Epigraphia Indica Vol 25

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

Page 97

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
(VOL. XXV.
In some cases, the term Chaturvēdimangalam seems to have been contracted into Mangalam and such are those that bad for their functioning body the sabha. As instances may be cited Varaguņamangalam, Triyambakamangalam, Kaţtāraimangalam, Paraisumangalam, Māramangalam, Avanipasēkaramangalam and Kadungomangalam mentioned in a Pandya grant of the time of Varaguna II. All these places were in the Tinnevelly District and their foundation by Pāņdya kings takes us from the sixth to the ninth century A.D., when Kadungo, Märavarman, Varaguna and Srimāra flourished. The Pandya king Parantaka Neduñjadaiyan (A.D. 770) is said in the Vēļvikudi plates to have founded Srivaramangalam, so termed after one of his sur. names. Mangalam was further contracted into Mangai as in Varagaunamangai and Srivaraman. gai.
If we carefully study the constitution of Dayāmukhamangalam as detailed in the Tapdantöttam plates of Nandivarman Pallavamalla of the 8th century A.D. and compare it with what is said about the constitution of the villages as described in the medieval Pandya inscriptions cited above, we can clearly see that the principles followed were the same both in the 7th and 13th centuries A.D.
i. The newly constituted village was, in each case, divided into a number of shares, the number being some more than the number of donees intended to be provided for. In the Tiruppuvaņam plates, the principal donees numbered 1,080 and the shares made were 1,200. In the grant of Ravivarma-chaturvēdimangalam, the principal donees numbered 48 while the actual number of shares made were 65. In the case of Vikramapāndya-chaturvēdimangalam, the prin. cipal donees numbered 108 and the actual number of shares made were 147. In the earlier Tandantöttam plates it was intended to provide chiefly for 308 persons but extra sbares are actually mentioned.
i. The donees in all the grants of Chaturvēdimangalams (or simply Mangalams in the earlier grants) were Brāhmans well versed in the Vēdas and Sāstras. While some of the medieval Pandya records speak of the donees as Vēdamum Sāstramum poy vyākhyātākkaļāy irukkum, others add the word porutpada before poy. In place of this description, we have in the earlier Tandantöttam plates: Vēda-traya-smriti-jushāṁ vidushām dvijānām. In the list of onees, we notice there were more persons styled Chaturvēdī than Trivēdi or Shadangavid.
iii. All the records state that the villages had temples in them, or contemplate the construction of temples in them, meant for the use of the donees and make provision for them.
iv. In the Tiruppūvaņam plates, the extra shares, numbering 120, are stated to be for dēvadāna-pani sey-virutti-pangu. Here dēvadāna may either be taken independently or as qualifying the next pani sey. The phrase may be construed in two ways, viz., (i) shares meant for the dēvadāna and shares for the maintenance of those who had to render service or (ii) shares for the maintenance of those that had to render service pertaining to the dëvadāna'. The former meaning is obtained by taking dēvadāna and pani sey-virutti as separately qualifying pangu, and the latter is obtained by considering dēvadāna as qualifying pani sey-virutti which qualifies pangu. As it is seen from the other records cited above that the extra shares were meant both for the temple and for the various kinds of servants, we think it better to adopt the former view. The grant of Ravivarma-chaturvēdimangalam provides 12 shares for 12 Bhattas who had to recite the Vedas in the temple of Udaiyar Tirunelvēli-udaiyar and two shares each for the
1 Above, Vol. XXI, p. 114. *K. V. Subrahmanya Aiyer's Historical Sketches of Ancient Dekhan, p. 132. *S. 1. I., Vol. II, pp. 517 ff. .8. 1. I., Vol. II, p. 520, V. 9.