Epigraphia Indica Vol 21

SR No.: 032575
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1931
Total Pages: 398
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

Page 266

No. 38.]
TIRUMUKKUDAL INSCRIPTION OF VIRARAJENDRA.
223
Siva-Brāhmaṇas, 5 Vaikhānasas and 2 of another class the name of which is lost in the inscription. The feeding expenses, inclusive of the cost of mats and oil for lamps and for bathing on 51 Satur days of the year, and wages of cooks and maid-servants who served the students and the teachers, came to 1642 kalam and 6 kuruni of paddy and 37 kādu. From the fact that the hostel fed not only the students studying the Rig-Vēda, the Yajur Vēda, the Vyākarana and the Rupávatāra but also a certain number of Mahå-Pāñchrătras, Siva-Brāhmaṇas and Vaikhānasas, it may be inferred that the agamas and tantras-such as the Pañcharitra, Saiva and Vaikhn48&-were also taught.
The word Siva-Brāhmaṇa occurs very frequently in South Indian inscriptions and it has been generally taken to mean those belonging to the Saiva religion; but our inscription seems to indicate that it has the special significance of one studying the Baiv-Agama' referring as it does to a class of students of the school. It is interesting to find that the students in the hostel were provided with mats to lie on and lights for night study and were given oil for bath once a week throughout the year. The appointment of the maid-servants was meant for keeping the premises clean. As the education imparted was mostly religious in character, it is but natural that the temple was the principal centre of education, as we know from this and other inscriptions. One of the epigraphs of Uttaramellür belonging to the reign of the Chol, king Rājēndra-Chola I (A.D. 1013 to 1045) registers & gift of land as Paviliya-kidaippuram and stipulates that the men who enjoyed the income from it should live in the village and teach the Vēda. Another inscription of the same time registers a similar gift of land as Taittiriya-kidaipe puram, i.e., for teaching the students of the Taittiriya-Sakha. In the temple at Tiruvorriyür near Madras, there was built & pavilion known as the Vyākarana-dana-mandapa wherein was expounded Panini's Grammar. Besides the provision made for the study of the Vēdas, Grammar and the Agamas (Vēda-vritti, adhyayana-vritti and Bhatta-vritti), there are numerous inscriptions in the Madras Epigrapbical collection which refer to gifts made for the maintenance of persons expounding the Mahābhārata, Sõmasiddhanta, Prabhākara and the Mimāmhsa (Apūrvas). By far the biggest college established for the study of the Vēdas and grammar and known to us from inscriptions, existed in the 11th century A.D. at a place called Ennāyiram in the South Arcot District, which contained as many as 370 students studying the various subjects.
The last item of expenditure was for the maintenance of a hospital wherein were treated students living in the hostel, and temple servants that were sick. This hospital was provided with 15 beds, and was in charge of a physloian who was paid annually 90 kalans of paddy and 8 kādu in addition to a grant of land, for prescribing medicines to the patients lying in the hospital of Virabőlap, the servants attached to the institutions and the teachers and students of the Vēdio college. Besides the phyeician, there was one surgeon who received 80 kalam of paddy, two persons for fetching medicinal herbs who were paid 60 kalam of paddy and 2 käsu-these persons also supplied fire-wood and attended to the preparation of medicines,-two nurses who received 30 kalam of paddy and 1 kātu, and attended on the patients and administered medicines, and &
1 The Pañchrátra was so called becauso it had five Samhitas, viz., Paramösvara, Sättvata, Vishvakana, Khagödvara and Sri-Paushkara. According to the Varaha-Purana the persons eligible to study pajichandera are the first three classes and it was one of the four means of realising God, the other three boing Veda, bakit and yajila,
Steadvija and gurukkaare terms employed ayon now to denote persons conducting worship in Siva temples.
* Soul-Ind. I neers., VI, VI, No. 812. Kidai in Tamil means teacher and paviliya, term that is not explained in dietjonaries, is connectod phonetically with Bahoricha. As such, the provision made my bo for tonohing the Rig Veda
.Iwd., No. 316,