South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

SRIRANGAM INSCRIPTION OF SADASIVARAYA ; SAKA 1467

a branch of the Śrīśailapūrṇa family had already settled there one or two generations earlier.^[1] Avuku is a village in the Koilkuntla taluk of the Kurnool District. About the period of this record, Avuku was the seat of a powerful line of chiefs^[2] under Sadāśivarāya and this Avuku Tiruvēṅgaḍayyaṅgār seems to have wielded great influence over these chiefs and the members of the royal family of Vijayanagara.

The interesting history of the village Chintāmaṇi is narrated in the inscription. It is in this part that the name of the eminent administrator of the Śrīraṅgam temple, Nalantigal Nārāyaṇa Jīyar occurs. He is well known from other sources. He was first known as Kūranārāyaṇa Jīyar and began his life as a devotee at Śrīraṅgam and rendered many services^[3] to the temple, one of which may be noted here. When a member of the group called viṇṇappam śeyvār^[4] became impure and consequently unfit for the service in the temple, Kūranārāyaṇa Jīyar was called upon to purify him and the Jīyar composed a work known as Sudarśanaśatakam^[5] and chanted it to purify the person and make him fit for service. In recognition of this and many other services including the one mentioned in the present record, he seems to have been given the name Nalantigal Nārāyaṇa Jīyar,^[6] i.e., Nārāyaṇa Jīyar, who was eminent in doing good (nalam+tigal), and some of the devotees raised him to a new pontifical seat with the designation of Śrīraṅganārāyaṇa Jīyar and it continued to be held in regular succession by devotees chosen from time to time.

The present record deals with another but more benevolent act done by this same Jīyar. The frequent floods of the river Kāvērī south of Śrīraṅgam proved to be almost a permanent problem baffling solution. They were encroaching into the soil of Śrīraṅgam towards the direction of the temple. Nalantigal Nārāyaṇa Jīyar took some steps to prevent the erosion. Some of the measures he took as detailed in our record were spiritual and the rest were methods pertaining to flood control.

The Jīyar fixed a yantra, i.e., and disc or plate with the powers of a mantra at Ānaikāttān Karai

facing west and also consecrated the deity called Śāstā.^[7] A stream was newly cut out, branching

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^[1] Similarly, Siṅgarāchārya (Narasiṁhāchārya) and Raṅgāchārya, of this line migrated from Tirupati to Ēṭṭūr in search of better fortunes by engaging skilful exposition of the Rāmāyaṇa. Yet dissatisfied with their position the family went to Vijayanagara where they converted the royal family to the Vaishṇava faith. Doḍḍayāchārya, a descendant of Siṅgarāhārya settled at Sholinghur, N. Arcot District, and Tātāchārya Ayyāvayyaṅgār of this family lived at Ēṭṭūr, Tirumalai (i.e., Tirupati) and also at Kumbakōṇam. Again mention is made of one Śoṭṭai Tōlappayaṅgār in a record at Conjeevaram. In the record under study the family is stated to hail from Auk. In some later records at Kōvilaḍi in Tanjore District, Śrīraṅgam Tātāchārya and Śrīraṅgam Tirumalai Tiruvēṅgaḍa Tāttayyaṅgār figure as donors. Lakshmīkumāra Tātāchārya is well known for his activities at Conjeevaram and Tirumāliruñjōlaimalai (i.e., Alagarkoil, Madura District). Thus it may be seen that this great family spread itself to preach and propagate the Vaishṇava faith. (Prapannāmṛitam, Chapter 126.)
^[2] Tirupati Devasthanam Epigraphical Report, pp. 358-359.
^[3] Kōyilolugu (1909, Ananda Press), pp. 108-115. In these pages, there is confused account of the services done by the various jīyars of this line, services to distinguish which one has to proceed with caution. For example it is stated that the renovation of the shrine of Chāndu Nāchchiyār was undertaken by Śrīraṅga-Nārāyaṇa Jīyar. Chāndu is identified with the Muslim princess of Delhi who pined away for the Raṅganātha idol carried away by the Muslim hordes in 1311 A.C. from Śrīraṅgam and later on recovered by the Vaishṇavaites from Delhi Sultan. It is highly improbable that Kūranārāyaṇa Jīyar lived till 1311 A.C. the lower limit of his life being 1157 A.C., the year up to which his teacher Kūrattālvār lived. Hence only a successor’s action is meant here.
^[4] This class of servants at Śrīraṅgam are engaged in the recital of the hymns before the deities on specific occasions, with music, dance and drama. Their duties are well defined in Kōyilolugu, vide p. 97.
^[5] Published in the Kāvyamālā Series, part VIII, Nirnayasagara Press.
^[6] Kōyilolugu, p. 115.
^[7] This deity is considered to be the son of Vishṇu in the form of Mōhinī and Śiva, on the occasion of Amṛiramathana. He is called Aiyanār and Śāstā. This deity is believed to control all the evil spirits. See also SII, Vol. II, p. 40, f.n.3.