"The literary works of Swati Tirunal include Bhakti Manjari, Syanandurapuravarnana Prabandham, Padmanabhasatakam, Muhana prasa antya prasa vyavastha, Ajamila, Kuchela Upakhyanas and Utsava Varnana Prabandha. His musical compositions, varied in form and structure, approximate 400 in number, in Carnatic and Hindustani ragas, both familiar and rare. Varnam, kriti, tillana, ragamalika, swarajati, jatiswaram, padam, javali, khayal, dhrupad and tappa, the Navaratri and Navaratnamalika thematic compositions, he composed them all, this prolific output implying an impressive degree of effortlessness on his part. Being a linguist, he opted for a choice of languages like Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Manipravalam . He was a past master in the usage of swaraksharas - a musical device where the lyric phonetically matches the note that couches it. He affixed his compositions with the mudra ‘Padmanabha’ and its synonyms."

“Swati Tirumal was a contemporary of the Carnatic musical trinity :Thagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama sastri but did not meet any of them.”

“He was devoted to Lord Padmanabha, the deity in the Tiruvantharapura temple, but he saw no distinction between Siva and Vishnu, whom he considered as two forms of the same Divinity. His famous song Visvesvar darsan exemplifies this philosophy of his.”

“The sovereign of this beautiful country is about twenty-six years of age, of a very pleasing countenance, and his manners strikingly simple and gentlemanlike. He speaks English with perfect fluency, is an accomplished Persian and Arabic scholar, and is in other respects unusually well informed; having had the advantage of a much better education than commonly falls to the lot of oriental princes. Could he escape from the swaddling-bands of the Brahmins, it is supposed that he would shew himself a really enlightened ruler. This however seems almost impossible, as these crafty priests have thrown their meshes so effectually around him that he can scarcely stir hand or foot without their permission. They possess unbounded influence over his mind, the influence which can only be attained by superstition; and the puppet of royalty is moved according to their will and pleasure by the brahminical string. It is very much to be lamented; as unquestionably he might do, and probably has the inclination to do, much for his country, which now remains undone. Certainly their terrible religion is the bane and curse of India.”

“Very few rulers could come anywhere near Swati Tirunal in his patronage of arts, his catholicity of religous outlook, his transcendence of narrow regional, religious and caste barriers. He was truly a evolved royal sage.”

“In December 1834, His Highness the Rajah of Travancore travelled about in the Southern parts of his kingdom and paid a visit to the important Mission establishments. Messrs Mead and Mault spared no pains to make the Rajah’s visit as interesting as possible… His Highness’ visit to the Nagercoil English Seminary and the Mission Press produced important results to the State, for he was so much delighted with the working of these useful institutions, and so much impressed of their importance as civilising agents, that he very much regretted that his own capital could not boast of such establishments. When therefore His Highness requested the Missionaries to help him to establish similar institution in Trivandrum, they heartily agreed. In consequence of this Mr. Roberts the Headmaster was induced to go and start an English school at Trivandrum and workmen from the Mission Press were also sent to start the Sircar Press. Such was the origin of the Maha Rajah’s College, and the Government Press at Trivandrum.”

“By the time His Highness attained his majority, he had completed his education and become a perfect master of Sanskrit, English, Persian, Hindustani, Maharatti, Telugu, Canarese, Tamil and Malayalam.”