Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 257

JANUARY, 1999
NOTES ON THE NEVEN PAGODAS
21
animals are quiescent in the relief, (3) the third is where Siva appears before Arjuna and bastows upon him the boon demanded by the penitent as a result of the penance. The three taken together make it clear that the relief is a representation of Arjuna's Penance on the surface of the rock. The trend of the various other beings towards the middle is not because of the watercourse there, but because of the chief character, Siva, being there. The watercourse is merely incidental and cannot be held to represent the Coming of the Ganges (Gangavatarana). The story of the Coming of the Ganga, so far as it relates to this particular, requires that Gangå should be shown as descending upon the matted coiffure of Siva, getting lost there almost, issuing therefrom in a omall stream by means of a loosened lock. The aspect of Siva in the relief has nothing in it to indicate this.
There is much other evidence on the point, but it is other than archaeological. The archæological features of the bas-relief leave little doubt that it was of the period of Narasimha varman I, Mahåmalla, who was a contomporary of the two Tevaram hymners, Appar and Sambandar. Both of these mention the incident of giving the pasupata to Arjuna as one of the more prominent acts of beneficence by Siva 37. The inscriptions on the Rathas and the caves make it absolutely clear that Narasimha varman laboured to make them Siva shrines and make a Saiva centre of the place. Inscriptions Nos. 17 and 18 on the Dharmaraja Ratha make it clear that it was intended to be called
Atyantakama Palla vēsvara.' 38 The same name occurs in the so-called Ganêsa Ratha and in the Ramanuja Mantapam. This Atyantakama was a title of Param@svaravarman the grandson of Narasimhavarman I, and father of Narsimha varman II, Rajasimha. The name "Narasimha ", is used twice among the number of inscriptions specifying the names and titles inscribed on this Dharmarâja Ratha. Since several of the titles were borne by more than one Pallava sovereign, it would be difficult to decide which of the two Narasimhas this actually refers to. On grounds of palæography Dr. Hultzsch has given it as his opinion that the characters in which these epigraphs are written are older than those in the Ganesa Ratha, and the florid characters in the Kailasanatha temple at Conjivaram. While this may not be quite a decisive test, it is probable that it is Narasimha I that is under reference here. (For the remarks of Dr. Hultzsch, see Epi. Ind., vol. X, p. 1 ff.) The larger number of buildings in rock therefore began to be excavated by Narasimhavarman I, and reached their completion if they ever reached it at all under Narasimha II, Rajasimha, Saiva sovereigns in a Saiva age. Among the statues in relief in the Dharmaraja Ratha in several tiers, there is one in the first tier in the south-west panel which seems intended to represent a human figure (Plate 7). It has an inscription on the top like the other relieis. But this contains no name among the titles inscribed on the top of the panel, that will lead us to the identification of the statue being that of Narasimha I. It must, however, be remarked that this is the only two handed figuro in the whole group, and there are features in the drapery and the attitude of the figure itself, which would make it distinct from the other figures in the other panels of the Ratha. Since un. doubtedly the names and titles on the Ratha were the names and titles of a Narasimha, this
27 ஓரியல் பல்லா வுருவமதாகி யொண்டிறல்வே
டன துருவது கொண்டு காரிகை காணத்தனஞ் சயன் றன்னைக் கறுத் தவற் களித்துடன் காதல்செய் பெருமான்,
(riussi). So. 3. பாடகஞ்சேர் மெல்லடி கற்பாவை யாளும்
நீயும் போய்ப்பார்த் தனது பலத்தைக் காண்பான் வேடனாய் வில்வாங்கி யெய்தநாளோ. -
(அப்பர்). திருவாரூர்த திருத்தாண்டகம். 3. 28 Epigraphia Indica, X, p. %.