Epigraphia Indica Vol 15

Author(s): Sten Konow, F W Thomas
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 73

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
(VOL. XV
temple at Srirangam : he was famous for his learning and munificent in gifts; he had mado rich donations to the temple at Srirangam for feeding a large number of Brāhmaṇas during the Pariguni festival. Nārāyaṇa, the father of the minister Aniruddha, had many disciples, who proclaimed his greatness to the world. Aniruddha's mother made arrangements for feeding perpetually one learned Brāhmaņa daily in the temple of Ranganatha, for which purpose she presented a plate and dish made of silver; she also set up a perpetual lamp to bo burnt before the god Ranganātha. The grandfather of Aniruddha bore also the same name; he made donations to the Srirangam temple for making the midnight offerings to the god. The great-grandfather of Aniruddha was called Ananta, and he was very liberal in making gifts to the indigent and poor. The peculiarly Vaishnava names of the minister and his ancestors, their attachment to the god Ranganātha of the temple at Srirangam and the rich gifts which they have made to the temple clearly indicate that they were all members of the then growing community of Srivaishnavas. According to the astronomical calculations of Mr. Swamikkannu Pillai the dates of birth of Nāthamuniga! and Alavandār are A.D. 823 and 916 respectively); and we also know that the date of coronation of Rājarāja I was A.D. 985 and that there ruled, between him and his father Sundara-Chola, Madhurāntaka, son of Gandarāditya. If, as we presumed, the Chola country overrun by the Rashtrakāta Krishna III was under his sway during the whole of his lifetime, that is, till about A.D. 971, tho period intervening between this and the accession of Rājarāja I is 14 years; the reigns of Gandarāditya, Parantaka II and Madhurantaka have to be accommodated within this space of 14 years. Gandaråditya probably did not rule long : perhaps, having been already a very elderly man when he ascended the throne, he died soon after. Parāntaka It is said to have fought a battle at Chèvür. Vira-Pandya in all his inscriptions is described as "Vira-Pāndya who took the crowned head of the Chola,"3 and Aditya II, son of Parāntaka II, is described in the Leiden grant as sporting with the cut-off head of Vira-Pandya. It is therefore likely that Sandara-Chola was killed by Vira-Pandya and he, in his turn, was killed by Aditya II in revenge for his father's death. So it is evident that the reign of Parāntaka II was also a short one. Madhurāntaka succeeded him; the people, however, desired Rajarāja I to take charge of the government, but he refused to do so until his uncle Madhurāntaka got tired of ruling : it is also stated in the Tiravālangadu grant that he was shortly elected as Yuraraja. Probably also, therefore, the reign of Madhurānta ka did not last long. Therefore it is not difficult to imagine that three reigas were included in the short space of 14 years. Parantaka II, therefore, may have been a contemporary of Alavandār. This was the time whon Srivaishnavaism was in fall swing, being preached by the learned Alavandār, who had several very eminent disciples. The ancestors of Aniruddha, the minister of SundaraChola, nust have come under the influence of the Alvārs and Nāthamunigal, with whose tine the ages of the ancestors of Aniruddha agree very well. Madhava Bhatta, the compober of the Chola prasasti contained in the Agbil plates, calls himself the disciple of Srinātha. In all probability he was a student of Näthamunigal, who is reputed to have had a very long
life.
It is stated in the inscription that Aniruddha belonged to the Jaimini-sütra and to the Avēpi-gotra. Tho götra Avēni is often mentioned in South Indian Inscriptions in connection with the names of Srivaishọavas, as also in their literature.
Journal of the 8. I. Association for April-June, 1914, pp. 17 and 21. · Sans, and Tam. Ins. by Bargess and Natesa Sastri, p. 207. + Blan-ralaikonda ko-Vira-Pandya-derar is how he is doscribed in inscriptions
For example, No. 589 of 1902 mentions one Avăņi Sri Ramachandra-națţāndan alias Chakravartti Korra Kiriyалуыр.