Kaikulangara Rama Variar (sometimes transliterated as Kaikulangara Rama Warrier; Malayalam: കൈക്കുളങ്ങര രാമ വാരിയർ) (1832–1896) was a scholar, poet, astrologer/astronomer, and commentator and translator of several well known Sanskrit treatises dealing with a variety of subjects, hailing from Kadangode in Thalappilly taluk in Thrissur district in Kerala, India.[1] [2]
Rama Variyar was born as the third child of Kaikulangara Kizhakke Variathu Narayani Varasyar (mother) and Kaithakkottu Narayana Bhattathiri (father). After learning some initial lessons of Ayurveda and Jyotisha form his maternal uncles, at the age of twelve, he moved to Thrippunithura for further studies. At Thrippunithura, he joined a group of students of the Cochin royal family and, for about three years, took advanced lessons in Alankara Shastra (science of aesthetics), Vyākaraṇa (grammar) and Tarka Shastra (logic) from the great teacher and scholar Palappurath Puthiyetath Govindan Nampiyar. After completing studies at Thrippunithura, Rama Variar spent about three years at Killikkurissimangalam reading aloud the complete Sanskrit text of the epic Mahabharata in the presence of his guru's mother. He did this as his humble present and fee (gurudakshina) to his illustrious teacher Govindan Nampiyar.[1]
After leaving Thrippunithura, Rama Variar spent a few years at Thrissur imparting lessons in Sanskrit to children in the locality and then moved to the residence of the Punnathur royal family to give lessons in Sanskrit to the members of the family. By this time he became interested in going to the outside world and traveled to the northern parts of present-day Kerala and stayed for a few years at the residence of the local Mayipadi royal family. While staying there, Rama Variar happened to meet an ascetic by name Yoganandasvamikal who had come as a guest at the nearby Edneer Mutt. Rama Variyar approached the ascetic and urged the Svamilkal to teach him the finer details of the great Brahmasutra which the Svamikal did eminently in about four months. Impressed by the intellectual abilities of his student, Svamikal allowed him to join in his journey Mukambi. At the time of his departure, Svamikal conferred three titles on Rama variyar, namely, "Vagdasan", "Ramanandanathan" and "Panditaparsavendran". Returning home, Rama Variyar continued to give lessons in Sanskrit to whoever sought lessons from him. In the meanwhile he married Thekke Variyath Kutty Varasyar.
Rama Variar had played a key role in the expansion of the printing industry in Kunnamkulam area in Thrissur district and in popularizing printed Malayalam religious books among the general public. The establishment of the Vidyaratnaprabha Printing Press by Paramel Ittoop in Kunnamkulam played a key factor in this role. In the year 1883, at the urging of Paramel Ittoop, Rama Variyar moved his family to Kunnamkulam and stayed there and devoted fully to his scholarly pursuit. One of his first publication was a corrected edition of Ezhuthacchan's Adhyatma Ramayanam in Malayalam. Several of Rama variyar's early works were printed at Vidyaratnaprabha Printing Press. Later, when the manager of this press started his own printing press in Thrissur, the newly established press took the responsibility of printing and distributing the books authored by Rama Variyar. Most of Rama Variyar's works were in the form of translations and commentaries on well known works in Sanskrit.
The untimely death of one of his daughters affected him deeply and he left Thrissur to stay at his home in Thrikkandiyur. He spend his last years in utter misery and penury and his life came to an end on 5 October 1897.[2]
The following is a partial list of the books on which Rama Variyar composed and published commentaries and translations in Malayalam>
Full texts of the following works of Rama Variyar are available in the Internet Archive for free download.