|
The Indian Analyst
|
|
South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA Of the three sons of Peruñjiṅga the eldest seems to have been Śōlakōn. The first mention of him is made in the Tiruvēndipuram inscription of A.D. 1232. From this inscription it looks as if Kōpperuñjiṅga and Śōlakōn were powerful in and around Chidambaram, and had made Śēndamaṅgalam their stronghold. Numerous records found at Chidambaram and other places in its vicinity mention Śōlakōn. His brother, Vēṇāvuḍaiyān, was a ‘hero among heroes’. He is said to have been the lord of Mallai, Mayilai, Toṇḍaimaṇḍalam, etc. He was issuing royal orders (ōlai) in the latter part of Kōpperuñjiṅga’s reign, while Śōlakōn, his elder brother, was performing a similar function from the 1st to the 19th years of Peruñjiṅga. The sons of Peruñjiṅga were his trusted generals and under their control and service there were other warriors and generals.[1] Great as were the military activities of Peruñjiṅga displayed both in his early days and after he became king, the fame which he acquired in other walks of life was no less. He was pre-eminently a patron of learning and fine arts. Besides being well known as one of the best wrestlers with the sword,[2] he was renowned as a pārīṇa in the ocean of Bharatānāṭyaśāstra.[3] He was recognised as the best poet of the day, a Kavisārvabhauma.[4] He is called Dēvāramalagiyān[5] and Tamilnāḍukāttaperumāḷ.[6] Peruñjiṅga’s devotion to the god at Chidambaram is borne out by numerous records registering his munificent gifts. The deity in the golden hall at Chidambaram was his favourite.[7] He also presented a gold forehead plate set with jewels to the god at Vṛiddhāchalam. Numerous were his gifts to the temple at Tiruvaṇṇāmalai. Here we find a gift made by his queen also.[8] Valuable were his gifts to the temple at Drākshārāma : they consisted of a throne (siṁhāsana), Makaratōraṇa, Kanakāndōḷana, etc. In the 27th year of the reign of Peruñjiṅga, a service called Aḷagiyapallavanśandi, called after the king, was instituted to be conducted on the day of Tiruvōṇam, the natal star of the king (i.e., Peruñjiṅga).[9] A Tamil and Grantha inscription of his reign states that Avani-Āḷappirandān constructed a temple for Hēramba-Gaṇapati on the bank of the tank at Tribhuvanamādēvi.[10] Other minor shrines were also constructed.[11]
The wide extent of country which acknowledged Peruñjiṅga’s sway is indicated by the provenance of his inscriptions which lie scattered from Drākshārāma in the north to the extreme south. Among the places which shared the munificence of his costly gifts are mentioned Drākshārāma, Conjeeveram, Śvētajambu, Vīraṭṭānam, Madura, Kāḷahasti and others. The mention of Madura in this list is specially worthy of note as it evidences his friendly relations with the _______________________________
[1]Some among the generals under Peruñjiṅga and his sons were :─
Edirigaṇāyan Pottappichōḷa (No. 136 of 1900). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| > |
|
>
|
