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important incident in Bhattatiri's life which is connected with the composition of his greatest poem 'Narayaniya'.
Achyuta Pisharoti once became afflicted with rheumatism and Bhattatiri cured him by invoking the disease unto himself by incantations. Bhattatiri consequently became ill. Finding little relief from medicine, Bhattatiri betook himself to the great shrine of Guruvayur (S. Malabar) to invoke the blessings of the deity for restoring him to his normal health. During the course of his stay in the temple for worshipping Lord Krishna installed there, Bhattatiri composed a decade of verses every day in praise of the God. He chose Bhāgavata for his theme, and completed the work in one hundred days. It is commonly believed that on the completion of his Bhajana in the temple, he was cured through the blessings of Krishna.
According to a chronogram (er ) found in the poem it was completed in 1587, when the poet was only 27 years old, a fact which greatly enhances our admiration for so great a work.
About the later life of Bhattatiri we get practically ao information. His "Nārāyaniya' would surely have brought him immediate fame and immense popularity. And he would have taken his place as a new star in the literary firmament. His vast erudition in the 'vedās' as well as in the 'sāstras' would have secured for him a high place of honour among the scholars of the land. He was welcomed with great honours by the kings and chiefs of Kerala, some of whom received his warm praise in return. Bhattatiri'r fame, particularly as a grammarian, had spread to other parts of South India, where it evoked the jealousy of some scholars like Vainateya. Bhattatiri, unlike other grammarians of his day, was not a blind follower of Pāṇini, but was prepared to accept the authority of Apäņiniya systems also. This was naturally sufficient cause for controversy among the grammarians. Bhattatiri, however, was firm in his stand, and vindicated his position with the help of the vast store of bis scholarship. His work 'Apāņiniya prámánya sădhana' is a notable contribution in this subject.
Bhatratiri is believed to have lived a long life and died full
