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Vaikkath Pachu Moothathu

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Genre
  
Literature

Name
  
Vaikkath Moothathu


Role
  
Poet

Died
  
1882

Occupation
  
Ayurvedic Physician, Writer, Historian,Astrologer

Notable works
  
Hradyapriya,Sukhasadhakam

Vaikathu Paramesvara Sivadvija, popularly known as Vaikath Pachu Moothathu, was a scholar of the princely state of Travancore. A scholar of Ayurveda, Sanskrit, Malayalam and history, he wrote the first autobiography in Malayalam and established the first institution for learning the traditional Indian ayurvedic medicine, which developed to become Government Ayurveda College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Contents

Birth and early life

Moothathu was born on 25 Edavam 989 Kolla era (1814 AD) in Vaikom, Travancore state and was adopted by a Moothathu family called Vattapalli Matom at Suchindrum to perform temple rites and rituals. The family lacked a male child who could do those duties. The family of Vattapalli Matom is the Tantri of the Suchindrum Thanumalayan temple from where one male member (usually the eldest) must perform the rites and rituals of the temple.

Learning

Moothathu learned Ayurveda, a system of traditional medicine native to India. He was influenced by Vahata's (Vagbhata) Astangahridaya and started learning it. He learned Astangahrdaya in the Kollam Era 1018 (Kanni 2) and completed on the 29th of Thulam 1018 (1843 AD). He wrote Sri Rama Charitram Mahakavyam (1037 KOLLAM ERA), Thiruvitamcore Charitram (narrating the legends and facts up to the 1036 Kollam Era (1861 AD) i.e. up to the period of Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal).Hradyapriya(1040 Kollam Era) 1865 AD and Sukhasadhakam(1057 Kollam Era) 1882 AD are two important works by Sri Pachu Moothathu on Ayurveda and can be considered as a pragmatic commentary of Vahata's Astangahridaya. He insisted in transferring the knowledge of Ayurveda to ordinary people and his book Sukhasadhagam is an attempt in this direction.

He was the Kottaram Vaidyan (official ayurvedic physician) of Travancore and was awarded with the Veera Sringala by the maharaja, Ayilyam Thirunal.

References

Vaikkath Pachu Moothathu Wikipedia