Mayurasharma

Kadamba Kings (345–525)
(Banavasi Kings)
Mayurasharma	(345–365)
Kangavarma	(365–390)
Bagitarha	(390–415)
Raghu	(415–435)
Kakusthavarma	(435–455)
Santivarma	(455 -460)
Mrigeshavarma	(460–480)
Shivamandhativarma	(480–485)
Ravivarma	(485–519)
Harivarma	(519–525)
(Triparvatha Branch)
Krishna Varma I	(455)
Vishnuvarma
Simhavarma
Krishna Varma II
Pulakesi I (Chalukya)	(543–566)

Mayurasharma (Kannada: ಮಯೂರಶರ್ಮ) (or Mayurasharman, Mayuravarma) (345–365 C.E.), a Brahmin scholar and a native ofTalagunda (in modern Shimoga district), was the founder of theKadamba Kingdom of Banavasi, the earliest native kingdom to rule over what is today the modern state of Karnataka, India.^[1][2] He took the name of Mayuravarma to emphasise his change from the Brahmin to the Kshatriya caste. Before the rise of the Kadambas, the centres of power ruling the land were outside of the Karnataka region; thus the Kadambas' ascent to power as an independent geo-political entity, with Kannada, the language of the soil as a major regional language, is a landmark event in the history of modern Karnataka with Mayurasharma as an important historical figure. The earliest Kannada language inscriptions are attributed to the Kadambas of Banavasi.^[3]There are several legends and tales that describe the progeny of the Kadamba family. One legend states the family descended from a three-eyed, four-armed being called Trilochana Kadamba who sprang to life from the drops of sweat from the forehead of Shiva falling at the roots of a Kadamba tree. Another legend states Mayurasharma was born of Rudra (a form a Shiva) and the mother earth under an auspicious Kadamba tree and that he was born with a third eye on his forehead. According to yet another tale, Mayurasharma was born to the sister of a Jain tirthankara under a Kadamba tree. It appears that all these legends evolved so as to present the founder of the kingdom as a demi-god.^[4]

The Talagunda inscription of 450 is considered the most reliable source of information about the family of Mayurasharma and the origin of the Kingdom. The inscription is known to be free of legends, giving a realistic and true account of the Kadamba line of kings.^[5]According to the inscription, Mayurasharma was a Vaidika Brahmin scholar and a native of Talagunda. He was the son of Bandhushena, grandson of his guru (teacher) Veerasharma and a student at theAgrahara (place of learning) in Talagunda.^[1][2][6] The inscription confirms the family is named for the Kadamba tree that grew near the family home. It is further claimed that they were a Kannadiga Dravidian family inducted into the Brahminic fold as was popular in the medieval times.^[7] The Gudnapur inscription further confirms Mayurasharma's parentage and that he acquired the character of a Kshatriya.^[1]

Birth of a kingdom [edit]

According to the Talagunda inscription, Mayurasharma went to Kanchi the capital of the Pallavas to pursue hisVedic studies accompanied by his guru and grandfather Veerasharma. Kanchi was an important Ghatikasthana(centre of learning) at that time. There, having been humiliated by a Pallava guard (horseman), in a rage Mayurasharma gave up his Brahminic studies and took to the sword to avenge his insult.^[8] The inscription vividly describes the event thus:

“

That the hand dextrous in grasping the kusha grass, fuel and stones, ladle, melted butter and the oblation vessel, unsheathed a flaming sword, eager to conquer the earth[9][10]

”

It can be said that the rise of Mayurasharma against the Pallava hold over the Talagunda region was actually a successful rebellion of Brahmins against the domination of the Kshatriya power as wielded by the Pallavas of Kanchi. Thus was born, in a moment of righteous indignation, the first Kingdom native to present day Karnataka region.^[6] Other scholars however feel Mayurasharma's rebellion was well timed to coincide with the defeat of Pallava Vishnugopa by the southern invasion of Samudragupta of northern India.^[11] Mayurasharma first succeeded in establishing himself in the forests of Shriparvata (possibly modern Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh) by defeating the Antharapalas (guards) of the Pallavas and subduing the Banas of Kolar. The Pallavas under Skandavarman were unable to contain Mayurasharma and recognised him as a sovereign in the regions from the Amara ocean (western ocean) to Prehara (Malaprabha river).^[12] Some historians feel that Mayurasharma was initially appointed as a commander (dandanayaka) in the army of the Pallavas, as the inscription uses such terms as Senani and calls Mayurasharma Shadanana (six-faced god of war). However, after a period of time, availing himself of the confusion caused by the defeat of Pallava Vishnugopa by Samudragupta (from the Allahabad inscriptions), Mayurasharma carved out a kingdom with Banavasi (near Talagunda) as his capital.^[13] It is also known that in other battles, Mayurasharma defeated the Traikutas, Abhiras, Sendrakas, Pallavas, Pariyathrakas, Shakasthana, the Maukharis and Punnatas.^[14] To celebrate his successes, Mayurasharma performed many horse sacrifices and granted 144 villages (known as Brahmadeyas) to Brahmins of Talagunda.^[15] With an effort to rejuvenate the ancient Brahminic faith and to perform the royal rituals and the related functions of the empirical government, Mayurasharma invited many learned Vaidika Brahmins fromAhichchathra in northern India. The Havyaka Brahmins, Namboodiris of Kerala and some sections of Nairs (Nagavanshi Kshatriyas)claim descent from these early Brahmin settlers of the 4th century.^[16]

Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma (Tamil: போதிதர்மன்) was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century and is traditionally credited as the leading patriarch and transmitter of Zen (Chinese: Chán, Sanskrit: Dhyāna) to China. According to Chinese legend, he also began the physical training of the Shaolin monks that led to the creation of Shaolinquan. However, martial arts historians have shown this legend stems from a 17th century qigong manual known as the Yijin Jing. Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is extant, and subsequent accounts became layered with legend, but most accounts agree that he was a Tamil prince from southern India’s Pallava Empire. Scholars have concluded his place of birth to be Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu . After becoming a Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma traveled to China. The accounts differ on the date of his arrival, with one early account claiming that he arrived during the Liú Sòng Dynasty (420–479) and later accounts dating his arrival to the Liáng Dynasty (502–557). Bodhidharma was primarily active in the lands of the Northern Wèi Dynasty (386–534). Modern scholarship dates him to about the early 5th century. Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as a rather ill-tempered, profusely bearded and wide-eyed barbarian. He is described as “The Blue-Eyed Barbarian” in Chinese texts. The Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall (952) identifies Bodhidharma as the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism in an uninterrupted line that extends all the way back to the Buddha himself. D.T. Suzuki contends that Chán’s growth in popularity during the 7th and 8th centuries attracted criticism that it had “no authorized records of its direct transmission from the founder of Buddhism” and that Chán historians made Bodhidharma the 28th patriarch of Buddhism in response to such attacks.   Manimegalai - (மணிமேகலை காப்பியம்) Significant parts of Manimekalai, a Buddhist epic from the later Sangam age, take place in Kanchipuram. Manimekalai is a dancer who later becomes a nun. She obtains the Amuda Surabhi (nectar vessel), which produces food without end. This she uses for performing charity. In the course of her travels, she is directed by her grandfather, Masattuvan, to go to Kanchi, as the city had been devastated by a drought. When she goes there, she finds a temple to Buddha at the very centre of the city: With her heart full of compassion, the maid Went around the fort rightwards, and got down Into the central part of the city. She prayed at the temple built by the king’s brother To Buddha, who had sat under the Bodhi tree Which had golden branches And fresh green leaves rivaling emerald. The king builds a garden in honor of Manimekalai’s coming to help his people. Delighted, Manimekalai makes him build a lotus seat for Buddha. She then places the Amuda Surabhi on the lotus seat and welcomes all living beings to gather to be fed. It is an unforgettable scene in which all the marginalized, the hungry, the defeated, and the maimed come to her for succour: Like life-giving sustenance for those who ate, Like the result of giving alms to ascetics, Like the yield when the seed is sown with thought To water, earth, season, and work in the fields, Like rains that fall to help the earth’s yield, Was the maid compared and thanked by people Whose hunger-sickness had been cured by her. She then meets her spiritual teacher, Aravana Adikal, who instructs her in Dharma. Her mind illumined, Manimekalai dedicates herself to the ideal life that leads to salvation. Last Words The Buddha tirelessly traveled and taught until his death at age 80. His last words to his followers: "Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation."