#6B8E23 Dr. R. Nagaswamy 01-Jan-2007 There are many fascinating stories about Rāmānuja , the great Vaiṣhṇava teacher, who has influenced a section of the Hindu society for past eight centuries and more. Some of the stories are undoubtedly soul elevating and reflect the highest devotion to a personal god and the teacher Āchārya not seen in other legends of similar tones. Also they are told with such lucidity that is most captivating. All most all these stories arose a couple of centuries after Rāmānuja, as contemporary epigraphical records are not found about Rāmānuja so far, the earliest being found in a 13th cent record of Srīrangam. It is not unlikely that these stories were composed not as history but by Vaiṣhṇava pauranika story tellers attached to the Rāmānuja kuudams in temples like Thiruppati, Srīrangam and Kanchipuram and were specially meant for the consumption of the Sri Vaiṣhṇava circle of followers and have contextual relations. It must also be realized that all these stories can not be taken as history as some of them are taken out of context, while others do no justice to the great personality of Rāmānuja and should be taken as pious narrations to enhance the greatness of the saint but with exactly opposite results. Some are chronologically irreconcilable and need to be set aside in the light of historic inscriptions. Right from the date of his birth to almost the end, his life has puzzled historians. The difficulties in reconciling Rāmānuja’s date have been expressed by all scholars who worked seriously on the subject. I give as some as they have appeared in Wikkipedia and articles by others that are posted in the internet in an excellent manner. The Following article was published by me 25 years ago under the title “Srīrangam temple under Kulōttuṅga Choḻa”, but it has not received the attention it deserves. It is given here in a revised form. Introduction The life of Rāmānuja is intimately connected with Srīrangam temple. The then Choḻa ruler, is said to have persecuted Rāmānuja, which compelled him, to go to the court of the Hoysala ruler Viṣhṇuvardhana in disguise, and after the death of the Choḻa ruler returned to Srīrangam. Rāmānuja’s date of birth is placed in circa 1017 CE. that is in the reign of Rājendra Choḻa-I. All the old references place Rāmānuja’s birth in 1017 CE. This can not be shifted arbitrarily to suit some fanciful theories. The traditional accounts hold one Krimikaṇṭa Choḻa as the ruler who persecuted Rāmānuja. After the Choḻa history came to be known well and as there was no Krimikaṇṭa Choḻa in the entire list of the Choḻas other Choḻas were considered. the only Choḻa ruler who could have persecuted him, within the time bracket of the traditional account would be Kulōttuṅga I. Kulōttuṅga was believed to have ruled for fifty years (1070-1120). Recently the Tamilnadu State Department of Archaeology has found an inscription which gives 56 years of rule to Kulōttuṅga I. So he should have ruled atleast upto 1125 CE. The legend of Rāmānuja’s persecution in the hands of the Choḻa ruler, portrays the Choḻa as an antagonist of Vaiṣhṇava faith. It would therefore be interesting to study the condition of Srīrangam temple under this Choḻa ruler where Rāmānuja spent his days when persecution is said to have taken place. This is only a study of the Srīrangam temple under Rāmānuja. But this study should necessarily be borne in mind while studying the life of Rāmānuja, for it is necessary to know whether the Srīrangam temple in any way suffered in the hands of Kulōttuṅga, the supposed antagonist of Vaiṣhṇavism. This study shows in no unmistakable terms, that the Srīrangam temple suffered in no way during the reign of Kulōttuṅga I. Among the Choḻa inscriptions found in the temple, by far the largest number, are in the reign of Kulōttuṅga I. Among the 105 Choḻa inscriptions recorded in the temple, as many as 65 epigraphs are in the reign of Kulōttuṅga I and 14 inscriptions are dated in the reign of Vikrama Choḻa, Kulōttuṅga’s son. That means, the temple received maximum benefactions, during Rāmānuja’s sojourn at Srīrangam. (between 1070 to 1135). Kulōttuṅga’s inscriptions are found from his very first year to the end of his reign. Even among the 65 inscriptions, nearly 1/3rd of them are dated between Kulōttuṅga’s 40th and 50th years; that is the period when Rāmānuja is said to have been persecuted. Suffice it to say that the picture that emerges from the factual epigraphical study, is that the period of Kulōttuṅga I, was the most prosperous period for the Srīrangam temple under the Choḻas and the story of persecusition is not real. Kulōttuṅga’s Personal Devotion It is of great interest to note that on the nakṣhatra (star) of Pūśam, that natal star of Kulōttuṅga I, special festivals were instituted in the temple every month. In 1110 CE. (46th year) Kulōttuṅga himself purchased certain lands at Sriudavur, which were under 'tirappu' tenure and converted it into a 'dēvatāna iṟaiyili', by paying a lumpsum amount and gifted the same to the temple and arranged for special festival, sacred bath and offerings on the day of pusam, his natal star. The special offering began frm the 40th year of the King. Another, but fragmentary epigraph refers to pūsat-tirunāḷ of Kulōttuṅga performed every month. This shows Kulōttuṅga’s devotion to Lord Viṣhṇu and his connection with the temple of Srīrangam. Two of the records, are personal orders of Kulōttuṅga, making certain modification in the land tenure and taxes in favour of the temple. One of the queens of Kulōttuṅga Lōkamahādēvi, was a great patron of Srīrangam temple. Her officers bought some lands and made a gift of them to the temple at the request of one Nārāyanabhaṭṭa. Another royal lady, Tennavan Mahādēvi, the queen of Rājēndra (probably Rājēndra II) made provisions in the temple for the expenses of certain specified festivals in Kulōttuṅga’s reign. She is called Rājarājan Aruḷmoḻi alias Tennavan Mahādēvi. The queen of Rājēndra dēva also gave money for giving alms to devotees recorded in another epigraph. These royal involvements in the temple show the abiding devotion and keen interest taken by the Choḻa ruler in the Srīrangam temple during the life time of Rāmānuja. That Srīranganātha was called Paḷḷikoṇḍaruḷiya Ananta-nārāyaṇa-swāmi, in the reign of Parāntaka I Choḻa, (10th century CE) is mentioned in one of Kulōttuṅga’s inscription. In Kulōttuṅga’s time also, Srīranganātha was called Ananta-nārāyaṇ-aswāmi. Thiruvāymoḻi Hymns It is well known that the sacred hymns, 'Thiruvāymoḻi' attracted great attention in many temples and Rāmānuja is said to have had a great hand in propagating this practise. Two inscriptions of Kulōttuṅga refer to provisions made for singing, Thiruvāymoḻi hymns. The first was in the 15th year of Kulōttuṅga I (1075 CE) which is perhaps the earliest reference to the singing of these hymns in the temple. The endowment was made by a Commander-in-Chief, Senāpatigal VīraChoḻa Munaiyadaraiyan of Kottur, who gifted 50 'Kalanju' of gold for that purpose. The 'Thiruvāymoḻi' was sung as 'Paḷḷi eḻucci'. The endowment was given in the hands of a group of "Araiyans", who also had the name ‘mannar’ added to their names. The other record is dated in the 40th year of Kulōttuṅga I (1110 CE.) and refers to a gift of land for the recitation of Thiruvāymoḻi. It must be noted that the name of Rāmānuja does not occur either in the epigraphs of Kulōttuṅga I or his predecessors. In fact the first reference, so far as I could see, occurs in the 5th year of Rājēndra Choḻa III, in 1250 CE, nearly 125 years after Rāmānuja’s demise. The inscription referring to Rāmānuja also does not mention the great teacher, but refers to a land named Rāmānuja. (Rāmānujan cuṟṟukkulai). Srīkāryam During the reign of Kulōttuṅga I, four officers held the post of srīkāryam in the temple. In 1075 CE (the tenth year) Bhuvana nārāyaṇa Muvenda-velar was the srīkāryam. From the 20th year (1096 to 1110 A.D.) to the 40th year, one Vīravidyādhara Muvendavëlān held that post. His surname was Sīrālan Thiru-chiṟṟambalam Uḍaiyān. While Nittavinöda Mūvēnda-vēlār held the post in the 44th year. A certain Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭan is also mentioned as the 'Śrīkāryam', but the date when he held the post is not known as the regnal year is lost. While the last mentioned seems to be a Vaiṣhṇava Brahmin, the other three were Mūvēnda vēlārs, which indicates that the persons who held this important post of (Chief Administrative Officer), Śrīkaryam belonged to different castes. Flower Gardens More than ten new flower gardens (nanda-vanam) were raised during the 30 years from 1085 CE Three of the gardens were endowed by ladies, one of them being a Pāṇḍya princess. A land was purchased at the instance of one Niṣhadarājan, and endowed for raising a flower garden in the name of Nēriyan Mādēvi, the Pāṇḍya Princess, . Provisions were also made for the servants. A "Guṇavalli nandavanam” was raised by a lady Guṇavalli alias Kaḍavūr Uḍaiyāḷ, by purchasing a land which was lying fallow for over one hundred years, due to floods in Kāvēri. A lady Siṟiyāṇḍāḷ Sāni, a daughter of Ātrēyan Dāmodara Nārāyaṇan, and wife of Tāyanambi Pirān, raised a flower garden in 1115 CE. Thirumaḻavāḍi Uḍaiyān alias Rājavallabha Pallavaraiyan. Āṭkoṇḍavilli of Adanur, Nēriyan Mūvendavēlān alias Vēdavanamuḍaiyān are other donors who raised new 'nandavanams'. A husband and wife have endowed two flower gardens in their names. The male membr was a commander, Sënāpati whose name was Taliyil Madhurāntaka alias Rājēndra Choḻa Kiḍārattaraiyan and his wife was Rājakēsarivalli, Provisions were also made for the two servants to maintain the garden. Another Sēnāpati, Ilangovēlār, purchased a land and gifted it for a 'nanda-vanam'. Floods in Kāvēri Over nine inscriptions refer to floods in Kāveri which laid waste a number of lands. One inscription says that the land was uncultivable for the past 50 years on account of sand silt, thrown by the overflow of the river Kāvēri. Four inscriptions state that the lands were lying waste far over one hundred years and the others state, that the lands were fallow for long, due to sand silt thrown by the overflooding of Kāvēri. The Choḻa records are generally accurate. If we take the 50 and 100 years recorded as nearly accurate, it would indicate that overflooding of Kāvēri has occurred atleast twice in hundred years, causing considerable damage to the fields and crops. That means Kāvēri has flooded disasterously in the reign of Rājēndra I and earlier in the reign of Uttama Choḻa. The villages which were flooded in this manner were Karkuḍi in Vilathurnāḍu, Karaikkuḍi in Vilanāḍu, Turaikkuḍi and Taṇḍarai. In Tandarai, one Veli of such land cost one kāsu. In another case 4 Vēli of land was bought for 220 Drammas.These records also show that considerable attention was paid to the reclamation of sand-silted lands along the banks of river Kāvēri in the time of Kulōttuṅga I. Eight 'kalams' of paddy per 'vēli' of land was levied per annum by the temple treasury. In another inscription the quantity is not given. The lands were purchased by individuals and brought under cultivation and paid certain quantity of paddy to the temple treasury towards the maintenance of the garden. All the lands sold, belonged originally to the temple but became waste lands due to inundation. Certain officers of Kulōttuṅga’s queen Lokamādēvi, bought such lands, on behalf of the queen and brought them under cultivation. The lands were gifted free of all taxes for the first five years from the year of purchase and there after to pay some specific quantity to the temple treasury. This was an inducement to the new cultivator. We have noted that one Vēli of sand-silted land was sold at one Kāsu per Veli in Kulōttuṅga reign. But in the reign of the same ruler (1085 CE) one vēli of land was sold for two 'kāsu', which seems to be the value of a cultivatable land. Land tenure There are three interesting records in the reign of Kulōttuṅga relating to land tenure. In the year 1084 CE Kulōttuṅga ordered certain modification in the levy of paddy to be paid to the temple treasury. In 1110 CE, Kulōttuṅga ordered the conversion of a 'tirappu' tenure on certain lands at Sirudavur into a 'devatāna' tenure by payment of certain lumpsum and utilse the same for the sacred bath of deity. The third transaction relates to a village assembly. The 'Perunguṟi Sabhā', (village assembly) converted a 'iṟaiyili' tenure (tax free tenure) into a 'iṟai kaval' tenure (to pay lumpsum towards tax) in 1072 CE and for 40 years it continued to remain an "iṟaikaval" tenure. But in 1114 it was again reconverted into a 'iṟaiyili" tenure. There is an interesting inscription which deserves mention. The Sabhā of Chandralekhai chaturvedi-maṅgalam (Sendalai) borrowed 400 Kaḻañju from this temple in the year (916 CE) of Parāntaka Choḻa, but it did not pay the interest till the 10th year of Kulōttuṅga I, for 165 years. The Sabhā sold 6 Velis of land towards the interest on this sum, and the land was designated as "Poliyuttu-parru" (i.e. land to pay interest). One Thiru Ānandamūrti Aruḷāḷan alias Vīrarājēndra Pallavaraiyan bought a land and constituted it as a 'brahmadēya' called 'Aindambākkiḻān brahmadēyam' after his own name in 1094 CE. Another land gift was endowed by Vandalanjeri Uḍaiyān Veḷḷāḷan alias Vāṇakōvaraiyan of Thirunaraiyur. The proceeds were to be utilised for the sacred bath of the deity on the day of 'ēkādasi'. The donor comes from the same place Vandalanjeri, from where hailed Karunākara Toṇḍaimān, the general of Kulōttuṅga, who conquered Kaliṅga on behalf of his ruler. The Vāṇakōvaraiyan was second in command to Karunākara Toṇḍaimān and accompanied him to Kaliṅga. He is celebrated along with Karunākara Toṇḍaimān in Kaliṅgathup-paraṇi of Jayaṁkoṇḍār. Devoted Chieftains The following are the chieftains who took keen interest in Śrīrangam temple in the reign of Kulōttuṅga.I, and Rāmānuja was all the time at Śrīrangam. 1. Ādittanār alias Kāḍavarāyan 2. Villavarayar 3. Saḍaiyan Sēndan 4. Pārthivēndra Brahmādirāyan 5. Kaḍuvanguḍaiyān Ādittan Thiruvarangaḍevan alias Virudarāja Bhayankara Vijayapālan 6. Rājēndra Mūvēnda Vēlār 7. Ponnambala Kūttan alias Kāliṅgarāyar 8. Īsvarakulakāla Brahmārāyar 9. RājēndraChoḻa Adiyaman alias Araiyan Sēvan 10. Uḍaiyār Kārāṇai Viḻupparaiyar 11. Thirumaḻapādi alias Rājavallabha Pallavaraiyan. 12. Neriyan Mūvendavēlān alias Vedavanamuḍaiyān 13. Nishadarājan 14. Rājēndra Choḻa Mahābali-vāṇādhirājan 15. Thiruvanantamūrti Aruḷāḷan alias Vīrarājēndra Pallavaraiyan 16. Kōṭṭūr uḍaiyān Araiyan Rājēndra Choḻan 17. Rājēndra Choḻa Munaiyaḍaraiyan 18. Kārāṇai Viḻupparaiyar 19. Āṭkoṇḍavilli of Adanur Devoted commanders Besides the above chieftains mentioned, six Commanders of Kulōttuṅga I, are seen actively promoting the interest of the temple and endowing lands to the temple. Among the above commanders one was a Veḷḷāḷa, while Sēnāpati Kulasekarakon was a shepered, who had risen to the status of a commander. In the reign of Kulōttuṅga, the following names of certain measures used in the temple are preserved. They are 1. Paḷḷikoṇḍāān Marakkāl, 2.Rājakesari measure. An inscription refers to the existence of a SriVaiṣhṇava Varyam which shows Vaiṣhṇavas continue to hold their posts and function in the temple and not persecuted. There is an interesting record dated in the reign of Kulōttuṅga. It refers to arrears amounting to 940 kāsu, payable by some individuals to the temple treasury. An officer Rājēndra Choḻa Muvendevēlār is said to have enquired into the case and settled the amount. One of the individuals involved in the case seems to have served a period of imprisonment (Siṟai Irundu). Another record of interest refers to the coin 'drammas'. Four velis of land (fallow) were bought for a sum of two hundred and twenty drammas. The drammas is probably the name derived from Darchmas of the Roman coinage. Another interesting record refers to one Thiruvarangadevan who was a barbar (ambaṭṭam) as a signatory of a document. Conclusion The study of Srīrangam epigraphs of the time of Kulōttuṅga-I clearly and in unmistakable terms show the personal interest of the king in the temple, the devotion of the king , the queens and their endowments, the provisions for the recitation of Thiruvaimoḻi twice in the same reign, the endowments of flower gardens, the reclamation of silted lands, institution of festivals etc., show a period of great activity in the temple, and its prosperous condition, which is totally at variance with the Ramanuja legend. As per the records the King , the queen and his officers have particpated with in every form of pious deed prescribed by the tredtion On the basis of this scientific study of the subject found in the actual contemporary records of the temple the story that Kulōttuṅga I, was an antogonist of Śrīvaiṣhṇavism and that he persecuted Rāmānuja is a fiction of imagination, can not be sustained and must be rejected. References Tamil nadu Inscriptions, Dhrampuri Dist. Salivaram Inscriptions, 17/1976 Guruprampara : Annual Report on Epigraphy, 1898; 1947-48; 1948-49; 1952- 53; 1953-54 Nagaswamy.R., Studies in Ancient Tamil Law and Society, TNDA Publication