History of Gurudevan
Sree Narayana Guru was born under the star 'Chathayam' in the month of 'Chingam' in 1856
AD (1032 of the Malayalam calendar) in the village of Chempazhanthi in Trivandrum, the capital of
Kerala as the son of Madan Asan, a farmer, and Kutti Amma. Yet Gurudev reportedly told some of
his followers that he was actually born in 1030. When his 60th birth anniversary was being
celebrated 1916 he laughingly said "my 60th birthday (sashtabhdhapoorty) was quite a while ago.
His parents, ‘Madan Asan’ and ‘Kutty Amma’ endearingly called him ‘Nanu’. At the age of
five, he began his education in the neighboring school in the old “Gurukula” model.'Madan Asan'
was also a teacher ("Asan") who was learned in Sanskrit and proficient in Astrology and Ayurveda.
Sree Narayana Guru was born under the star 'Chathayam' in the month of 'Chingam' in 1856
AD (1032 of the Malayalam calendar) in the village of Chempazhanthi in Trivandrum, the capital of
Kerala as the son of Madan Asan, a farmer, and Kutti Amma. Yet Gurudev reportedly told some of
his followers that he was actually born in 1030. When his 60th birth anniversary was being
celebrated 1916 he laughingly said "my 60th birthday (sashtabhdhapoorty) was quite a while ago.
About
Family
-------------
His father was Madan Asan and his mother Kuttiyamma. His family, Vayalvaram house,
enjoyed a high level of social respectability and economic status. He was named Narayanan and
came to be called Nanoo. Nanoo had three sisters.In those days peoples was divided into higher
caste and lower castes,society was in the strangulating grip of caste system.The peoples practised
untouchability and not co-operate with each other.
Education
----------
At the age of five, Nanoo began his education in the neighboring school in the old
“Gurukula” model.From his childhood he exhibited prodigious powers of memory. He learned
things quickly, and thoroughly remembered what he learned.'Madan Asan' was also a teacher
("Asan") who was learned in Sanskrit and proficient in Astrology and Ayurveda. As aboy, Nanu
would listen to his father with keen interest narrated stories from the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata to the simple folks of his village.young Nanu continued to be educated at home,under
the guidance of both his father and uncle Krishnan Vaidyan who was a reputed Ayurvedicphysician
and a Sanskrit scholar, where he was taught the basics of the Tamil and Sanskritlanguages and
traditional subjects such as Siddharupam, Balaprobhodhanam and Amarakosam. Afterhis
elementary education in this school, he became the disciple of a great Sanskrit scholar
‘Raman Pillai Asan’ of Puthuppally Varanappally familyin Central Travancore. He learned poetry,
drama, logic, poetics and grammar from Kummampally Asan. Nanoo loved solitude and
contemplation. During his stay at Varanappally he showed his talent for poetry. He composed some
hymns
and
devotional songs
During his stay in Varanappally nanoo was called Nanoo Chattampy (chattampy in those days
meant "senior student' or "monitor")
During 1881 nanoo returned from varanappally and started teaching children's for some time.From
that time the people respectfully called him "Nanoo Asan".
Marriage
--------
According to the custom of the time a wedding could be solemnized in the absence of the
bridegroom if the bridegroom's sister offered a thali to the bride. Nanoo Asan's wedding was
formally solemnized that way in 1882.The marriage was conducted at the behest of his guardians
and Nanoo Asan soon stopped going home. After two months he left his native place forever.
As a Spiritual Wanderer
-----------------------
Thus Nanoo began his career as an itinerant sanyasin. He became a 'Parivrajaka' (one who wanders
from place to place in quest of Truth). He spent his days in forests, caves, seashores, and in temples.
When hungry, he would eat what was offered by strangers. During this period he stayed for a short
while in the house of Perunnalli Krishnan Vaidyar, a renowned scholar and physician of Travancore,
and studied some rare medical books written by him. It is believed that he first met the Chattampi
Swami here.Their meeting proved to be the beginning of a intimate friendship.In 1884 nanoo met
Thykkattu Ayyavu, a distinguished yoga guru of Trivandrum. Ayyavu Swami was a well-known
instructor of yogic practices. From him Nanoo learned 'yogasanas', practices like Nauli, Dhoudi,
and Khadam and Khechari mudra. This was around 1884 (1060).
Gurudevan's father Madan Asan died this year 1884. Naniasan records the incident thus:
"One day I and Gurudev were sitting on Aruvippuram Rock when he looked at me and said
'Madanasan must be dead'. After while a messenger came bearing the news of Madan Aasan's death.
Gurudevan observed tapas and meditation in Pillathadam cave at the top of the Maruthwamala. The
maruthvamalla Hills was located in kanyakumari district,Tamil Nadu.SreeNarayanaguru was
enlighted in the cave of marutvamall hills.Guru found this hills and cave as guru was a wanderer for
seeking truth.SreeNarayanaGurulived in this cave and sustained himself mostly with berries and
tubers, and drank from the mountain brooks.During those days, guru prayed to god. Conceiving the
supreme to be Shiva. While guru sat for hours in the same posture in the solitude of the cave, a
cobra
and a tiger guarded him.
On one occasion guru became very hungry and at that time guru saw At that time he saw a leper
coming to him with a begging bowl. It contained fluffed tapioca. The leper offered it to guru. Like
intimate friends they ate from the same bowl. The leper was not an apparition. He was an actual
man.How did he come there, was a mystery! After partaking of the food he bade farewell with out
either of them making any attempt to know each other.Soon people came to know that Gurudev was
observing tapas at Maruthwamala. Some of them reached Maruthwamala, facing hazards, and had a
darsan of Gurudev.
Gurudev's mission in life began to evolve: redressing the evil customs and the removing
caste discriminations which corroded Indian society. He was to reform the oppressed classes that
had dropped off the scale of the caste system. The conditions in Kerala at that time were appalling.
Divided among themselves, the people were steeped in superstition. Not surprisingly Swami
Vivekanda described Kerala as a 'lunatic asylum'.During this period of wandering as a sanyasin,
Sree Narayana Guru spent his time mostly among the low-caste people. No doubt because he
wanted to make them aware that his life's mission was to reform them.Gurudev lived among the
poor and partook of their food. Fish was part of the diet. At night he would sit on the seashore
looking at the sea, lost in meditation. The people came to know him intimately. It was at this time
