Payattu has been mythologically attributed to the bhArgava clan of brAhmaNA-s.
The common belief is that lord parashurAma himself brought payattu to the draviDa dEsha as he created a settlement of 64 brAhmaNa families – out of which 32 families were settled in Kerala. bhArgavakuladIpaka taught them the art of warfare that lord parashurAma learned from the parmEshwara himself:
yAM sarahasyadhanuravidyAM bhagwAnsadAshivaH parashurAmayovAca tAmeva sarahasYAM vacmi
“I speak of that very secret knowledge of archery which Lord Sadāśiva (Shiva) imparted to Paraśurāma.”
Lord parashurAma taught 21 disciples this art of fighting. The disciples went on to establish 108 kalari-s all over the kerala country:
paNDallo parashurAma maharishi
nootiaruvattiArukAdam
bhoomiyum kaDaloDuvANgiyAm
nootiyettu pratiShThAyum cheidu
pollum kalasam vecchu bhUmidanilakkam teerthu
shatrusamhArAtinAyin nAlapattirendolam kalariyum vecchunallathire konDuvandu
kalariyil poojAdigal cheiyyicchu ptaiShThAyum kazhippicchumoovejhu iupattionnu gunukanmArkAyishatrusamhAra vidyakalupadesicchu
anugrahichru sampradAyatte chollunnu vazhipole
Translated loosely (by large language models):
“In ancient times, the great sage Parashurama, [in a realm measuring] one hundred and sixty-four feet, ruled over the land and the sea. He performed one hundred and eight consecrations, placed the sacred pot (kalasam) to resolve the instability of the land, and established forty-two kalaris (martial arts training grounds) for the destruction of enemies, bringing them under good control. In these kalaris, rituals and worship were conducted, consecrations were completed, and the knowledge of enemy-destroying martial arts was imparted to three thousand twenty-one virtuous warriors. Having blessed [this endeavor], it is narrated as per the tradition.”
{Ref:Kalarippayattum Kaiyamkalinum;Prasannan G}
Other theories of the evolution of the art are rather historically interpreted as an infiltration of bhArgava Arya brAhmaNa-s {and not literally the jAmadagneya Himself} in the draviDa dEsha – who expounded their teachings of warfare as available in dhanurvEda and later after intermixing with the regional techniques and the evolution of art, payattu was born!
However, archaeologically and historically there was never a conclusive theory established.
Important Timelines:
1. Sangam Era: 200-600 AD
This timeline is believed to be the period where payattu was evolved as the saNgama tamiLa literature describe the tribes of that time who often engaged in fights.
2. Brahminical Age: 700-900 AD
The period between 7th and 9th centuries in kerala is described as the brahmanical age in the kerala country due to unmatched dominance of brAhmaNa-s in every field from priesthood to landlordship.
During that time period they set up centres called “salais” for training in veda-s and warfare, specially for their own community.
‘cEra-s’ meanwhile ruled kerala between 8th and 11th centuries which overlapped the age of brAhmaNa-s – they patronized the art of payattu and established kalari-s in their state which would train the other castes like “Nairs” into warfare.
Similarly dronampalli AcArya-s were tulu brAhmaNa-s tracing origin of their kalari tradition to the brAhmaNa warriors droNa bhAradvAja. Just as droNa was guru to the princes of hastinApura, these AcArya-s acted as guru to the nair youth of ambalapuzha kingdom under mathoor panickers who were the senApati of nair forces of chempakasseri nambuthiri kings. Complete thread of devasakha Arya can be read here. (taken as reference for the above)
With time passing and brAhmaNa-s choosing priesthood and landlordship gave up on payattu and salai-s only started to train their students in the scriptures of Arya-s and eventually vanished from the land and kalari became the main hub of learning the traditional payattu.
After the decline of the perumala empire, kerala pradesha got segmented into various swarupams as a feudal system and different families trained their own personalized payattu warriors.
Tales: vaTakkana paTTukala
vaTakkana paTTukala – term for “The ballads of North Malabar” are a collection of ‘vIra-rasa’ traditional ballads believed to have been produced in the last 5 centuries.
These songs are mostly praise of members of two families ‘Puthooram Vidu’ and ‘Tacholi Manikottu Vidu’
{ref:Folklore of Kerala, Panikkar}
One of the similar translated lore can be heard as:
Our grand uncles of the bygone ages
Had spent their days in martial exploits,
And since then three hundred and sixty-eight years
Have passed up till now…
Technical dissection of payattu
(1) Maithari/Maipayattu (Body Control)
- Chuvadu: Basic footwork patterns, essential for balance in dance forms like Kathakali.
- Vadivu/Vadivukal: Postures that condition the body for combat, involving controlled breathing/prANAyAma to enhance stamina and focus.
(2) Kolthari (Wooden Weapons):
Practitioners progress to wielding wooden weapons like the Kuruvadi(short stick) and Muchan(long staff), learning striking and blocking techniques.
(3) Angathaar i(Metal Weapons):
This stage gives mastery over steel weapons, such as the dagger and urumi(flexible sword). Techniques here emphasize fluidity, akin to water in motion, as described in classical texts.
(4) Verumkai (Bare-Hand Techniques):
The pinnacle of Kalaripayattu, where practitioners learn to utilize the body as a weapon, focusing on pressure points, locks, and throws, integrating principles from marma-shAstra{the study of vital points}.
Philosophy
At its core, Kalaripayattu adheres to the principles of ‘dharma’ and ‘ahiMsA’ advocating the use of martial skills for protection rather than aggression.
This philosophy is reflected in the training ethos, where control over one’s physical and mental faculties is paramount, promoting a state of sAdhanA through martial rigour.
Thought for the Hindu
In contemporary times, Kalaripayattu has seen a renaissance. Through the internet, people are at least knowing about the indigenous martial arts of our country and many are even interested in learning it.
With a tough future ahead, it’s essential that we equip ourselves with self-defence techniques similar to that of payattu.
As the famous verse says – “dharmo rakShati rakShitaH”, we should be strong enough to retaliate against any resistance towards our dharma and dEsha.
Bibliography:
Chirakkal T. Sreedharan Nair is also widely credited for reviving and preserving Kalaripayattu by writing the first books ever written on Kalaripayattu, as well as writing the first authoritative text on the martial art. Sreedharan Nair is credited with writing Kalaripayattu, the first book ever written on Kalaripayattu, in 1937.
One may access the detailed book here if interested in further reading.
A thread on the same by @Atithigva, devasakha Arya.
||Hara-Hara||