Sankaranatha Josyer

Unsought patronage was extended to Sankaranatha Josyer and Swati Tirunal considered it an achievement to have been able to do so. Sankaranatha belonged to Malabar, but left the place early in his life and had his studies in astrology, law and philosophy under a great scholar named Varahacharya in Benares. His proficiency in astrology earned him name and brought him enormous money, the whole of which he was spending on charities including the construction of a free choultry at Joshighat in Benares. Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Punjab’ chanced to meet him, and amazed at the accuracy of his predictions, appointed him his adviser. It was then that Swati Tirunal came to know of him. He corresponded with Ranjit Singh through Lord William Bentinck, the then Governor-General, and got him down to Trivandrum. Impressed by his extraordinary legal erudition much more than by his other attainments, he appointed him as the First Judge of the Appeal Court.

Sankaranatha had brought with him manuscripts of certain works like Yogavasishtha, Gauritantra and Devibhagavata and he presented them to the Maharaja. He also translated the Devibhagavata into Malayalam as desired by him. The desire to have a collection of manuscripts was instilled in the Maharaja. He then acquired more and more of them and it was this collection which, as pointed out earlier, formed the nucleus of the Palace Manuscripts Library which now forms part of the Manuscripts Library of the University of Kerala. (www.keralauniversity.edu) .See also the link on Manuscripts Library in Related Institutions.