History of the Pallavas of Kanchi c11.s1.55

c11.s1.55

This event which may have taken place in the middle of his reign marks an important epoch in the history of Śaivism. There is probably an allusion to this event in the king's life in the Trichinopoly rock inscription¹ which refers to him as having turned back from hostile conduct to the worship of the *linga* (emblem of Śiva). We have at present no means of ascertaining the exact circumstances connected with this event. It happened presumably sufficiently early in his reign as the number of Śiva rock-cut temples excavated by him are numerous and must have taken many years to come into existence. All these cave-temples as they are styled have a peculiarity in shape and have been discovered at Vallam (Chingleput), Mahēndravāḍi (North Arcot District), Daḷavānūr (South Arcot District), Śiyyamangalam and Pallāvaram. He probably originated the habit of inscribing the surnames of the reigning monarchs in the pillars and walls of the various temples that he built. Among the surnames that this king assumed may be mentioned those of Guṇabhara, Puruṣōttama, Satyasanda, Avanibhājana, Saṅkīrṇajāti, Vichitrachitta, Narēndra, Cheṭṭhakāri, Aluptakāma, Kalahapriyaḥ, Lalitāṅkura, Śatrumalla, etc. Of these the *biruda* Cheṭṭhakāri, if it is really an equivalent with Chaitya-kāri, would indicate the temple-building propensities of the king. This probably has reference to the rock-cut temples of Mahēndravarman I, all over the Tamil country. The Telugu *birudas* such as Nilvilonayambu, Pasarambu, Ventulavittu, etc., occurring in these inscriptions have been taken to indicate the Telugu origin of Mahendravarman’s style. It must not be imagined that this sovereign’s zeal for Saivism blunted his sympathy for other religions, a feature of his character in pre-Saiva days. Though he may have professed his devotion to Siva he caused to be cut out in rock a Vishnu temple called Mahendravishnugrha¹ on the banks of Mahendra-Tataka in Mahendravadi. This inscription records in Pallava-Grantha that Gunabhara caused to be cut out of rock the temple of Mahendravishnugrha in Mahendrapura. This place has been identified by Dr. Hultzsch with Mahendravadi, near Arkonam. This catholicity was due to the general tendency of the age when Vishnu and Siva had not begun to have their separate followers and were placed in the same temple without distinction as we find in the monuments of the Pallavas at the Seven-Pagodas and elsewhere. The Mandagappattu inscription of this king for instance records the fact King Vichitrachitta caused to be constructed a temple to Brahma, Isvara and Vishnu without the use bricks, timber, metal and mortar. In other words it was a monolithic rock-temple that was excavated.²