The Colas c33.22

c33.22

The Tanjore inscriptions of the reign of Rājarāja furnish an unusually full view of the state of Śaivism at the time. The hagiology that, more than a century later, found its classic poet in Śēkkiḻār, was already quite popular; and some of it found representation in the iconography of the time, though with some differences in detail from the later version.³³ And South Indian Śaivism appears to have had a live contact with Śaivism in the rest of India, as may be seen from Rājēndra I providing for the annual supply of a large quantity of grain as *ācāryabhōga* to Uḍaiyār Śarva Śiva Paṇḍita, who was performing the worship in the Tanjore temple, and his pupils, and their pupils, whether they lived in the Āryadēśa, Madhyadēśa or Gauḍadēśa.³⁴ Inscriptions of the reign of Kulōttunga III give evidence of the existence of this connection between Northern India and the South in late Cōḷa times as well. A certain Ōmkāradēva Irāvaḷar gave some money in 1214 as provision for *tiruppavitram* to the deity at Tiruppāśur (Chingleput district); the donor is described as a disciple of Jñānaśiva Irāvaḷar of the Santāna of Lakṣādhyāya Irāvaḷar of the Kollā-maṭha at Vārāṇasi (Benares).³⁵ Another Irāvaḷan of the Bhikṣāmaṭha of Vārāṇasi is mentioned in an inscription at Pāṇḍanallūr (Tanjore district) dated three years later.³⁶ A tradition is preserved in some stray verses quoted by Anantaśambhu (in his gloss on the *Siddhāntasārāvaḷi* of Trilōcanaśiva),³⁷ that Rājēndra I imported Śaivas from the banks of the Ganges and established them in various places in the Cōḷa country; this tradition also points to the same fact that there was a live contact between Śaiva institutions in the different parts of India.