The Pandyan Kingdom from the Earliest Times to the Sixteenth Century c10.2

c10.2

THE son and successor of Parāntaka Neḍunjaḍayan alias Varaguṇa was Śrī Māra Śrīvallabha whose reign may be taken to have extended from, say, A.D. 815 to A.D. 862. He also had the birudas *Ēkavīra* and *Paracakrakōlāhala*. All that we know of this king is derived from the larger Sinnamanūr plates. From the way these plates begin to furnish rather important historical data from this point onward, it would almost appear that the composer of this inscription had the Vēḷvikkuḍi grant before him and avoided, by design, dwelling on the events already recorded in that grant. However that may be, what we learn about Śrī Māra Śrīvallabha goes to show that he succeeded not only in maintaining the power handed down to him by his father, but even found it possible to extend it to Ceylon. The Sanskrit part of our record tells us that this king brought the whole world (a hyperbole for S. India ?) under the protection of his umbrella and became well-beloved of his subjects (*Prēma-pātram prajānām*) after defeating in battle such diverse foes as the Māyāpāndya, the Kēraḷa, the king of Simhaḷa, the Pallava and the Vallabha. The Tamil portion confirms this and adds further that the king won victories at Kunnūr and Viḷiñam as well as in Ceylon, and that he repulsed with great loss a confederation of Gangas, Pallavas, Cholas, Kalingas, Magadhas and others who offered battle at Kuḍamūkku or Kumbakonam. This victory would appear to have greatly increased the king's military reputation and furnished the occasion for the high-sounding title *Paracakrakōlāhala*.