Jaina Monuments and Places First Class Importance

Author(s): T N Ramchandran
Publisher: Veer Shasan Sangh Calcutta

Page 32

2.1
JAINA MONUMENTS
minions for the propagation of his new faith. This king has been identified with the Pallava Mahendravarman I who bore the title 'Gunabhara'. The word 'Kamţtuhu' is engraved al four different places along the precipitous approach. After his conversion lo Saivisin the king may have excavated the rock-cut teniple of Siva called Lalıtänkura-Pallavēsvara-grham, wherein in a Sanskrit verse engraved on the beam of the Verändāh, he has emphatically expressed his adherence to the Saiva creed and describes all other religious faiths, as vipaksha-vrtti.* The word 'Tanchahara(ka) can be interpreted as a title of Mahendraverman and to mean "he who captured Tañcha (Tanjore). From the Vélūrpālaiyam plates, we know that Sinhavishnu, the father of Mahēndravarinan, claimed to have conquered the Chölas, and in support of this fact, it may be pointed out that Kañjanúr in the Tanjore district bore the surname Sirnhavishņuchaturvēdirnangalam in Clõļa times, testifying to its connection with the king of this name. As Pallava influence began to be felt in the Chola territory only from this period, it is possible that Mahendravarman who may have participated in this southern expedition in the company of his father had adopted this title.
On the stone platform of the same cavern is found the expression 'Svastī Sri Rājēndra' of the fuller name RājéndraChöladēva in Grantha characters atrtibutable to the 11th century A.D, while close to it is another coniplete inscription in characters of the same period consisting of a Sanskrit verse, containing an announcement by a certain Vädipralaya-Bhairava of his arrival at this place after having vanquished disputants and after having visited Karnata-mandala. It is not clear if he was a Jaina ascetic, but
T. N. Ramachandran. "The royal artist Mahendrajvarman 1," 56. The king was no convert to any faith but perhaps a convert to Art, Muses, etc.