R. Narayana Panickar | |
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| Born | (1889-01-25)25 January 1889 |
| Died | 29 October 1959(1959-10-29) (aged 70) |
| Occupations |
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| Notable work | Kerala Bhasha Sahitya Charitram Navayuga Bhasha Nighantu |
| Spouse(s) | Janaki Amma, Thankamma |
| Parents |
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| Awards | Sahitya Akademi Award |
R. Narayana Panickar (25 January 1889 – 29 October 1959) was an Indian essayist, playwright, translator, lexicographer, novelist and historian ofMalayalam. He was credited with over 100 books but the best known among them are the seven-volume work,Kerala Bhasha Sahitya Charitram, a comprehensive history ofMalayalam literature up to 1951 andNavayuga Bhasha Nighantu, alexicon. He also wrote a number of novels and translated several works includingPurananuru,Akanaṉūṟu andSilappatikaram. He was also a historian and published works such asThiruvithamkoor Charitram andKerala Charitram.Sahitya Akademi honoured him with theirannual award in 1955.
Narayana Panickar was born on 25 January 1889 atAmbalappuzha, inAlappuzha district of the south Indian state ofKerala to Ayyappan Pilla and Valezhathu Kunji Amma.[1] After schooling at Ambalappuzha and Alappuzha, he completed his intermediate course fromMaharaja's College, Ernakulam and continued his undergraduate studies atThiruvananthapuram which he could not complete it. subsequently, he returned to Alappuzha where he worked as a teacher, simultaneously studying privately to earn a bachelor's degree. Thereafter, he worked at various schools in Kerala including St. Mary's High School, Champakkara, St. Aloysiuos High School,Edathua,Kottappuram High School, Government Sanskrit School, Thiruvananthapuram, and S. M. V. High School,Vanchiyoor before superannuating from service from S. R. V. High School,Nagarcoil in 1944.[1]
Panickar was known to have published over 100 books, composed of novels, poems, histories, biographies, translations and lexicons.[1][2] However, he is best remembered for the seven-volume work,Kerala Bhasha Sahitya Charitram, a comprehensive history ofMalayalam literature up to 1951[3][4] andNavayuga Bhasha Nighantu, alexicon.[5]Kerala Bhasha Sahitya Charitram fetched him theSahitya Akademi Award for Malayalam in 1955.[6][7] He also translated several classics of Tamil and Bengali literature including Purananuru, Akanaṉūṟu, Silappatikaram andSita ofDwijendralal Ray.[8]
Panickar married three times, first to Janaki Amma but after her death in 1913, he had a short marriage after which he married Thankamma, the daughter ofK. C. Kesava Pillai, a notedCarnatic musician and the poet laureate ofTravancore.[1] He died ion 29 October 1959, at the age of 70. His life has been documented in a biography,R. Narayana Panicker, by R. Balakrishnan Nair.[9]
R. Narayana Panickar authored about 100 books comprising history, novels, short stories and plays.[10]
History:Kerala Bhasha Sahitya Charitram (7 volumes),Thiruvithamkoor Charitram,Kerala Charitram,Mukila Samrajyodayam,Mukila Prabhavam,Ayurveda Charitram,Muhammad Nabi,Ayyappa Charitam (2 volumes),Mahacharitamala,Asokavardhana,Arya Charitam,Dharmaraja,Ayyappan Marthanda Pillai,Raja Kesava Dasan,Sri Ramanujan Ezhuthachan,Kunchan Nambiar,Matruka Bhrityan,Bharatan,Chaitra Rajaratnam,Mahatma Gandhi,Netaji,Jawaharlal
Novels/short stories:Yugalanguliyakam,Amritavalli,Mrinalini,Saraswati,Maharashtra Jivanaprabhatam,Chandranathan,Annapurnalayam,Lalita,Atma Samarpanam,Anuradha,Manorama,Satisha Chandran,Valiya Chechi,Madhuri,Rahasya Petika,Vanaja Kumari,Kusuma,Ashalatha
Plays:Sita Nirvasam,Devika Rani,Premotkarsham,Rama,Meena,Maurya Vijayam,Mevar Pathanam
Songs:Gandhi Gitangal (3 volumes),Desiya Gana Manjari,Sri Ramakrishna Ganavali
Dictionaries:Angaleya-Malayala Brihatkosam,Navayuga Bhasha Nighantu,English-Malayalam Nighantu,Sanketika Nighantu
Interpretations: Kathakali –Nalacharitam (4 volumes),Uttaraswayamvaram,Rukminiswayamvaram,Nivatakavacha Kalakeyavadham; Thullal –Patra Charitam,Kiratam;Mahabharata –Bhishma Parvam;Ramayana –Irupathinalu Vritham; Sanskrit –Anurangam,Ratimanjari
Miscellaneous:Urdu Sikshakan,Hindi Balabodhini,Hindi Mahopadhyayan,Muthollayiram,Vijyana Veethi,Matruka Rajyam,Jyotisha Sarasarvasvam,Bhavaphalam
Translation of Roy'sSita from Bengali
