Short Essay on Religion during the Sangam Age

We have seen how a liberal eclecticism in religion prevailed in the Sangam age. Religion though an important concern of the people did not distract them from secular activities. Al least religion and its requirements did not monopolise all the talent in the country so that) considerable literature purely secular in nature was possible.

But in the Pallava age the best and the greatest bent their energies to creating devotional literature of one kind another. Religion became more pervasive.

The Jains and the Buddhists seem to have become more powerful and entrenched in royal courts during the fag end of the Kalabhra period 3 that reviving Saivism of the early seventh century became quite aggressive and fought the issue out with the heretics.

The intolerant language which Saivite literature often uses and the occasional persecution in which it indulged indicate their anxiety to successfully combat the religions of Mahavira and the Buddha.

The Vaishnavite literature does not indicate an equal anxiety on their part. It was a common battle which the Saivites were waging and winning; in the meantime the seeds of future conflicts between the Vaishnavites and the Saivites were being sedulously sown. The entire Pallava period was preparatory to that consummation which was to come after Sankara. The imagination of a disputation betweed Sambandar and Trumangai Mannan was possible for later scholars. But such things did not really occur.

The Pallava family worshipped different gods at different time Mahendravarman was first a Jaina and then a Saiva, Paramesvaravarman was a Saiva, Rajasimha’s name was Narasimhavarman (quite common among the Pallavas) but he built a temple for Kailasanatha.

Nandivarman whose earlier name was Paramesvara built a temple for Vaikuntha Perumal. This certainly is different from the religious affiliation which characterised the Cholas from Aditya I to Kulottunga II which was nearly fanatical Saivism.

The Bhakti movement is the name generally given to the activities of the Alvars and the Nayanmars. The movement itself achieved the sophistication of these two Hindu sects especially the Saivite.

The Kalamukhas and the Pasupatas were two ferocious Saivite primitive sects which indulged in sacred orgies including human sacrifice. This possibly did not include cannibalism as is suggested by Sekkilar in his Periyapuranam.

But still Saivism of this type needed refinement; so that the Nayanmars creating a sophisticated type of bhakti Saivism whose chief slogan was ‘love is Siva’ had to fight on two fronts, i.e., while they were reforming the crude sects among themselves they had deal with the then dominant Jainas and Buddhas while taking care not to forget the potential Vaishnavite hostility.

The two Bhakti streams, however, collectively achieved a marvellous new atmosphere of God-consciousness among the people. A straight product of the Bhakti movement was the construction of number of temples dedicated either to Siva or to Vishnu.

It is said that Cholan Senganan caused a number of Siva temples to be constructed in the Chola country, I Many new temples were constructed by the kings and some of the older ones improved and made the centres of pilgrimage and religious education.

Of these the pride of place goes to’ Chidambaram which later in Chola times was to become even a secondary capital. The Bhakti movement could be traced back to the Bhagavad Gita which was given a new and monistic interpretation by Sankaracharya of Kaladi. He attempted a philosophical justification of Smartaism.