation is accepted for example that if one equates other gods with Nārāyaṇa they will go to worst hell, then the followers of Varāha Purāṇa which equates Siva with Naryana in many of its chapters will go to hell which is an absurd position for it is the Varāha purāṇa from which this Kaisiki purāṇa is derived. The festival of Kaisiki purāṇa patana in Tjirukkurungkudi, is well known and celebrated in a grand manner. On the day of the festival the lord of Thiru kurungkudi is brought to the Kaiski mandapa. Three characters, the Brahma Caṇḍāla , Nampāḍuvān and the Purusha named Nambi kilavan, who came enroute to persuade to advice Nampāḍuvān to escape, are enacted, the Nampāḍuvān and the namikilavan role used to be enacted by the temple dasis and the role of Brhamarākshas is enacted by the Thirumeni-kaval of the temple. All the three observe penance for ten days prior to the day and fast on the day of the festival. The story is enacted in front of the deity on an impoverished platform. The first to appear on the stage is Nampāḍuvān who comes as a player on vina made of flowers. The second to appear is the Brahma rākshas. He is brought with great temple music and drum beating. He first worships the lord and then goes to a nearby room where a mask of the Brahmarākshas is kept. He then dones the dress of Brahma Caṇḍāla and puts on the mask that he is said to be possessed by the Devil. He jumbs and makes wild gestures that creates a awe among the gathered. He is brought to the dias held by four person he shows terrible movements of killing Nampāḍuvān. The success of the act depends upon the terrifying gestures, jumps and wild shouts. He is kept under control by four persons. The Araiyars, who are the hereditary singers of Divya prabandam, now sing some select prabandams and enact the meaning of the prabandhams. This is followed by the Bhattars reading the Kaisikiki purāṇans from manuscripts, accompanied by the actors performing their respective role at appropriate stage. This goes on till the next morning when the waking festival deity is enacted and the concluding part of the story is acted to its completion. Then the deity is taken back to its original place and the Acharyas depart. Thus come to the end of the Kaisiki mahatmya dance drama. A similar drama is enacted almost in identical pattern at melattur in Tanjore district on the life of bhakta Prahlāda. In which life of bhakta Prahlādā,Narasimha incarnation of Viṣhnu and the killing of the Demon Hiranya is enacted. It is known that Melattur dance drama is enacted by a group of Telugu smārta Brāhmaṇas who came from Andhra desa in the time the Tanjore Nayaks in the 17th cent. It is not unlikely that the Thirukkurungkudi Nampāḍuvān enactment also came into existence in the 17th cent and the Purāṇa re-written to suit the local condition. It is possible that this was being enacted in all Vaishnava temples wherever the Ariayars and devadasis were prevalent. Presently it is only symbolically read on that day. It survives only at Thirukkurungkudi. This enactment shows that the concept of Candala and even the wrost Devil could reach Vishṇu’s abode if they become Vishnu bhaktas. The emphasis on a particular pann “Kaisiki” which has given its name to the Purāṇā shows that Vishṇu worship thorugh Music is an agreeable path., and the Kaisiki pann is a beautiful pann best suited for the same. According to the commentary the Kaisiki purāṇa was written by one Parasara Bhatta who was a son of Srivatsanga, and who was a puraohit of the temple of Srirangam. As he is called parasar Bhatta which is the name of the son of Kurattālvan who was a contemporary of Rāmānuja. there is a confusion among some whether the Purāṇa belonged to the time of Rāmānuja. The manuscripts ends with the salutation "Bhattar Thiruvadikale Saranam" which further suggests that both the Bhattas are identical. But it seems that the commentary from its very style is a later work and need not be of the age of Rāmānuja. Furhter the printed version of the Kaisiki purāṇa states that the purāṇa is found in the 48th Chapter of the Varāha purāṇa as a dialogue between Vishnu as Varāha and Bhumidevi but in the Varāha purāṇa the story of Brahma Caṇḍāla appears as Saukara Mahatmya in chapter 139. It is not known whether there was any southern recession of this Varāha purāṇā and if so what is its date?.