Indian Antiquary Vol 48

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

Page 145

August, 1919) THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHALUK YA VIKRAMADITYA
141
intervention of the illustrious Rajaraja I (the Great) who succeeded in making it a vassal of the Chola kingdom and compelled Vimaladitya, the first vassalking to marry Kundayvai, his daughter. Vimaladitya was succeeded by his son Rajaraja of the Eastern Châlukya family who ruled for 40 or 41 years 15 from A.D. 1020 to A.D. 1060 or 1061. The Jatter married Ammangadêvi, the daughter of the Chőļa king Rajendrachola I or Gangaikonachôla. He died leaving behind him a brother Vijayaditya and an only son Rajendrachôla II.16 The latter in turn married Madhurântaka, the daughter of Rajendradêva. Thus for
15 Epi. Inl., IV, 33, V. 21; PithApuram inscription of Mallapadeva gives him 40 years, Epi. Ind., V. 10, V. 4; Ind. Ant., XIV, 33. Copperplate grants of Rajaraja give him 41 years. 1. SII, I, 59, No. 30. Chellar grant.
"கங்கைகொண்ட சோழன்தேவி குலமகடன் குலமகனை''
-Kalinga tupparuni, x, 5. "இருள் முழுது மகற்றும் விது குலத்தோன் றேவி - யிகல் விளங்கு தபன குலத் திராசராச னருடிருவின் றிரு வயிற்றில் வந்து தோன்றி
-Kalingattupparari, x, 3. Scholars have experienced great difficulty in rightly understanding the meaning of the latter stanza and it has remained almost a puzzle till now. Some have naturally understood the phrase que G Å UTFIT to refer to Choļa Rajaraja the Great (I) of the solar race. Thit this interpretation contradicts the nccepted genealogy of Kulottunga I or Rajendrachôļa II as given in inscriptions (vide genealogical table below). So they consider the mention of Rajaraja to be a mistake for Rajendracho!a I or Gangaikondachola due to the ignorance of Jayankondån the author of Kaliagattupparani. But it is wrong to associate such palpable ignorance with a great contemporary from whose admirable and orderly account of the Choa kings with their characteristic features, the later Chola genealogy itself can be reconstructed, in the absence of inscriptions even (vide Kanakasabhai Pillai's Commentary on Kalingattupparani in Ind. Ant., XIX). Moreover the above gratuitous assumption of ignorance would conflict with the author's
own specific statement in canto X, 5, in which Kulôttunga is rightly represented to be *STAL - சோழன்றேவி குலமகடன் குலமகன்'. To avoid this dilloully Rao Bahadur Venkayya has attempted
though in vain, to come to the roscue of the author and has understood Rajaraja to mean the Eastern Chalukya king. His translation of the verse would run as follows Vishnu appeared again in the royal womb of the queen of him of the tale of the moon which dispels all darkness-Rajaraja's gracious 'Lakshmi who was of the rival race of the sun.' He would point out that both the queen and Lakshmi refer to the same Ammang dôvi whose husband was the Eastern Chalukya Rajaraja. (Vide Epi. Rep., 1901.) But this translation is ingenious and cannot be accepted by Tamil scholars as it runs counter to Tamil diction and grammar.
0' here can only mean daughter born' but not * gracious Lakshmi' and the phrase sua cos ' must qualify 'Rajaraja'but ont " as Mr. Venkayya would have us construe. Moreover the 2 or 3 lines would then referto the same fact twice over which is considered a defect with great' poets (
t wo p o pu) such as Jayai kondine, who is famed as the greatest expert in the composition of Parani, a special kind of Tamil classic. To avoid both the above difficulties--the Soylla and the Charybdis—the word Rajaraja is not to be understood həre as a proper noun referring either to the Chôļa or Chalukya king. It is to be taken as a common noun meaning king of kings' similar to cei weiterer Kalingattupparari X, 25), a designation as much applicable to Rajendrachða I or Gangaikoplachola. This is also in consonance with the author's quality of not using proper names but specifying kings only by their deeds. The above interpretation would avoid all the difficulties caused above and would save the author from the charge of ignorance. The correct translation of the verse would then bau Vishnu appeared again in the royal wom) of the queen of him of the lunar rase, the daughter cf the king of kings of the .solar rase."