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