Poonthanam Nambudiri

Poonthanam Nambudiri
Statue of Poonthanam Namboothiri, Guruvayur, Kerala
Personal
Born1547 CE
Keezhattoor, near Perinthalamanna in present-day Malapuram district, Kerala
Died1640 CE
ReligionHinduism
Known forPoet, Vaishnavism (Krishna)
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Vaishnavism
Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
Supreme deity
Vishnu / Krishna / Rama
Important deities
Dashavatara
Other forms
Consorts
Related
Holy scriptures
Puranas
Sampradayas
Others
Teachers—acharyas
Related traditions

Poonthanam Nambudiri (1547–1640 CE) was a famous poet and a devotee of Guruvayurappan, who lived in Keezhattoor in what is now Malappuram district, Kerala, India. He is remembered for his masterpiece, Jnanappana which means "the song of divine wisdom" in Malayalam. His other chief poems in Malayalam are Bhasha Karnamritam and Kumaraharanam or Santanagopalam Pana. His other works include Raghaviyam, Vishnuvilasam and Sitaraghavam in Sanskrit and Vishnugeeta and Panchatantram in modern Malayalam.

Many hymns and prayer songs which are still popular in Kerala have been attributed to Poonthanam.