|
The Indian Analyst
|
|
South Indian Inscriptions |
RELIGION Another branch of the Mattamayura clan was established at Karkaroni. This place has not been identified, but was situated somewhere in Central India. Brahmasambhu, the author of the Pañjika, belonged to this branch.1Some Acharyas of this branch settled down in Konkan. A copper-plate inscription of Rattaraja of the Silahara dynasty, dated in S. 930 (1008 A.C.) and discovered at Kharepatan, records a grant of land made for the use of the Acharyas of this branch2 Kalachuri inscriptions afford us glimpses into the lives of these Acharyas. The Jabalpur inscription dated K. 926 descrbi0ed the lineage, learning and mode of life of the great Saiva Archarya Vimalasiva the Rajaguru of the Kalachuri king Jayasimhs.3 He was born in a family of great Vedic scholars renowned as much for charitable and religious works as for learning. Vimaslasiva studied the Vedas, observed religious vows and visited holy places in different parts of India such as Prabhasa, Gokarana and Gaya. He then received initiation from Kirtisiva of the Golaki Matha, the Rajaguru of Narashimha. He was employed by the king Jayasimha in various affairs of the State, but never neglected his nitya and naimttika religious duties. He was renowned for his charities and erected as gardens. He built a large temple of Siva under the name of Kirtisvara in honour of his guru Kirtisiva. For the maintenance of the temple, the Kalachuri king Jayasimha donated some villages on the occasion of a solar eclipse in K. 926 (1174 A.D.).
Similar glowing accounts of the religious and charitable activities of other Śaive Āchāryas are given by several Kalchuri inscriptions. These Āchāryas received honour and patronage at the hands of the ruling kings. The Rājagurus are mentioned among royal officers to whom grants of land and villages, recorded in cooper-plate charters, are communicated. The Malkāpuram pillar inscription records the tradition that sadbhāvaśambhu of the Gōlaki matha received a gift of three lakhs of villages from the Kalachuri king Yuvarājadeva (I). If correct, this would indicate that the king assigned to him one comprised nine lakhs of villages.4 Though this princely gift has not been recorded in any Chēdi inscriptions, there is no doubt that the Kalachuris liberally patronised the mathas Both the Bilhāri5 and Gurgi.6 inscriptions record the donations of several villages for the maintenance of temples and monasteries, made by successive Kalachuri kings. the former inscription mentions besides several taxes and rates levied on oil mills, and on elephants horses, vegetables, betel leaves and other articles sold in the local markets, which were assigned for the maintenance of these religious and charitable institutions Many of these Āchāryas were engaged in austerities and, therefore, preferred to stay in solitary retreats far from the crowd. For them monasteries were built on the banks of holy rivers where they could practise meditation in peaceful surroundings. A graphic
The Acharyas utilised the wealth of the mathas and the income of the agarahara villages
for the welfare of the people. Kalachuri inscription mention vyakhyana-salas (lecture halls), sattras (charitable feeding houses) and gardens with which the mathas were provided.8 1 I Owe this information to Mr. S. N. Sen, Curator of the Nepal Museum, who kindly supplied me
with an extract from the MS. of the work in his possession
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
