Indian Antiquary Vol 22

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 75

MAROE, 1893.]
MADRAS MUSEUM PLATES OF JATILAVARMAN.
68
That Varaguna-Pandya was a historical personage, is shewn by the same Bina grant, which reports that the Ganga king Prithivipati, who was a contemporary of Amôghavarsha, defeated the Pandya king Varaguņa in the battle of Bri-Purambiya (not Sripura, as it is on page 373 of the Salem Manual, Vol. II.). Sri-Parambiya has probably to be identified with the village called Tiru-Parambiyam in Sundaramarti-Nayanar's Téváram, and Purambayam in Tirufậnasambandar's Téváram. The exact place occupied by Ko-K kisli in the Chôļa genealogy, is not known. The two inscriptions wbich mention the early Chola kings, say that Karikala, KôChchamka nån and Ko-Kkilli belonged to the Chola family. Of these two authorities, the Leyden grant mentions Karikála first and Ko-Kkilli last, wbile the Bana inscription mentions KoKkilli first and K 8-Chcbam kan last. The Kalingattu-Parans mentions KO-Kkilli first and Karikala last. Thus the three authorities for Chola history that are now known, do not give a regular genealogy for this period, and one may doubt if it will ever be possible to reconstruct it and to determine the dates of these kings from Chola inscriptions alone. There is only one Varaguņa mentioned in the traditional lists of the Pandya kings. Consequently, the information that we now possess for Påndya bistory, offers no obstacles to the identification of the Varaguņa-Pandya of the Bâņa inscription with the Varaguņa of the Tiruvilaiyadalpuránam. This purana has a chapter 43 which describes how the 'god at Madura' sent the great musician Bana-Bhadra with a letter to Seraman Perumal, the Chöra king, who was a contemporary of the Saiva devotee Sundaramurti-Nayanar. The letter directed the Chêra king to give presents to the musician, which was duly done. The same event is referred to in that chapter of the Periyapuránam which gives an account of the life of 'Seraman Perumal. In this narrative we have perhaps to take the god at Madura' to mean the Påndya king. If this saggestion is correct, it would imply that the Chêra king was a vassal of the Pandya. From the Tiruvilaiyadalpuránam we also learn that the old college (Sangam) of Madura was established during the reign of a certain Vamsasekhara-Pandya, and was provided with a miraculous seat (palagai) by the god Sundarêśvara.45
The second of the works enumerated as throwing some light on the Pandya history, is the Periyapuranam. The accounts contained in this work may be considered less open to question, as some of the statements made in it have been strongly confirmed by recent discoveries. As the author of the work does not profess to write a history, but only the lives of the sixty-three devotees of Siva, the historical information contained in it is only incidental. One of these sixty-three devotees was Nedumaran, a Pandya king. He is described as having been victori. ous in the battle of Nelveli.46 . This is probably Tinnevelly (Tirunelveli). As the battle was fought in the Pandya country itself, it implies that the king only succeeded in repelling an invader from the North or from Ceylon. We are told that he married a daughter of the Chola king, whose name is not mentioned, that he was originally a Jaina by religion, and that his queen, who was a Saiva at heart, sent for the great Tirunanasambandar, who succeeded in converting the king to the Saiva religion through a miraculous care of his malady, which the Jaina priests could not make any impression upon. The date of this Pandya king and, with it, that of Tiruñanasambandar are still wrapt in mystery. That Dr. Caldwell's identification 67 of this king, who was also called Sundara-Pandya, with Marco Polo's "Sonder Bandi" is incorrect, and that the three great Saiva devotees Tiru lánasambandar, Tirunavukkaraiyar and Sundaramarti-Nayapár must have flourished prior to the eleventh century A. D., is, however,
43 Sir Walter Elliot, in his Coins of Southern India, p. 123 f. hns published six lists of Paplya kings. In the firet, two kings are mentioned with the name Varaguņa, while each of the other five mentions only one king of that name.
13 Tirumugan-godutta padalam, p. 227 of the Madras edition of 1888. 44 Chapter 37 of the Madras edition of 1884. 46 Sanga-ppalngai landa paralam, chapter 51 of tho Madras edition of 1889.
* Nolucli venta mira-fr-Nedumarat Nedumiran, whoso fortune was constant (and) who gained (the battle of) Nelveli,' occurs in verse 8 of the Tirutt dattogai, which contains a liet of the sixty-tbree devotees of Siva, and wbich WAS composed by Sandaramůrti-Nayapar.
*T Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian Languages, Introduction, pp. 189 f.