Telegu Inscription

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA]

At 03:22 PM 1/25/98 -0600, you wrote:
>Some Chola inscriptions talk of soldiers from Kongu country
>(Coimbatore region) offered their heads at Srisailam on their
>own. (NavakaNTham offering)
>
>A useful reference could be:
>N. Subrahmanian, Self-immolation in Tamil society.
>Madurai, 1983, 107 p. (Many US libraies have this)
>
>Kalingattup paraNi, a prabandham describing Kulottunga I's war
>war in Kalinga country in 1112 AD has graphic details of self-oblation.
>Soldiers willingly giving their heads at Kali's feet.
>
>One of the many couplets:
>
>  aTik kazuttinuTan cirattai arivaraalO!
>   arin^ta ciram aNangin kaik koTupparaalO!
>  koTutta ciram koRRavaiyaip paravumaalO!
>   kuRai uTalam kumpiTTu niRkumaalO!
>
>My thinking is medical treatment was not improved in those days.
>Instead of suffering, they preferred to die. But of course,
>some died because their religious cults.
>
>N. Ganesan
>
>

> From "Impact of the Saiva religion on memorial stones in Andhra Pradesh
with special reference to Rayalaseema" by R.Chandrasekhara Reddy in the
Silver Jubilee issue of Srisaila Prabha, 1989.( page 207)
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"Loss of essential material intended for worship due to the devotee's
oversight, or non-availability of the necessary pUjadravyAs according to
the owe taken by him inspite of his sincere efforts, is in some cases
considered to be one of the important reasons for self-sacrifice. The
devotee takes such circumstances as god given opportunity to prove his deep
devotion and smilingly offer his own limbs, which may stand as a substitute
for the intended flowers which are not easily available, or offering one's
own head if the necessary fruit is not available, is noticeable in some cases.
.......................................................................

"An inscription at ZrIzailam temple of Kurnool district, dated saka 1299
(1378 A.D) that the king anavEma ReDDi constructed vIrazirOmaNDapa before
the main temple of MallikArjuna of ZrIzailam where some Zaiva devotees used
to cut off their heads, tongues and hands and offered to the God Ziva. It
was the prevailing belief at once they attained the form of Ziva with 3
eyes, 10 hands and five faces."
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 The vIrazirOmanDapam can be seen in Zrizailam temple.

regards,

sarma.