Naranath Bhranthan
Naranath Branthan is a character in Malayalam folklore. He was considered a divine person, a Mukhta who pretended to be mad. His chief activity consisted of rolling a big stone up a hill and then letting it fall back down. There is a large statue of Naranath in Pattambi, Palakkad district of Kerala where he is believed to have lived.
Naranathu was born as the son of Vararuchi, the famous scholar in the court of Vikrama. Naranathu was one of Vararuchi's 12 children and was brought up in the Naranathu Mangalathu Mana, situated at Chethallur in Palakkad district. Vararuchi's children were also known as Parayi Petta Panthirukulam. Naranthu came to Thiruvegappura to master 'Vedas'. Thiruvegappura and the nearby Rayiranelloor Mountain, known as 'Branthachalam', became his usual abode. Due to his strange behaviour and odd activities, people perceived him as 'mad'. At Rayiranellor Mountain, he had the vision of the Devi, and later, for the people's benevolence, he enshrined Devi in the Mountain and started his worship there. No clear descriptions of Naranath's last days have yet been received.
The most famous facet of Naranath's life is his apparently eccentric habit of rolling big stones up the hill and letting them roll down back and laughing thunderously on seeing this sight. However, this act has often been considered allegorical and has been applied for social critiquing in myriad contexts.
The Naranathu Branthan Mala is located at Rayiranelloor in Palakkad district on the Valanchery - Pattambi road after Thiruvegappuram Shivan's temple. It takes 1.5 hours to climb the hill. Many climb the hill during the 1st of Thulam. On top, there is a statue of Naranathu Branthan. The nearest train station is Kuttipuram in Malappuram district on the Shornur-Kozhikode route. He is revered as a saint by some communities in the state and is often portrayed as naughty.
Stories of Naranath Bhranthan
Story of Sri Rama Temple at Thriprayar
One day Naranathu came to worship at the temple of Triprayar. He was surprised to see the movement of the altar stone, yet fathomed the reason through his yogic powers. He called the temple Tantri and had a nail driven on the stone, chanting mantras. The movement stopped forthwith. The portion where the nail was thrust can be seen even today.To prevent any decline in the idol's power on account of the change in its location, Naranathu also arranged to install two goddesses on either side of the deity: Sri Devi on the right and Bhumi Devi on the left.
Story of Naranath Bhranthan and Bhadrakali
Another of the popular stories associated with Naranath goes as follows. The deity or the female goddess Bhadrakaali goes out of the temple; She performs a dance called chutalanritha, accompanied by some of her assistants.Once Goddess Bhadrakali went to a graveyard and saw Naranath sleeping there. They had to perform that dance so the goddess sent her accomplices to scare him off that spot. Her accomplices tried to scare him with their most terrifying faces, but after seeing them he began laughing.
So the goddess herself appeared before him and offered to grant boons to him in return for him leaving the ground. But Naranath declined to accept the offer. But the goddess persuaded him to ask something for her satisfaction. He then asked the Goddess to increase his lifespan by one day. The goddess told him that she didn't have the power to do so. Then he asked her to decrease his lifespan by one day. The goddess was unable to grant that too. Laughing at this, Naranath asked the Goddess to shift the swelling Manth from his left leg to his right leg, which the Goddess readily did.
In yet another story a man wanted Naranath to be his Guru and followed him. As a good disciple, he wished to do everything his Guru did. Naranath told him to go away but the disciple stuck on. After walking for long their mouths were parched and there was no water source nearby. Naranath spotted a blacksmith and asked him to give him molten metal to drink, and he drank it. The disciple was sure that he himself couldn't do it. And Naranath told him to go away.