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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
RELIGION hailed from Lāta and erected a temple of Śiva at Tripuri1. His mode of life was in accordance with the teaching of the Pāśupata system. He lived on scanty food which he obtained by begging, wore only a loin cloth, slept on pure ashes and lived a life of celibacy. He practiced yōga as taught in the system of Patañjali, and cultivated the four bhāvanās (sentiments) of maîtri (benevolence), karunā (Compassion), muditā (Cheerfulness) and upēkshā (indifference). According to the Pāśupatas salvation consists not only in the cessation of misery but also in the attainment of supernatural powers. Liberated souls in an intimate union with Śiva.2 As stated before, almost all Kalachuri kings were devout worshippers of Śiva. Some of them went on a pilgrimage to distant holy places to offer worship to the god. We learn from the Bilhāri inscription that Lakshmanāraja II marched in sated with his whole retinue of feudatory princes and his army of elephants, horses and foot-soldiers all the way from Tripuri of Sōmanāth Pattan. and bathing in thesea there, he worshipped the god Sōmanātha with lotuses of gold. He also offered to the god in worship the effigy of the serpent Kāliya, made of gold inlaid with precious stones, which he had obtained from the king of Orissa. He then himself composed a hymn of praise and concentrated his mind on Śiva’s glory.3 His son Yuvarājadeva II also dedicated to Sōmēśvara the wealth he had obtained by conquering the kings of the four quarters.4 He also composed an excellent hymn in praise of the god.5
There was a great building activity during the age of the Kalachuris. The temples and monasteries, built by Yuvarajadeva I, his queen Nohala and their son Lakshmanaraja II, have already been mentioned From a huge sculpture of Hara-Gauri, Measuring 12' 8â long by 4'7” broad on the mound at Gurgi, Cunningham conjectured that the structure in which it was enshrined must have been about 100 ft in height.6 Banerji says that the height of the top of the sikhara of this temple, when it was intact, must have been a good 150 ft. above the surrounding ground level.7 From the Gurgi inscription we know that this temple was erected by the sage Prsantasiva.8 By its side there was another temple erected by Yuvarajadeva I, which must have been still more lofty. The illustrious king Karna built a twelve or sixteen-storeyed temple called Karanmsru, which was probably dedicated to Siva. The ruins of this temple can still be seen near Rajghat in Banaras. Another temple, said to have erected by Karna is at Amarakanatak. It is a magnificent triple-shrined structure with profusely sculptured lofty sikharas. Other temples of the age are those of Viratesvara at Sohagpur and Vaidyanatha at Baijnath, both in the former Rewa state. Most of these temples have a circular Garbha-girha. Temples of this type were a speciality of the Chedi country and were built for the first time by the Acharyas of the Mattamayura clan. Such temples have not been noticed outside the dominion of the Kalachuris.9 Several ministers and generals of the Kalachuri kings as well as private individuals
living in the Chēdi country followed the example of their rulers and erected temples dedicated to Śiva. The descendants of the aforementioned Kāyastha Amātya of Yuvarāja-
1No. 58, 11. 8 ff.
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