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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
IV.- Inscriptions at Manimangalam No. 30 north wall of the mandapa No. 27 to 28 Rajgopala-Perumal temple No. 29 outside of the east wall of the inner prakara No. 31 to 33 south, west wall of the mandapa No. 34 to 35 outside of the east wall of the inner prakara No. 36 to 39 south, east wall of the mandapa in the perumal temple No. 40 to 41 east wall of the Dharmesvara temple No. 30.- On the north wall of the mandapa in the Rajagopala-Perumal temple This inscription is dated in the 5th year of the reign of Rajakesarivarman, alias Virarajendradeva (I.), and on a week-day (1. 37) which will probably admit of astronomical calculation if a second, similarly dated record of the same reign should be discovered. It opens with a long and interesting historical passage, the first portion of which agrees on the whole with the introduction of the Karuvur inscription of the same king (No. 20 above). But the statement that the king conferred certain titles on some relatives of his (No. 20, 11. 1 to 3) is omitted here. For the reconstruction of the text of the fresh portion of the introduction no materials are available besides the incomplete introduction of the Takkolam inscription and some stray fragments of the Gangaikonda-Solapuram inscription. Virarajendra I. is said to have defeated the Keralas at Ulagai, which seems to have been a place on the western coast, and to have tied in his stables the elephants of the Chalukyas and Pandyas (1. 16 f.). In a battle on the bank of an unspecified river he cut off the heads of a number of chiefs, some of who are mentioned by name, but cannot be identified (1. 17 ff.). As the Ganga and Nulamba chiefs figure among them, they probably feudatories of the Western Chalukya king. Virarajendra I. was going to exhibit the heads of his victims at Gangaikonda-Solapuram, when his old enemy, the Chalukya king (Ahavamalla-Somesvara I.), prepared to take revenge for his former defeat a Kudal (or Kudalsangamam)[1] and dispatched an autograph letter, in which he challenged the Chola king to meet him once more at Kudal (1. 20 ff.). Virarajendra I. proceeded to Kandai (or Karandai ?) which seems to have been a place near Kudal, on the appointed day. Though he waited there for a full month, his enemy did not put in his appearance, but took to flight (1. 24 f.). The Chola king occupied and burnt Ratta-padi and planted an inscribed pillar of victory on the Tungabhadra river (1. 25 f.).
Then follows a passage which states that Virarajendra I appointed âthe liar who came on a subsequent dayâ to be Chalukya king or heir-apparent, and that, in derision, he placed round the neck of the candidate a board on which was written that the bearer had escaped execution by an elephant and had run always in public (1. 26 ff.). The Manimangalam inscription does not name the person who was the object of this mockery. But an inscription of the 7th year of Virarajendra I. at Tirukkalukkunram (No. 175 of 1894) says that the king âtied (round the neck) of the Salukki Vikramaditya, who had taken refuge at his feet, a necklace (kanthika), (which) illumined the eight directions, and was pleased to conquer and to bestow (on him) the seven and a half lakshas of Ratta-padi.â Thus it appears that the Chalukya king or heir-apparent appointed by Virarajendra I. was Vikramaditya VI., the son of his enemy Ahavamalla-Somesvara I., and that Vikramadityaâs coronation was not a mere sham act, as which it is represented in the subjoined inscription. As it is now an established fact that, after the wars between Somesvara I. and Virarajendra I., the latter entered into friendly relations with Vikramaditya VI., it cannot be doubted any more that the Chola king whole daughter, according to the Vikramankadevacharita, became the wife of Vikramaditya VI., is identical with Virarajendra I.[2] The king next undertook an expedition into Vengai-nadu, i.e., the country of Vengi, which he had already conquered on a former occasion[3] (1. 28). His army defeated the enemy âon the great river close to Visaiyavadai,â i.e. at Bezvada on the Krishna, proceeded to the Godavari, and passed Kalinga and Chakra-kotta (1. 29 f.). The king bestowed the country of Vengai on Vijayaditya (1. 30 f.). Formerly I identified this prince with the Eastern Chalukya viceroy Vijayaditya VII.[4] But Mr. Venkayya aptly suggests that he may be the same as Vishnuvardhana-Vijayaditya, a younger brother of Vikramaditya VI., who bore the title âlord of the province of Vengi.â[5] On his return to Gangaikonda-Solapuram the king assumed the surname Rajadhirajaraja and exhibited the booty which he had brought from the country of Vengai (1. 31 ff.). In lines 36 ff. the inscription records that 4,450 kuli of land near the village were granted to the temple by the Senapati Jayankonda-Chola-Brahmadhiraja, whose mother had made the grant described in the preceding inscription of Rajendra (No. 29). The land had been purchased from the villagers by Manjippayanar,[6] alias Jayasimhakulantaka-Brahmamarayar, the father of the Senapati. [The first 15 lines agree with 11. 1 â 10 of No. 20 above.] (Line 16.) When at Ulagai[7] the Keralas were uprooted along with the infants of their family, ran away and plunged into the western ocean, (the Chola king) dispatched (his) elephants for a rare bath (in the ocean). (He) tied in the stables the Irattas (i.e., the Chalukyas) whose elephants were numberless,[8] along with the elephants of the Kanniyas,[9] which (he) had seized. (He) took the tribute which they paid, along with female elephants (which had) trappings, and returned. (L. 17.) Having occupied (an island) surrounded by water, (he) cut off in a hot battle, which had been appointed near the river, the great heads of the following Dandanayakas :- Malliyanan of great valour, Manjippayan, Piramadevan (i.e., Brahmadeva), whose elephants dripped with rut, Asokaiyan,[10] (who wore) a fresh garland, Sattiyanan of brilliant valour, Pattiyanan, (the minister for) peace and war, Vimayan, (who wore) a fragrant, excellent garland (and who resembled) a rutting elephant, and Vangaran of great wisdom, (and the heads) of the Ganga (king), (who carried) a dreadful lance, of the Nulamba (king),[11] of the king of the Kadavas,[12] and of the Vaidumba king,[13] the rut of whose elephants was diminishing (through fear). (L. 20.) Before (the Chola king) had nailed up (the heads of these princes in) the great city (called after) the great river Ganga,[14] the Salukki,[15] who came from the race of the Moon, reproached himself, saying : - âIt is much better to dic than to live in disgrace,â became troubled in mind, and declared that the same Kudal, where, previously, (his) son and himself turned their backs and were routed, (should be the next) battle-field. (L. 21.) In order that all might know (it), (he) wrote as preamble of a letter, which was hard to be dispatched, the words : - âHe who does not come to the appointed Kudal through fear, shall be no king, (but) a liar (who incurs) great disgrace in war,â (and) gave (this letter) along with the order for dispatch (?) to the liars of Iratta-padi,[16] who ordered Ganga[k]ettan (to deliver it). (L. 23.) He came, prostrated himself at the two feet (of the Chola king), the declared (the contents of) the letter. The mind, the face and the two royal shoulders (of the king) became doubly brilliant with surpassing beauty and joy.
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