After v. 8 we are again introduced to another gap in the
succession in which were included a host of kings such as Vishugopa
and others. Then appeared a king named Nandivarman I who brought under his
control a powerful snake apparently called Drishtivisha.
In verse 10, Simhavarman, the father of Simhavishnu, is introduced,— no
connection being specified between himself and the Nandivarman just mentioned.
Simhavishnu was the conqueror of the Chola country, which was fertilized by the
river Cauvery.
What follows of the Pallava genealogy is not new. It is a
repetition of the account already supplied by the Kasakudi, Kuram and the Udayendiram
plates. Stone inscriptions written in the Pallava-Grantha characters commence
from this period,— a fact which suggests that, with the conquest of
Simhavishnu, the Pallavas must have extended their dominion further south of
Kanchi into the Chola country and adopted the Dravidian language generally
found mixed up with Sanskrit in the later stone inscriptions. From
Simhavishnu’s son Mahendravarman I was born Narasimhavarman I. This king whose
conquest of Vatapi (Badami) and the Western Cahlukya Pulakesin II has
frequently been described, is stated in verse 11 to have defeated his enemies
and to have taken from them the pillar of victory standing at Vatapi.
Then came Paramesvaravarman I, an enemy of the Western Chalukya king
Vikramaditya I, whom, according to the Kuram and the Udayendiram plats, he
defeated at Peruvalanallur. Paramesvara’s “son’s son” was Narasimhavarman II,
who re-organised the ghatika of the Brahmanas, and built a temple for
Siva “comparable with the mountain Kailasa”. This is a clear reference to the
building of the Kailasanatha temple at Conjeeveram by Narasimhavrman II.
The latter’s son was Paramesvara II. The usurpation of the Pallava throne by
Nandivarman II, subsequent to the death of Paramesvara II, is clearly stated in
verse 15. The distant relation that existed between the usurper Nandivarman II
and Paramesvara II is described in the Kasakudi plates.
Two points in the account given above are worthy of note:
(1) the omission of the name Mahendravarman II after Narasimhavarman I and (2)
the statement that Narasimhavarman II was the “son’s son”
of Paramesvara I. The later is probably an error, since all the three published
Pallava accounts agree in saying that Narasimhavarman II was the son,
not the grandson, of Paramesvara I. The former, however, may be
different. For although the Kuram plates call Paramesvaravarman I, the grandson
of Narasimhavarman I, still the doubtful way in which this relationship is
expressed in the Kasakudi and the Udayendiram plates, taken together with the
statement of the Velurpalaiyam plates, makes it appear as if Mahendravarman II
and Paramesvaravarman I were both sons of Narasimhavarman I, thus reducing the
seven generations between Simhavishnu and Paramesvaravarman II, to six. The
usurper Nandivarman II who, according to the Kasakudi plates, was sixth in
descent from a brother of Simhavishnu could not at the time of his usurpation
be a generation older than Paramesvaravarman II whose kingdom he usurped.
Indeed, as hinted in the Udayendiram plates, he must have been much younger to
justify his being called there the son of Paramesvaravarman. Consequently it
appears probably that Mahendravarman II and Paramesvaravarman I were actually
brothers and that the succession after Narasimhavarman I passed on directly to
the latter, the former having, perhaps, died before him. Two successions after
the usurper Nandivarman (Pallavamalla) are further supplied for the first time
by the Velurpalaiyam plates. Nandivarman II’s son by Reva was the
Pallava-Maharaja Dantivarman (verse 18). His queen was the Kadamba princess
Aggalanimmati; from these, was born king Nandivarman III, or according to the
Tamil portion of the inscription, Vijaya-Nandivarman, in the sixth year of
whose reign the subjoined grant was made. No specific historical facts are
mentioned in connection with these kings. Nandivarman III is stated to have
“acquired the prosperity of the Pallava kingdom by the prowess of his (own)
arms” (verse 20). From this we may infer that the sovereignty over the Pallava
kingdom had now been keenly contested either by outsiders or by some
descendents of the Simhavishnu line.
In the Chingleput, North Arcot, South Arcot and Trichinopoly
districts, there have been discovered a number of stone records (more or less
of the same age as the Velurpalaiyam plates) which refer themselves to the
reigns of Dantivarman, Dantivarma-Maharaja, Dantippottarasar or
Vijaya-Dantivikramavarman, and also of Nandivarman with similar variations in
the name. Again, the Bahur plates supply the names Dantivarman, (his son)
Nandivarman and (his son) Nripatungadeva or Vijaya-Nripatungavarman, as members
of the Pallava family, among whose ancestors were Vimala, Konkanika and others.
From this latter statement Professor Hultzsch concluded that the kings
mentioned in the Bahur plates were different from the Pallavas of Kanchi and
were only “Pallava by name but Western Ganga by descent.” It is now, therefore,
difficult to say if the Dantivarmans and the Nandivarmans of these stone
records mentioned above, are to be identified with those mentioned in the Bahur
plates, or with those of the Velur-palaiyam plates or with both. Mr. Venkayya
is inclined to connect the names in the Bahur plates with those of the
Velurpalaiyam plates, and suggests that Vijya-Nripatungavarman of the former
was apparently the son of Nandivarman III of the latter. Against this the only
objection is the ancestry, which, in the one case includes the clear Western
Ganga name (or surname) Konkanika, while in the other it does not. If, however,
Mr. Venkayya’s suggestion is accepted, we must presume two facts to arrive at a
concurrent genealogy, and to connect the kings of stone records with those
mentioned in the Velurpalaiyam and Bahur plates. The prefix ko-vijaya
and the suffix vikramavarman which are invariably found appended to the
names of the kings in this series must have been introduced for the first time
by the usurper Nandivarman Pallavamalla, who, we know, literally won the
kingdom by victory (vijaya) and the prowess (vikrama),
and that Nripatungavarman who was decidedly the most powerful of this last
branch of the Pallavas, and a son of the Rashtrakuta princess Sankha, must have
contracted new relations with the Western Gangas to justify the insertion of
one or more of the names of that dynasty among his Pallava ancestors. Even with
these suppositions granted, the identification of kings mentioned in stone
records with the Nandivarmans and Dandivarmans of the copperplate grants
presents peculiar difficulties. The script of the copper plates, though of the
same age with that of the stone inscriptions often differs from it, and the
information supplied by the latter is so meager that hardly any points of
contemporaneous nature that could help us in such identification, are forthcoming.
In the present state of our knowledge therefore, it may be hypothetically
presumed that kings of names Nandivarman and Dantivarman with or without the
prefix ko-vijaya and the suffix vikramavarman, may be taken to be
one or the other of the immediate ancestors of Nripatunga-Vikramavarman; while
kings described as Dantivarma-Maharaja of the Bharadvaja-gotra,
Dantivarman and Nandivarman of the Pallava-tilaka-kula, and Nandivarman
“who conquered [his enemies] at Tellaru,” have to be kept distinct.
In conclusion it may be stated, by way of a resume, that the
Pallava history covers four separate periods extending from about the 4th
to the 9th century A.D. with three gaps which remain yet to be
filled up satisfactorily by later researches. These are (1) the period of the
Prakrit charters; (2) after a gap of a little more than a century, the period
of the Sanskrit charters; (3) after another gap (or rather two gaps) of about
the same length the period of stone inscriptions when, the Simhavishnu line was
predominant; and (4) the last period when the Nandivarman line (developing
later, into what has been called the Ganga-Pallava line) was powerful until it
was completely crushed by the Cholas. As table of the kings of the Simhavishnu
line and of the collateral branch of Nandivarman Pallavamalla down to
Nripatungavarman of the Bahur plates is appended below: -
Click
here and see the relationship of Pallava Kings
The object of the Velurpalaiyam plate was the gift of the
village Srikattupalli or Tirukkattuppalli to a temple of Siva built at that village
by a certain Yajnabhatta or Sannakkuri Yajnabhatta, surnamed Bappa-Bhattaraka,
in the sixth year of the reign of king Nandivarman III. The request (vijnapti)
was made by the Chola-Maharaja
Kumarankusa, while the executor (anjapti or anatti) was the
minister Namba (in Tamil, Iraiyur-udaiyan-Namban) of the Agradatta family. The
donee was the Mahadeva (Siva) temple of Yajesvara at Trukkattuppalli. Verse 28
informs us that the composer of the prasasti[13]
was the Mahesvara Manodhira. Verse 31 and the Tamil sentence following
it, supply the name of Peraya, a clever carpenter of Manaichcheri in
Kachchippedu (Conjeeveram), who engraved the writing on these plates.
One point of great interest in the Tamil portion of the
grant is the long list of exemptions (parihara) and the written declaration
(vyavastha) with which Tirukkattuppalli was made over to the temple assembly (paradai,
Skt. parishad). The former included items of collection whose
significance is not quite clear, but which, as the inscription says, the king
“could receive and enjoy.” It appears as though most of the items here
mentioned were not necessarily sources of revenue to the State, as now
understood, but only obligatory services which the king could enforce on the
people for the benefit of the community. By the written declaration the donee
was permitted to build (with any special license) mansions of burnt brick; to
grow Artimissia Andropogan Muricatum, red lilies and ulli in gardens; to
plant cocoanut trees in groves; to sink reservoirs and wells; to use large
oil-presses; and to prohibit toddy-drawers from tapping for toddy, the cocoanut
and the Palmyra trees planted within the four boundaries of the village.
The village Tirukkattuppalli is identical with Kattupalli in
the Ponneri taluk of the Chingleput district; Nayaru-nadu of Purar-kottam, in
which the village is stated to have been situated, takes its name from the
village Nayar of the same taluk, about 8½ miles south-west of Kattuppalli. In
the British Museum plates of the Vijayanagara king Sadasivaraya of the 16th
century A.D., Nayattu-nadu (i.e., Nayaru-nadu) is described as being
sub-division of Pulali-kotaka (i.e., Purar-kottam).
TRANSLATION
Hail! Prosperity! Adoration to Siva!
(Verse 1.) May that effulgence which is the existence
absolute, which is sung by the wise to be eternal, universal, infallible,
accessible (only) to highest devotion, benevolent, beyond the reach of
words and thoughts, and endless and which, the best of sages ever strive to
attain by putting a restraint upon the currents of (their)
sense-perceptions,— grant you permanent bliss!
(V. 2.) May (they) always protect you, the arms of
Srikantha (i.e., Siva), which are lovely by bearing on them the marks of
saffron from the breasts of Sarvani (i.e., Parvati), which delight themselves
in the work of removing the ornaments (from the body) of the wives of
the highly conceited hoards of the enemies of gods,
which (hold) a number of weapons that shine with the brilliance of the
fire at the end of the world and wear armlets of serpents radiant with gems in
(their) crests!
(V. 3) From the lotus-(like) navel of the
lotus-navelled (Vishnu) was (produced) Brahma; from him (was
born) Angiras; from him, the preceptor of the gods (Brhaspati); from him, the
good-natured Samyu; from him Samyava (i.e., Bharadvaja); from him the
pitcher-born (Drona); from him Drauni (i.e., Asvatthaman), who is of the
essence of (Siva), the enemy of Cupid; and from him in (the same) order (came)
Pallava, the lord of the whole earth, whose fame was bewildering.
(V. 4.) Thence, came into existence the race of the
Pallavas, who by the law of protection (which they adopted)
removed (even) the slightest distress (of their subjects); and
whose bar-like arms were skilled in rendering assistance to the lord of serpents
who was fatigued by the labour of (carrying on his head) the burden of
the earth.
(V. 5.) After kings, such as Asokavarman (and others),
born in that family, had attained god-hood (i.e., died), was born Kalabhartri,
the head-jewel of (his) family, like (Vishnu) the husband of
Indira (i.e., Lakshmi).
(V. 6.) From his son Chutapallava, was produced Virakurcha,
of celebrated name who simultaneously with (the hand of) the daughter of
the chief of serpents grasped also the complete insignia of royalty and became
famous.
(V. 7.) From him came Skandasishya, the moon in the sky of (his)
family, who seized from king Satyasena the ghatika of the twice-born
(i.e., Brahmanas).
(V. 8.) From him came Kumaravishnu who captured the city of
Kanchi and was victorious in battles. Then became king, Buddhavarman, the
submarine fire to the ocean-like army of the Cholas.
(V. 9.) And after a host of kings including Vishnugopa had
passed away, was born Nandivarman, who with the favor of (the god)
Pinakapani (Siva) caused to dance a powerful snake whose poison was in (its)
eyes (Drishtivisha).
(V. 10.) Then from the king named Simhavarman, who wiped off
the pride of (his) enemies, was born the victorious Simhavishnu whose
prowess was widely known on earth. He quickly seized the country of the Cholas,
embellished by the daughter of Kavira (i.e., the river Kaveri), whose
ornaments are the forests of paddy (fields) and where (are found)
brilliant groves of areca (palms).
(V. 11.) From his son Mahendra was born Narasimhavarman (I),
famous (like) Upendra (i.e. Vishnu), who, defeating the host of (his)
enemies, took (from them) the pillar of victory standing in the center
of (the town of) Vatapi.
(V. 12.) From his came Paramesvara (I) who crushed the
conceit of (his) enemies, (and was) a sun in destroying the
darkness, which was the army of the Chalukya king.
(V. 13.) His son’s son (was) Narasimhavarman (II)
who, equal to Mahendra, once again organized the ghatika of the
twice-born (i.e., Brahmanas) and built of stone a house for the moon-crested
(Siva) which was comparable with the (mountain) Kailasa.
(V. 14.) His son who was respected by kings was Paramesvara
(II). This chastiser of the dark age (Kali) governed the earth according
to the rules laid down by Manu.
(V. 15.) After him, Nandivarman, the repository of the
aggregate (good) qualities of all ancient kings, got possession of the
prosperity of the family together with the earth whose garments are the four
oceans.
(V. 16.) Of this heroic lord of battalions (or, of
rivers), and the home of many virtues (or, of gems), as of the ocean,
the chief queen was Reva who, like (the river) Reva, had (her)
birth from a great king (or, from a high mountain).
(V. 17.) To her was born on this (earth) the glorious
king Dantivarman, a manifestation of the lotus-eyed (Vishnu) himself,
who laws the delight o the earth, whose (sole) object (of life)
was the protection of the three worlds and in whom the group of pure qualities
such as prowess, charity and gratitude attained eminence, as it were, after a
long time (enjoying) the pleasure of each other’s company.
(V. 18.) Just as Gauri (was the wife) of the
conqueror of the (three) cities (i.e., Siva), the suitable chief queen
of that lord of the earth, the foremost of heroes, the powerful
Pallava-Maharaja, was (she) of the spotless race, who bore the name
Aggalanimmati (and was) the daughter of the celebrated king – a crest
jewel of the Kadamba family.
(V. 19.) As the (morning) twilight (gives birth to)
the resplendent one (i.e., the sun); as Ambika (i.e. Parvati), (to the god)
Kumara (Skanda) possessed of the marvelous (weapon) Sakli (or of
strength); as Sachi, to the victorious Jayanta; so did this
(Aggalanimmati) give birth to (the glorious) Nandivarman.
(V. 20.) This (Nandivarman) puffed up with the prowess of
his arms, acquired the prosperity of the (Pallava) kingdom, not easy for others
to obtain, by killing (his) enemies on the battle-field which was
laughing (as it were) with pearls dropping from the frontal globes of
elephants slain by (his) unsheathed sword.
(V. 21.) Never shone so (thoroughly) a garden with (the
advent of) spring, nor men of high birth with (good) qualities, nor women
with morality, nor a millionaire with charity, nor humility with knowledge, nor
a lotus-tank with the sun, nor the expanse of the sky with the moon at the end
of the rainy season, as (the people of) this earth (shone), with
that king.
(V. 22.) (A subject) of that king who was learned,
modest and of established virtues, who was named Yajnabhatta and surnamed
Bappa-Bhattaraka, was widely famous (for his knowledge) in the Sastra,
the Veda and the Sankhya and was celebrated for (his) persistent
devotion to (Siva), built in the village named Srikattuppalli a temple
for Siva similar t the high Kailasa (mountain).
(V. 23.) His (viz. Yajnabhatta’s) father was named
Sivadasa, who like the lord (of the goddess) of speech (i.e., Brahma)
was possessed of pure intelligence. His mother was [Dre]-namani who like the (goddess)
earth was great for the exuberance of her (good) qualities.
(V. 24.) His grandfather was named Yajna who, like the
repository of the kalas (i.e., the moon), is the abode of sciences (kala),
has spotless character
(as the moon, a white disc), is the best of the twice-born (dvija),
the expeller of ignorance (as the moon of darkness) and shines with
wide-spread fame.
(V. 25.) To that god Sarva (Siva), the king granted the
village called Tirukkattuppalli for (maintaining) the services (connected
with) worship, feeding etc.,
(V. 26.) The heroic head-jewel of the Chola race named
Kumarankusa, the glory of whose prowess was well-known, whose liberality was
equal to that of Radheya (i.e., Karna) and whose conduct was upright, made the
(necessary) request (vijnapti) for (securing) this (grant).
(V. 27.) The executor (ajnapti) here, was the king’s
minister named Namba, the autumnal moon in the firmament of the Agradatta
family.
(V. 28.) The Mahesvara Manodhira, the act of whose
words, thoughts and body were (all) for the benefit of others, composed
this prasasti.
(Lines 47 to 63.) Whereas in the sixth year of
Kovijaya-Nandivarman, at the request (made by) Chola-Maharaja and the anatti
of Iraiyur-udaiyan Namban, this (village) Tirukkattuppalli of panchavaram
ayirakkadi in
Nayaru-nadu, (a subdivision) of Purar-kottam, (is) excluded from
the district (nattu-ningal) (and) has been assigned as an utpuravu
devadana in favour of (the god) Mahadeva of (the temple of)
Yajnesvara built by Sannakkuri Yajnabhatta at Tirukkattuppalli, the immunities (parihara)
secured (therefore) viz., nadatchi, uratchi, puravu-pon, tirumukkanam,[19]
vatti-nari, pudari, tattukayam, iram-putchi, idai-pputchi, manrupadu, brokerage, tax on looms, kulam, good
cow, good bull, good sheep, watch-fee of the district, udupokku taxes on
marriages, potters and quarries, patina-seri and all other (income)
of any kind which the king could receive and enjoy within the boundary of this
village, shall not (henceforth) be collected by the king but by this
Mahadeva of (the temple of) Yajnesvara only. The (following) written
declaration (vyavastha) is (also) granted (for the guidance of the
donee); Mansions of burnt titles (bricks?) may be built (without
special permission); artimissia (damanagam), andropogan muricatum (iruveli),
red-lilies (sengarunir) and ulli may be grown (in gardents?);
cocoanut (trees) may be planted in groves; reservoirs and wells may be
sunk; large oil-presses may be used and the toddy-drawers (iravars) may
not climb, without the consent of this (i.e. the Mahadeva of Yajnesvara), the
cocoanut and the palmyra (trees) planted within the boundaries of (this
village). With the written declaration thus defined (the village) was
placed in the (hands of the) assembly (paradatti,) as a devadana,
with all immunities, to the (god) Mahadeva of the Yajensvara (temple).
(V. 29.) O! Future rulers of earth! He, Nandivarman, the
banner among all kings, with (his) lotus-like hands folded, bows down to
you with (his) head which is marked by the head jewel (viz.) the
lotus-feet of Hara (Siva) (and requests you) to protect this good
deed always!
(V. 30.) Thus does Rama request again and again, all the
present and future lords of the earth: “This bridge of (religious)
charity is common to (all) kings; you must (therefore) protect (it)
at all times.”
(V. 31.) This set of (copper-) sheets was engraved by
the moon in the sky of the family of carpenters, named Peraya, the son of
Sirraya, who has won (his) reputation for skill in workman-ship.
(L. 68 to 69.) The writing of Peryan son of the carpenter (kashthakarin)
of Manaichcheriin Kachchippedu
POSTSCRIPT
On pages 180 and 181 of the Epigraphia Indica, Vol.
IV., Professfor Hultzsch gives an extract of a set of five copper-plates of
Vijaya-Nripatungavarman which were discovered at Bahur near Pondicherry by M.
J. de la Fon. The originals are not available but appear to be in the
possession of some person at Paris. A transcript of the inscription prepared by
a Tamil Pandit was supplied by the discoverer to Professor Hultzsch some years
ago. It is in many places defective. Still as the information conveyed appears
to be important for the study of the collateral branch of the Pallava family,
known as Ganga-Pallavas, I append below the Sanskrit and Tamil texts as
transcribed by the Pandit.
It my be added by way of supplementing Professor Hultzsch’s
remarks that in V. 16 reference is made to a victory gained by a Pandya king
with the help of Nripatunga. It is not stated who this Pandya was or where he
fought the battle in which Nripatunga could have helped him. The Ambasamudram
inscription of Varaguna-Maharaja (Ep. Ind., Vol. IX, pp. 84 to 94)
states that king advanced as far north as Araisur on the Pennar in
Tondai-mandalam. Mr. Venkayya distinguishes this Varaguna-Maharaja from his
grandson Varagunavarman who fought the battle of Sripurambiyam with
Prithivipati I and his ally Aparajitavarman, the last of the Ganga-Palava kings
(Madras Epigraphical Report for 1906-7, Part II, paragraph 21). It is
not definitely known what relation existed between this Aparajita and
Nripatungavarman of the Bahur plates. Anyhow Varaguna-Maharaja who flourished
two generations before Varagunavarman, about the beginning of the 9th
century A.D., and who pushed his campaign in the north up to the bank of the
river Pennar cannot be far distant in time from Nripatungavarman. Consequently,
the Pandya referred to in V. 16 of the Bahur plates may probably be
Varaguna-Mahahraja. The enemy against whom Nripatunga fought to help his friend
Varaguna-Maharaja was very likely a king of the Simhavishnu line who was ruling
simultaneously with Nripatunga in some portion of the Tondai-mandalam.
The object of the grant was the donation of the three
villages Chettuppakkam Vilangattankaduvanur and Iraippunaichcheri to the vidyasthana
(V. 23) at Bahugrama (i.e., Bahaur) (V. 25), by a member of the
Basali family and a descendant of the Kuru race (V. 18). This chief was the
minister of Tungavarman (i.e. Nripatunga) (V. 28) who issued the
necessary order for the grant of the villages (V. 21). The college (vidyasthana)
at Bahur consisted of 14 ganas[21]
and was controlled by the learned men of that village, being organized and
maintained by them “as the Ganges (Mandakini) descending from the sky
with all the fury of its rushing waves is borne by the god Siva on one of his
matted locks” (Vv. 24 and 25). The composer of the prasasti was Dasaya
(V. 30). The Tamil portion of the grant refers to the 8th year of
Vijaya-Nripatungavarman and states that at the request of Basali-Perarayan and
the anatti (ajnapti) of Vidolaividugu (i.e., Videlvidugu)
Kadupatti-Tamirapperaraiyan, the grant of the three villages already mentioned
was announced to the residents of Bahur-nadu, a sub-division of Aruva-nadu, on
its eastern side. As usual, the villages were granted after excluding previous
donations and expropriating former owners, for the sole benefit of the vidyasthana
at Bahur. The order was communicated to the assembly of Bahur-nadu (nattar)
who on receiving it, obeyed it placing the order on their heads,
circumambulated the village, planted stones and milk bush and drew up the
necessary document (araiy-olai).
Among the boundaries described occur the names
Tenmalippakkam, Nelvayappakkam, Urattur, Mambakkam, Nerinjikkurumbu and
Sirimanpatti. The land comprised within the described boundaries of the three
villages was given away to the members of the idyasthana for the
advancement of learning, after including these in Bahur and giving them the
same exemptions (parihara) and written declarations (vyavastha)
as in the case of Bahur. The goldsmith (suvarnakrit) Nripatunga, a jewel
of the Uditodita family and faithful servant of the Pallavas, wrote the grant
(V. 32). The Tamil passage at the end of the inscription states that this
goldsmith’s father was Madevipperudattan son of Uditodaya-Perudattan, a native
of Kachchippedu (Conjeeveram).
Of the villages mentioned, Bahur is the only place that can
be identified. It is the head quarters of a commune in the French territory
and, was the site of a battle between the French and the English troops in A.D.
1752.
