A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c20.18

c20.18

Yuan Chwang, who visited South India in 642, when the Hindu revival was just gathering momentum, did not notice the new movement, although in speaking of Mahārāṣṭra he mentions the worshippers of Deva (Śiva) who covered themselves with ashes. He mentions with regret that his own creed—Buddhism—was on the decline, but remarks repeatedly that it had yielded to Digambara Jainism. The triumph of the revivalist movement was largely achieved in the two centuries that followed. Public disputations which led kings and rulers to transfer their allegiance from one creed to another did much to bring this about. More important, however, was the use of the popular speech by the nāyanārs and the āḷvārs in their soul-stirring compositions, and the fact that these were set to simple tunes which the masses loved to sing.