A
Mediaeval Manuscript Library at Chidambaram[1]
Dr.A.Padmavathy
An inscription in the
Natraja temple of Chidambaram, dated in the reign of the Pandya ruler
Jatavarman Sundara Panya refers to a land gift
made for the maintenance of a Manuscript Library in the Temple of
Natraja at Chidambaram.[2]
The date of the inscription is around 1263 CE. It refers to the maintenance of
the Library, conservation of its palm leaf manuscripts collections, recopying
old worn our manuscripts, appointment of Pundits for the copying the Mss and
such other works. The manuscripts preserved in the Library were in different
languages and scripts. Twenty Pundits
were appointed for copying manuscripts. Their work not only included copying on
new leaves but also comparing them with the original manuscripts. There were
many works in Tamil and Sanskrit which were recopied. Among many Sanskrit
manuscripts one named Siddhanta Ratnakara receives special
mention. One Swamidevar was in charge of the Library who supervised the
development of the Library, the works of the Pundits, and also the
administration of the manuscripts Library.
It is known that the word
Swamidevar was used to denote the Rajaguru, the Royal preceptor in the Imperial
Chola times, particularly from the time of Rajaraja[3].
Many Rajagurus are mentioned in the 11th to 13th centuries in the Royal inscriptions[4].
A number of them hailed from Bengal[5].
The Swamidevar mentioned in the record served obviously as the Rajaguru. It is
interesting to note that another inscription from Chidambaram, dated one year
earlier, in 1262 in the reign of Pallava chieftain Kopperuncinga mentions a
certain Isvara Siva , a Royal priest (Udaiyar)
who hailed from Dakshina Radha in the Uttara-patha. This Isvara Siva had
another name Thiruc-cirrambalam Udaiyan
who made a gift of flower garden.[6]
Evidently it is the same Isvara Siva
who supervised the Manuscript
Library at Chidambaram.
I have mentioned that the Chidmabaram inscription on the
Manuscript Library specially refers to
a Sanskrit text Siddhanta ratnakara among the manuscripts collection. It is
known that the Royal preceptor to Kulottunga Chola III[7]
wrote the text Siddhanta Ratnakara
around 1200 CE and the text mentioned in the record is the same
written by Isvara Siva.. Unfortunately this text has not survived. The other
point worthy of note is that this Royal preceptor was also named Isvara Siva[8]
. In all likelihood the author of the text and the supervisor of the Manuscript
Library were the same. The manuscript Library at Chidambaram is called Sarswati
Bhandara i.e. "Treasure house of knowledge", in inscription.
It would thus be evident that the Manuscript Library was in existence in the
Chidambaram temple even from the time of Kulottunga II, (1150 CE)before the
time of the Pandyan record.
The great Tamil text Periya Puranam by Sekkilar on the lives
of Saivite Nayanm¡rs was written in
Chidambarm. It is well known that Sekkilar consulted many valuable documents in
writing his work. His work contains
many Siddhantic thoughts and it is not
unlikely that he had access to a manuscript Library when he composed his text.
Sekkilar was at first a court poet
under Kulottunga II (1133 to 1150). This would take the date of the Library to
the mid 12th Cent.
Another record at
Chidambaram mentions many gifts made by one Naralokaviran, a Commander under
Kulottunga I and his son Vikrama Chola in the beginning of the 12th
cent. Among various gifts he made is a unique work that deserves special
attention. He got all the Tevaram hymns of the Saivite saints numbering about
8000 verses engraved on copper plates and deposited them in the Chidambaram
temple[9].
The copper plates carrying the verses should have been deposited in the Library
of the temple. This would advance the date of the Library to the beginning of
the 12th cent.
An important event
associated with the Tevaram hymns is the discovery of the manuscripts by
Rajaraja Chola I and Nambi Andar Nambi around 1000 CE., mentioned in a
mediaeval text ascribed to Umapati
Sivam. According to this episode Rajaraja
discovered the Tevaram manuscripts, with the help of Nambi, in a locked room,
in a corner of the Chidambaram temple. When Rajaraja discovered them, a
considerable number of the leaves of the text were eaten by white ants and the
bundles were found covered by an ant hill. Obviously these manuscripts were
part of a Library that was in a state of neglect and it was Rajaraja who
discovered them. The event points out to the existence of the Library in the
time of Rajaraja in the beginning of the 11th cent.
Nambi Andar Nambi who helped
Rajaraja to discover the manuscripts wrote one hundred verses on the lives of the 63 Saivite
saints.[10]
The work is called Thrut-tondar
Thiru-antati.. it is known that this text was based on the work Thirut-tondat-tokai of Saint
Sundaramurti Nayanar. This text of Saint Sundaramurti begins with the praise of
the Brahmin priests of Chidambaram (Tillai
vaz ant¸ar). Also it gives the exploits of the 63 Saiva saints. Obviously
Nambi Andar Nambi was inspired by this text of Sundaramurti when he discovered
the manuscripts with Rajaraja. Tradition recorded in Umapati's work avers that the manuscripts were discovered
in the north western corner of the Second enclosure of the Nataraja temple. The
image of Ganesa nearby is said to have pointed to the direction where the room
with the manuscripts was located. The inscription of Sundara Pandya referring
to the manuscript Library is found in the north western wall of the second
enclosure, where the library is said to have been located. The existence of the
manuscript library could now be traced
to the time of Saint Sundara murti in the 8th cent. The library
existed with fluctuating fortunes for nearly 500 years in the temple of
Nataraja.
[1] Padmavathy.A.Dr, Saraswati bhandara in Chidambaram temple, (tamil) Dinamalar,28-9-1990
[2] Annual Report on Epigraphy No168-169 of 1962.
[3] Nilakanta Sastri,K.A., The Colas, Published by the Madras University, reprint 1984, Page 452
[4] Nagaswamy.R., Eastern Indian contact with Tamilnad, Journal of Bengal Art 3, published by the International Institute for the study of Bengal art, Dhaka, Banlgadesh, pp.17-47
[5] ibid pp 32-35
[6] Nagaswamy.R., Bengal and Chidambaram, in Journal of Bengal Art 4, Published by the International Centre for the Study of Bengal Art, pp.33-47
[7] Annual Report on Epigraphy, 1908, pp80-81: Sarkar.H, The Kampaharesvara temple , Tribhuvanam, Pub. by Tamil nadu State Department. Of Archaeology, Madras 1974. P.48
[8] Subramaniyam.T.N, South Indian Temple Inscriptions II, Madras 1954,pp 944-948
[9] Subramaniyam.T.N, South Indian Temple Inscriptions vol III pt.II, Madras 1957,p1320
[10] Nilakanta Sastri.K.A, ibid, p.106