Epigraphia Indica Vol 03

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 22

RANGANATHA INSCRIPTION OF SUNDARA-PANDYA.
1148. An inscription of the Poysala king Vira-Narasimhadeva in the Ranganatha temple suggests that, subsequently to Saka-Samvat 1194 (the date of No. V.), Ramanatha was succeeded or supplanted by his half-brother Narasimha III. This inscription is dated in the cyclic year Vijaya, which would correspond to Saka-Samvat 1216, and refers to Dévaladevi, who, as stated above, was the mother of Ramanatha.
The fact that Ramanatha held Srirangam after the death of his father, suggests that the defeat which Sandara-Pandya inflicted on Somêsvara, had no permanent effect, but that Ramanatha soon recaptured Srirangam from the Pandya king. The subjoined inscription appears to have been engraved between Saka Samvat 1175, the date of the Bangalore Museum plates of Somêśvara, and Saka-Samvat 1179, the earliest date of Ramanatha.
The immediato purpose of the Ranganatha inscription of Sundara-Pandya is a description of his building operations at, and gifts to, the temple. He built a shrine of Narasimha (verges 2 and 10) and another of Vishnu's attendant Vishvaksena (verse 8), both of which were covered with gold, and's gilt tower which contained an image of Narasimha (7). Further, he covered the (original or central) shrine of the temple with gold, an achievement of which he must have been specially proud, as he assumed, with reference to it, the surname Hêmichchhadanaraja, i.e. "the king who has covered (the temple) with gold," and as he placed in the shrine a golden image of Vishnu, which he called after his own new surname (3). He also covered the inner wall of the (central) shrine with gold (22) and built, in front of it, a dining-hall, which he equipped with golden vessels (23). In the course of two" dining-weeks," which he called after his own name, he "filled the capacious belly" of the god, or rather of his votaries (26). In the month of Chaitra, he celebrated the procession-festival" of the god (20). For the "festival of the god's sporting with Lakshmi," he built a golden ship (21). The last verse (30) of the inscription states that the king built three golden domes over the image of Elemfohohhadanaraja-Hari (compare verse 3), over that of Garuda (compare verse 16), and over the hall which contained the couch of Vishnu (compare verse 6).
The following miscellaneous gifts to Ranganatha are enumerated in the inscription :A garland of emeralds (verse 4), & crown of jewels (5), a golden image of Sosha (6), a golden arch (9), a pearl garland (11), a canopy of pearls (12), different kinds of golden fruits (13), & golden car (14), a golden trough (15), a golden image of Garuda (16), a golden ander-garment (17), a golden aureola (18), a golden pedestal (19), ornaments of jewels (24), a golden armour (25), golden vessels (28), and a golden throne (29). The first of the gifts which are here enumerated, appears to have suggested the surname Maraksta-prithivibhrit, i.e. "the emerald-king," which is applied to Sundara-Pandya in verse 13.
TEXT. 1 हरिः पीम् स्वस्ति श्री: - येनासौ करुणामनीयत दर्ता श्रीरंगपत्माकरः' क्लत्वा तम् भुवनान्तरप्रणयिनं कपर्णाटदोषाकरम् [*] भूयोप्यत्र जगत्रयीबहुमतां समी
मवखापयन्देवस्सुन्दरपारचमानुरुदयं मे ... प्रतापोपळम् । [१] दत्तकतुलाधिरोहविधिना रंगेवरस्थालयन्देवश्त्रीमधुरामहेन्द्रनृपतिर्जाम्बूनदेर्मिम [*] अस्योत्तुंगभुवाद्रिभासुरयशचन्द्रोदयव्यक्षिका सन्ध्येवानिशमीचते नवजपारशा यदंश
. From two iakod estampages.
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