Vikramaditya (r. c. 884—911 ADNarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 97, 109. 337-39, 474-75. or 920 ADGurukkal, Rajan. ''The Agrarian System and Socio-Political Organisation Under the Early Pandyas c. AD 600-1000.'' Doctoral Thesis. Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1984. 29-30.)—better known as Vikramaditya "Varaguna"—was a monarch of the Ay dynasty of Kerala, south India. His surname indicates that he was a vassal or feudatory of the Pandya ruler Varaguna II (r. 862—885 AD). He was the immediate successor of Karunantatakkan "Srivallabha" (r. c. 856/57—884 AD), a vassal of Pandya king Srimara Srivallabha (r. 815—862 AD). Vikramaditya Varaguna succeeded Karunanthadakkkan Srivallabha known for building and consecrating the

Parthasarathy temple, Parthivapuram Parthasarathy Temple, also spelled Parthasarathi Temple, is a 9th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. Spread over 2.5 acres, the temple is notable for the extensive records about it that have be ...

dedicated to Hindu deity

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

along with a Vedic ''salai'' (school) attached the temple.T.A. Gopinatha Rao (1910), ''The Huzur Office Plate of Vikramaditya Varaguna'', Travancore Archaeological Series Volume 1, Part 2, pp. 1–3 Vikramaditya married Aykula Mahadevi at this temple. Vikramaditya is known for making a large land donation to a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

vihara in central Kerala (Paliyam Copper Plates).Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 97. This act of donation is considered as a symbol of friendly attitude towards the

Chera/Perumal Chera Perumals of Makotai, also known as the Perumal dynasty of KeralaThapar, Romila'', The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300.'' Penguin Books, 2002. 331-32., or Cheraman Perumal dynasty of MahodayapuramNoburu Karashmia ...

rulers of Kerala (after the fall of the Pandyas in the battle of Sripurambiyan in 885 AD).

Records of Vikramaditya Varaguna

* Thirupparappu Plates * Thirunandikkarai Plates * Paliyam Copper Plates Chitral inscription, dated to the 28th year of Vikramaditya Varaguna, says that Kunantangi Kurattikal, the disciple of Arattanemi Bhatara of Perayakkudi gifted some gold ornaments to the Bhatariyar of Tiruchanatu Malai. According to

T. A. Gopinatha Rao T. A. Gopinatha Rao (1872-1919) was an Indian archaeologist and epigraphist with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) who contributed regularly to the journal '' Epigraphia Indica''. He was appointed first Superintendent of the Travancore Archa ...

, the inscription on the southern side says Gunandagi-kurattigal, the disciple of Arattanemi - Bhatariyar of Peravakkudi, presented Bhatariyar of Tiruchchanam malai with some golden ornament during the 28th year of reign of Vikramaditya Varaguna. There is much evidence and an established chronology about the Hindu monarch Vikramaditya of Ay dynasty, states

, and Vikramaditya's Chitral inscription helps date the

Chitharal Jain Monuments The Chitharal Jain Monuments and Bhagavati Temple, also known as Chitharal Malai Kovil (literally "Temple on the Hill"), Chitaral Cave Temple or Bhagwathi Temple, are located near Chitharal village in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. Th ...

and Hindu Bhagavati temple to the 9th-century.T.A. Gopinatha Rao (1910), Travancore Archaeological Series Volume 2, pp. 125–127 with plates The inscription is Tamil language in Vatteluttu script.T.A. Gopinatha Rao (1910), Travancore Archaeological Series Volume 2, pp. 193–195 Certain Varaguna - may be Vikramaditya - the disciple of Tirucharanattu Pattini Bhatarar appears as a donor in an inscription discovered from the temple of Tiruchanatu Malai in Chitral.

Paliyam Copper Plates

The Paliyam Copper Plates name Varaguna, and do not mention Vikramaditya. There were several Varaguna in the history of South India. However, the Paliyam Plates include passages that mention the king to be from the Vrishni-kula and Yadava-vamsa, which helps identify Vikramaditya Varaguna as the likely source.T.A. Gopinatha Rao (1910), ''Two Inscriptions of Vikramaditya Varaguna'', Travancore Archaeological Series Volume 2, pp. 187–188 According to these plates, Vikramaditya made a donation of certain lands in the Ay country to the deity of Srimulavasa

vihara (somewhere in central

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, in the kingdom of the

Chera/Perumals Chera Perumals of Makotai, also known as the Perumal dynasty of KeralaThapar, Romila'', The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300.'' Penguin Books, 2002. 331-32., or Cheraman Perumal dynasty of MahodayapuramNoburu Karashmia ...

). The inscription is compiled in

Tamil script The Tamil script ( , ) is an abugida script that is used by Tamils and Tamil language, Tamil speakers in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and elsewhere to write the Tamil language. Certain minority languages such as Saurasht ...

(Tamil language) and Nagari script (Sanskrit). * Paliyam Copper Plates open with three Sanskrit ''slokas'' in praise of Soudhodani (

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

), Dharmasangha (Dharma) and Avalokitesvara. * Describe Varaguna as the "Lord of Vizhinjam" and a member of the " Vrisni Race". * Show arrangements made by the king - probably the Chera/Perumal king - to protect the plot handed over to the Srimulavasa vihara. It is tentatively concluded that the king had appointed Vira Kota, a member of the Chera/Perumal family, to protect the plot. * Contain request to the king's descendants to "uphold

dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...

" and protect the land of donation * Contain general appeal to all people to turn to "acts of benevolence". * Tamil portions show the details - such as boundaries - of the plot donated These plates are significant as they confirm that Buddhism was present and receiving land grants in the 9th-century in Tamil speaking regions of South India. Further the confirmation and use of Nagari script and Sanskrit in 9th-century South India is also notable.

Date of Paliyam Copper Plates

The currently accepted date of the Paliyam Copper Plates was fixed by historian M. G. S. Narayanan.Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 109-110. Three dates are suitable for the astronomical data contained in the plates. * 868 AD - suggested by Gopinatha Rao - historically untenable. * 925 AD - suggested by Elamkulam P. N. Kunjan Pillai - goes against the reference to the 15th regnal year. * 898 AD - Currently accepted date (M. G. S. Narayanan)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varaguna, Vikramaditya 9th-century Indian monarchs 10th-century Indian monarchs People from Kerala Chera dynasty