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chap29 chapter_28.html chapter_29.html chapter_30.html Mirror of Tamiḻ and Sanskrit R. Nagaswamy 29. ANURADHAPURA SEAL

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An important seal from Anuradhapura now in the Anuradhapura museum, first published by me, was brought to my notice by Sri R. Krishnamurthi, Editor Dinamalar.

29.1. Description of the Seal

The seal carries a well-executed bull facing right on a well-formed lotus pedestal and is flanked by the lamp on the stand. A parasol flanked by flywhisks, one on each side is seen above the bull. There is a crescent moon above the back of the bull representing a moon. The bull with sharp and at the same time long horns seems to be of a local breed and does not have any resemblance to either the Pallava bulls seen in several copper plates and temple sculptures or to the bulls found in Cōḻā temples and records or other breeds found in Tamiḻnāṭu. Obviously, it is a local Srilanka breed.

29.2. The Srilankan Lamp

A note may also be added about the lamps on a stand. Several copper plate seals of the Pallava, Cōḻā, and Pāṇḍyās are known but the lamps portrayed here show distinct characteristics. The stand portion is high and sharp. The stem, unlike Tamiḻ lamps, seems to have a slightly different form with more knobs, also equally interesting is the oil and wick holder which also seems to be too deep. We do get references in Tamiḻ epigraphs to utensils of different forms among which one is said to be a iḻa viḷakku (Srilankan lamp). An octagonal vase in Srilankan fashion, was made and gifted to the metal image of Gaṇapathi, in the Great temple of Tanjore, by One Palūr Kiḻavaṉ, the Administrative Superintendent of the temple in the reign of Rājarāja in the beginning of 11th century (south Indian Inscriptions Vol II. 36). The vessel is called Srilankan fashion. That points to the popularity of Lankan metal works in Cōḻā Country in the 11th century. The seal having been made in Lanka uses the Lankan fashion is quite obvious.

29.3. The Legend on the Seal

There is an inscription along the rim portion of the seal in good condition. The language of the inscription is Sanskrit and the script is in Tamiḻ Grantha of the 11th century. The inscription bears a close resemblance to the 11th-century Cōḻā script. The record begins at 12 o’clock on top and moves clockwise. The last two letters are brought under the first line. svasti srī śrīmad dvij-āvāsa śrīpati-grāma vāsinah maheśasya tad-indrādi mauli rajita śāsanam i.e., This is the order of (lord) Maheśa, who resides in the Brahmin settlement named śrī-patigrāma, and whose orders beautify the crowns (of Gods) from Indra downwards. The legend is clear and the meaning is flawless.

Sanskrit	Meaning
Svasti Śrī	Hail prosperity
Śrīmad	auspices
dvijāvāsa	the Brahmin habitation
śrīpati-grāma	the village named Sripati grāma
vāsinah	residents
maheśasya	of Mahesa (lord Śiva)
mauli	crowns
tad-indrādi	of Indra and others
rajita	beautifying śāsanam order

Obviously, the seal belongs to the influential Śiva temple in the village of śripati-grāma under the (control of the) Bramins. The identity of the village śripati-grāma deserves further and separate study. The seal mentions that Indra and others obeyed Śiva’s orders. Indra is the lord of the eastern direction. As the seal says “beginning from Indra”, it means that all the guardians of the directions obeyed the rule of Śiva. It suggests that the temple of Śaiva at śrīpati-grāma was very famous at that time.

29.4. Temples Issuing Orders - an Illustration

It is known from many other Cōḻā records that the famous temples were placed under the control of the sabhās of caturvedi-maṅgalams of Brahmins, in Cōḻa times. There are also many epigraphs recording that the presiding deities of temples did issue orders in their own names which shows the system was also adopted in Srilanka. For example, there is a 13th-century inscription on the west wall of the mūlasthāna shrine at Teṅkarai near Cōḻavandāṉ, Nilak-kōṭṭai tāluk, Madurai district, that has been preserved in full. It begins with the order of the god mūlasthāna of the temple. The order begins like the Anuradhapura seal with the following Sanskrit verse: etad samastha lokeśa mauli mālā upalālitam sāsanam sāsvatam sambhoh śrī mūlasthāna vāsinām (South Indian Inscriptions Vol. V. No 295) This record from Cōḻavandāṉ is almost identical in words and format to the Anuradhapura seal. please note the meter of the poetic order, words like mauli, śāsanam, vāsinah, etc. the order specifically states that it is an order of god sambhu to the resident of mūlasthāna. Another point of interest is that the transaction recorded in the inscription was a decision of the Śri Rudra Śri Maheśvaras who were retinues of the temple. It is also known from Tamiḻ epigraphy apart from the King, the decisions in respect of temple transactions by the temple authorities, were issued as orders of the presiding deity of the temple. The orders in this case were obviously issued by the Brahmin sabhā acting on behalf of the temple, that affixed this seal as the legal documents. Similarly, the Anuradhapura seal should have been affixed to a decision of the temple authorities and hence the name of the god is mentioned instead of the king or other guilds.

29.5. Rājēndra’s Seal Compared

It may also be noted that this order of the Seal seems to be very close to the Royal Order of Rājēndra Cōḻa which reads as: rajad rajanya makutaśrenī mauli mālā upalālitam śāsanam rajendra colasya parakesari varmanah Please note the word mauli, rajat etc in the order. In all probability, it was issued at the time of Rājēndra’s rule over Srilanka at the beginning of the eleventh century. Rājēndra Cōḻā’s occupation of the whole of Srilanka is placed in 1017 C.E. and is said to have lasted for over a decade, by Professor Nilakanta Sastri. (Nilakanta Satri.K.A. The Cōḻās, published by University of Madras, Reprint, 1984, pp 248-253). As the seal closely follows the legend on Rājēndrās seal in his Tiruvālaṅgādu, Karandai, and Ēsālam copper charters, it is not unlikely the village śrīpati-grāma issued this seal and coins when the region was under the occupation of Rājēndra Cōḻa in the early 11th century. This Anuradhapura Seal might belong to Circa 1025.

29.6. The Coins

It is also known in Tamiḻnāṭu that many coins were issued portraying the figures of gods of the rulers. The issue of Doddavarāha by the famous Krishnadeva-rāya may be mentioned. The Coin of Vijayanagara kings carried the figure of the linga of Virūpākṣa of Hampi. The Coin of Vijaya Raghunatha Nāyak of Tanjore shows the figure of Śrī Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Sītā, and Hanuman on the obverse and the portrait of the king on the reverse side. When the colonial powers came to Madras and started issuing coins two issues were prominent one that of Veṅkatēśvara of Tiruppati with his two consorts, which came to be, called “Three Swami Pagodas”. The other was the Uma- maheśvara coin, which came to be called “Two Swami Pagodas”. Copper Coins of Krishnadeva-rāya figured Garuda prominently on the obverse. All these illustrate that portraying the Gods and their vehicles was quite common in the Southern part of India. A good number of coins found in the region from where the Anuradhapura seal has been found seems to suggest that the coins bearing on the obverse seated bull, with two lamps and flywhisks and crescent moon were issued by the powerful Sabha of the śrīpati-grāma mentioned in the seal. The seal is found as a metal negative and was probably used by the temple for authenticating the issue of commodities in the village.

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