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वीर सम्वत् १००० से उत्तरवर्त्ती प्राचार्य ]
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सर्वनन्दि का समय लोकविभाग की प्रशस्ति में शक सं. ३८०, तदनुसार ई. सन् ४५८ उल्लिखित है और अप्पर के समकालीन एवं अप्पर द्वारा जैन से शैव बनाये गये पल्लवराज महेन्द्रवर्मन का शासनकाल ई. सन् ६०० से ६३० माना गया है । इससे यह अनुमान किया जाता है कि सर्वनन्दि के पाटलिका जैन मठ का उत्तरवर्ती आचार्य धर्मसेन उनसे दो तीन पीढ़ी उत्तरवर्ती काल का लगभग १२५ वर्ष पीछे का श्राचार्य होगा ।
अप्पर शैव सन्त बनने से
पहले जैन साधु था और पाटलिका नगर के जैन मठ का अधिष्ठाता और जैन संघ का प्राचार्य था, इसकी पुरातात्विक प्रमारणों से पुष्टि होती है । अप्पर के जैन साधु होने के सम्बन्ध में एपिग्राफी रिपोर्ट्स, मद्रास, की जिल्द ५ का निम्नलिखित अंश प्रमाण के रूप में यहां प्रस्तुत किया जा रहा है:
Tiruvadi-The Tiruvadigai of the Devaram literature and the Adhirajamangalya-pura inscriptions, is famous as the place where Appar, originally a Jaina, got converted to the Saiva Creed after many trying spiritual ordeals. The inscriptions of the temple which date from the Pallava King " Nripatunga varman" (A. D.
Y to ), The Pallava design of the Linga enshrined in the temple, and the Jaina image which is reported to have been dug out of an adjoining field and which is now placed within the temple compound, bear ample testimony to the antiquity of this village and to its former associations with the Jaina faith. The court religion of the Pallavas before Mahendravarman was won over to the Saiva religion by Appar, other-wise called Tirunavukkaradu Nayanar (Sdt Vagisa).
This town like Tirukkoyitur appears to have also been fortified in ancient times. It was also the scene of a battle between the forces of the later Pallava King. Kopperunjiviga and Hoysala Narashimba II (Epigraphica Indica Volume VII Page २६०-६१ ). Local tradition has it that during one of the inodern Muhammadan or British occupations, the temple Gopura suffered serious damage and was in ruins until repaired about fifty years ago by the head of the local Tirunavukkarasar-Matha, which is a dependency of the Tiruppanandal-Adhimam in the Tanjore district. It is interesting to note that a Tamil Brahman poet of the 9th century, called Uddandavelayudha-Bharati, composed a Kalambagam on the god of the temple and obtained a gift of some land and house site in Saka rys (No. 14 of Appendix B); but it is regrettable that this composition is not cow known to be extant.
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