Pillai was a Principal of Government Sanskrit College, Trivandrum and authored several books in the three languages and JanakiAmma.
He married activist Maheshwari Amma, daughter of freedom fighter K. K. Kunju Pillai.
He was a member of the State Congress in the erstwhile state of Travancore, and a founder of the Kerala Socialist Party which later merged into the Revolutionary Socialist Party.
He devoted his political life to the trade union sector in Kerala.
He translated the book 'Kayar'(Coir) of Jnanpith winner Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai to English.