Derivation of Adi Shankara’s period from Karikāla’s time

 Part 1 : Karikal Chola who built Kallanai (Grand Anicut) was a contemporary of Adi Shankara

Part 2: History of Karikāl Chola and Iḷam Thirayan and the route to Kanchi gleaned from Sangam texts

Part 3: Karikāl Chola's conquest of Kanchi and the expedition to the Himalayas

Part 4: Kallaṇai was built by Karikāl Chola after a personal tragedy of loss of his son-in-law

Part 5: The inundation of Pūmpukār

Part 6: The time period of Karikāl Chola

Adi Shankara’s time which I will be deriving from the Panchanga features given by the Shankara mutts must match with this period of Kallaṇai if Karikāl Chola was Rājasena who carried out the orders of Adi Shankara in building Varadaraja temple. Ekāmbareswarar temple and Kamakshi temple. What is certain is that Karikāl Chola was associated with the development of Ekāmbareswarar temple as we can see from an image of Karikāla in this temple.

Karikaala was also remembered by Tirugyana Sambandar in his verse on Ekambareshwara of Kanchi. Found in the second Tirumurai, the verse (1596) runs as follows:

விண்ணுளார்; மறைகள்வேதம்விரித்தோதுவார்     

கண்ணுளார்; கழலின் வெல்வார் கரிகாலனை;   

 நண்ணுவார்; எழில்கொள்கச்சி நகர் ஏகம்பத்     

தண்ணலாராடுகின்றஅலங்காரம்மே

viN uLAr; maRaikaL vEtam virittu OtuvAr     

kaN uLAr; kazalin velvAr, kari kAlanai;     

naNNuvAr ezil koL kaccinakar Ekampattu                 

aNNalAr; ATukinRa alagkAra(m)mE!

Meaning:  Oh! Ye devotees! Have you seen the magnificent cosmic dance of our Lord Ekambaranaathar? It is a beauty at its best played by our Lord at Ekambaram temple in Kachchi city. Our Lord is present in the celestials. He is present in the eyes of those who recite Vedas. He won Karikāla by His feet. This Lord has His abode in the most sacred temple Ekambam which lies in the beautiful city of Kachchi.

People not being aware of Karikāla’s association with this Lord, translated the line about Karikāla as Shiva having kicked off Kāla, i.e., Yama by His feet. But the line is more than clear that Karikāla surrendered at the feet of Ekāmbareswarar.

The verse and the consecration of the image of Karikāla in the temple of this Lord at Kanchi make a case for Karikāla’s association with this temple which was not possible without Adi Shankara ordaining him to build this temple.

The statue of Karikāla in Ekāmbareswarar temple, Kanchi.

There is also a temple at Thiruppāsur, near Kanchi, on the way to Tiruvallur where the Sthala Purana says that Karikāl Chola was saved by the Lord of Thiruppāsur from the snake that was made to hurt Karikāla by the Jains. This is mentioned in Tiruththāndakam as follows:

'படவரவொன்றது ஆட்டிப் பாசூர் மேய பரஞ்சுடரைக் கண்டடியே னுய்ந்தவாறே'

If we search deeply, we may get more on Karikāla’s association with the temples in and around Kanchi and his devotion to the Shiva and other Gods of Sanatan Dharma. The development of this temple also could have been motivated by Adi Shankara. There is a likelihood of him receiving the knowledge of the Supreme from Adi Shankara.

As if to justify the rich knowledge he gained from Adi Shankara, there is a verse in Purananuru (verse 224) sung on his death by the poet, Karunguzhal Adhanār (கருங்குழல் ஆதனார்).

The poet praises him for the Vedic homa-s had had done and also as one who knows what is in store for him for having done these yajna-s.

யூப நெடும் தூண்

வேத வேள்வித் தொழின் முடித்ததூஉம் அறிந்தோன்.

From where did Karikāla get the knowledge of what was in store for him in doing these Homa-s? What world did he get for following these? Who taught him these views? In other words, who was his mentor? Rājasena alias Karikāla received this knowledge from none other than Adi Shankara. In the next write-up, we will focus on establishing the year of birth of Adi Shankara and see how it matches with the period of Karikāl Chola. 

(To be continued in another set of articles establishing Adi Shankara's date)