History of the Pallavas of Kanchi c14.35

c14.35

*Light thrown by ‘Nandikkaḷambakam’.*—This work makes it clear beyond doubt, that Nandivarman was a member of the Pallava family as it calls him *Pallavarkōn* several times. The poem throws some light on the race of the Pallava family. Verse 39 refers to Nandivarman as ‘*Chandrakula-Prakāśan*’ thus indicating that the Pallava family claimed their descent from the lunar race, a fact which is not however mentioned in any of the inscriptions. It is also clear from this work that Kāñchīpuram, Mallai (Mahābalipuram) and Mayilai (Mylāpur) were the chief Pallava cities during this period. The sway over these places is associated with the name of Nandivarman III by such references as ‘*Mallai-Vēndan*’, ‘*Mayilai-Kāvalan*’. In this work his rule is also associated with the region of the Kavēri (*Kavirivalanāḍan*), the Kongu country, the Chēra land, the western regions as well as the northern. Inscriptions found in the northern regions of Pallava kingdom such as those of the Bāṇa king Vikramāditya clearly prove that his sway over the Bāṇas was not merely a poetic boast but real.¹ This king appears to have indulged his fancy in the assumption of a large number of surnames. This Tamil work enumerates the following surnames of this sovereign ‘*Avani-Nārāṇan*’, ‘*Viḍelviḍugu*’, ‘*Ugra-kōpan*’, ‘*Kuvalaya-Mārtāndan*’, ‘*Mānodaya*’, ‘*Varutungan*’, etc. Nandivarman III appears to have patronized the Tamil poets very largely as is evident from allusion to this in verses 104 and 107 of the work. The author of the *Bhārata-Veṇbā*, Perundevanar, is taken to have flourished during his reign. The invocatory verses attached to the *Udyōgaparva* of this work, which alone has come down to us, mentions the defeat inflicted by Nandivarman III on his enemies at Teḷḷāru.²