Indian Antiquary Vol 46

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 82

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(APRIL, 1917
Siva, whose proper place is the crematorium.'94 The Talasayanam must have got modified into Jalasayanam by an error and assumed the alternative Kshatriyasimha Pallavêsvaram, if Kshatriyasimha made benefactions to the temple by extending and improving it.25 Rajasimha Pallavēšvaram must be the sea-ward-looking temple, which is obviously of later construction from its own position. The prismatic linga is quite characteristic of Rajasimha's buildings, as a comparative study of Pallava monuments seems to indicate.26 Rajasimha is further descrit ed 'a very pious prince, the illustricus Atyantaksma, the chief of the Pallavas, who crushed the multitude of his foes by his power (or spear), whose great statesmanship was well known, and who had got rid of all impurity (by walking) in the path of the Saiva doctrine."27
In his zeal for extension for the Siva sbrine he might have consciously thrown the Vishyu shrine into the shade and might even have destroyed parts of it, as that must have faced the sea from the disposition of the image now, both in the shore-temple and in the more modern temple in the town. The tradition is living yet that this latter was built to house the god, left homeless by the pious vandalism possibly of the Pallava sovereign, it may even be, by his own successor Nandivar man who was a Vaishṇava and in whose time Tirumangal Alvar probably lived.
Mamallapuram is not mentioned as a Saiva holy place by either Sambandar or Appar, who have made hymns upon Tirukkajukku nram; nor even by Sundara marti, as far as I am at present able to make out. It is not mentioned among the recognised Saiva centres of worship even now. Tirumangai Ajvar celebrates it separately in two pieces of ten stanzas each, and makes other references besides. Another of these Älvârs, believed to be much anterior to him in time and born in the town itself, refers to the temple. We have already referred to the primitive character of the bas-relief in the Krishạnmantapam.
It seems, therefore, that before Narasimhavarman I took it upon himself to beautify the place with the various rock-cut temples and other works of art, it must have been a place of Vaishnava worship in some manner connected with one of the oldest Vaishyava temples in Kanchi. In one of his verses, Tirumangal Alvar refers to the god at Mallai, as he who was abed in Kachchi.'? This may be explained away in a general sense, but the reference seems to be specific, and there is some similarity in regard to the traditions of both. The shrine in Kanchi referred to is that of Yadôktakari or Vehka, the only temple referred to in the Perumbánatruppadai. This poem by Rudran Kannan has for its object the celebration of the liberality of Tondaman
24 பிணங்களில் காடதனுள் நடமாடு பிஞ்ஞகனோடு 'இணங்கு திருச்சக்கரத் தெம்பெருமானார்க் கிடம் விசும்பில் கணங்களி யங்கும்மல்லைக் கடன்மல்லைத் தலசயனம் வணங்கு மனத்தாரவரை வணங்கென் நன் மடநெஞ்சே.
(Periya Tirumoli. II. vii, 9.) 13 Para 9, Epigraphiet's Report for 1913. 26 C. RAjasimha-Pallavéévara, the Kaildsanátha temple at Kanchi, 9 Teah&m vamse prastat Ránarasika purðrmmardhana d (a)gradandat (u) Subrahmanyah kumaro Guha iva Pramadlávaradatta janma Baktikpunnari varggo viditabahunaya's Baiva siddhanta marge Sriman Atyantakamah kehatasakalamalo dhurddharah Pallavanam
(8.1.1., Vol. I., No. 24, verse 5). 28 கச்சிக் கிடந்தவனூர்க் கடன் மல்லைத் தலசயனம்.