sourcebooks or written records of knowledge (traditionally palm-leaf
grandam [manuscripts]), weapons, and the gurukkal(masters; teachers) are
worshipped. The sources of knowledge and authority are laid at the feet of
the deities (usually Sarasvati, Durga, and Mahalaksmi) whose presence is
specially invoked for the duration of the festival. They are worshipped at
the first special pujagiven on the eighth day of the festival. A typical set of
texts worshipped by one master on Navaratri includes Kalari vidya(kalari
art)—a manual of exercises and techniques in the dronambillil sampra-
dayam(lineage of practice); Marmmabhyasam (techniques of the vital
spots)—a manual that records techniques for attacking and defending the
body’s vital spots; Marmmaprayogam(application to the vital spots)—a
manual of locks and methods of application to the body’s vital spots;
Marmmacikitsa(treatments for the vital spots)—a manual of emergency
counterapplications and treatments for injuries to the body’s vital spots;
and Vadakkam pattukal(northern ballads)—a contemporary printed col-
lection of the traditional oral ballads of northern Kerala singing of the ex-
ploits of local heroes.
Several are original palm-leaf manuscripts passed on within a family;
several are handwritten notebooks copied from originals not in this mas-
ter’s possession; and the Vadakkam pattukal is a printed book purchased
from a local bookstore. The information within the texts is of four types:
(1) records of specific martial techniques or related information on prac-
tice; (2) information on such things as construction of a kalari, deities, and
ritual practice; (3) records of martial mythology or legends; and (4) meth-
ods of treatment and recipes for medical preparations.
The kalari vidya text is typical of those recording verbal commands
(vayttari) that are delivered while students practice preliminary training
body exercises, as well as when training in basic weapons forms. For ex-
ample, the first regular body exercise sequence begins with the commands,
“Take position. Left forward, right forward, right back, into position.”
The verbal commands per se tell us little about the position to be as-
sumed—in this case the “elephant pose.” When weapons forms are
recorded, only the student’s side of weapons use is verbalized and recorded
in textual form. Only a master can instruct students in how to correctly as-
sume and perform each of the exercises recorded so that the practitioner
reaps the potential benefits of practice or becomes accomplished in a
weapon’s technique.
These manuals of practice may be titled or untitled. The oldest man-
uals are palm-leaf grandam written in archaic Malayalam; however, most
masters today possess handwritten notebooks copied from original
grandam. Several traditional manuscripts are in library collections (Mal-
layuddhakrama, Verumkaipidutham, and Ayudhabhyasam are in the754 Written Texts: India