Samipya 1991 Vol 08 Ank 01 02

Author(s): Pravinchandra C Parikh, Bhartiben Shelat
Publisher: Bholabhai Jeshingbhai Adhyayan Sanshodhan Vidyabhavan

Page 25

the temples and the method of managing them. These details incidentally throw valuable light on the social and economic condition of the people.
Saivism:
Most of the inscriptions are Saivite in charater, but some belong to the Vaisnava and a few to the Buddhist sects, About the beginning of the 5 th cent A. D. Kaundinya, the second is believed to have indianized the kingdom of Funan to a great extent. He is believed to have introduced the following elements of Hindu culture: 1. Worship of Indian deities
2. State worship of Sivalinga
3. The law of Manu
4. Central Indian Alphabet
5. Honorific title of Varman to the names of kings and also to the persons of exalted religious and political positions.
The temples played an important role in the cultural history of Cambodia. They performed many social duties. They were the centres of learning. They functioned also as centres for fine arts. Singers, dancers, instrumentalists, actors and reciters, all received encouragement and training in temples. They were also associated with public utility work such as excavation of tanks, ditches and foundation of Dharmasalās.
Śaivism emerged as a dominant religious force in the 9th or the 10th cent. A.D. Vaisnavism was also a powerful force in the 12th cent. A.D. Yašovarman I is known to have patronized the prevailing cults and sects, namely Saivites-Brahmanirama, the Vaisnavites-vaiṣṇavāirama, the Pasupatas, the Tapasvins, the Pancaratras, the Bhagavatas, the Saugatas etc. This king adopted Saivite postumous name Paramasivaloka'. Even in the field of sculpture, such synthesis is reflected, such as in the image of Harihara (a composite deity of Sankara and Vişņu also known as Sankaranarayana).
The Rulers of Kambuja happened to be the patrons of Indian Culture. For attaining improved royal status, they resorted to patronising Dharma and for this they sought guidance and encouragement from the priests, poets, philosophers and saints, Inspite of their individual origins from different ancestries or coming to power from variout sources, they generally believed in a mythological ancestry denoting their becoming ruler by virtue of an element of the divine propagation of their adopted dharma. Construction of shrines and bringing the subjects to an upper religious strata used to be their main objectives. The Khmer king almost assumed the role of the supreme guardian of all the religious foundations of his realm. Yaśovarman I was declared the Guru of the entire world (Svaloka Guru Samrata). He founded a series of small hermitages, all bearing a name recalling his own Yasodharaśrama in different parts of his kingdom. These aśramas were non-sectarian in character. The king was the supreme religious and cultural institution in cambodia.
"Ancient Indian Religions in Cambodia"..]
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