Sri Subramanya Karnamrutham

 Karnamrutham type of compositions have been many and varied it seems. On Sri Krishna, SriKrishna Karnamrutham is well known. On Sri Rama, one Ramabhadra Dikshita, who lived at Thruvisanallur in the later part of 17th century, has sung Ramakarnarasayana. The book has been brought out long ago by Sri Vani Vilas Press.

In this class of compositions, Sri Subramanya Karnamrutham is a work by Sri Gopalakrishna Kavi, who lived in the early part of 17th century. He was born in Pitchandar Kovil of Thiruchirappalli. He was also called Mahabhashyam Gopala Sastrigal. He was a contemporary of Sadasivabrahmendra, Ayyaval of Thiruvisanallur and Mahakavi Ramabhadra Dikshitar. When Vijayaraghunatha Thondaiman of Pudukkottai wanted to study Sastras under Sadashivabrahmendra, the great saint wrote something on the river sand and asked the King to continue with Mahabhashyam Gopala Sastrigal. If such is the case we can well understand the greatness of Sri Gopalakrishna Kavi. To help the devotees of Kumara and to help all the pious in getting the grace of Subramanya, the great Kavi has sung this Karnamrutha on Subramanya. It is also called Surapushpamala of Gopalakrishna Kavi. Kumara worship is quite ancient as generally all divine worships in Hinduism. Sanatkumara was thought to have become the son of the great God Shiva. Sri Sankara Bhagavadpada refers to this tradition in his Brahma Sutra commentary in the third adhyaya. The Karnamrutha on Subramanya consists of 116 slokas and it has been well explained by a commentary by Sri Guruswami Sastri of Thiruvananthapuram in 1978.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

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