mesvara Varma II (A. D. 690). These three Alvars should, therefore, have flourished in the latter half of the seventh century A. D. It would be interesting to note here that the god on the Tirupati Hills (Tiruvengadam) had the appearance of both Siva and Vishnu in the days of Peyalvar.
Tirumalisai Alvar.
One of saints who is stated in the Guruparamparai to have lived in the Dvapara Yuga and to have had some acquaintance with the first three Alvars was Tirumalisaiyar. He was a native of the Pallava country; and his Tiru-chanda-viruttam and Nan. mugan Tiruvandadi are admired for. their harmonious versification. He was a poet, philosopher and ascetic (yogi). His real name is said to have been Bhaktisara the above statement. He says that “this is not a necessary inference, as any other Pallava paramount sovereign might have had the title Pallava Paramesvara and the foundation when contracted might have become Paramesvara Vinnagaram, i. g., Vidya Vinita Pallava Paramesvarain." Ind. Ant. for 1906, p. 229. We cannot quite understand what he ineans, as it is not explanatory of the point at issue. As a title the term Parainesvara like Maharaja is so vague that none of the Indian kings seem to have had it except as a proper name. There were Brahman settlements known by special titles of kings like Manabharana-chaturvedi-mangalam, Gangaikondan, Gunabharesvaram and Madhurantakain. In these cases we could say with certainty what kings had these titles, while it would be next to jinpossibility to hit upon a particular sovereign who had the title of "Paramesvara' or 'Maharaja.' Compare the names of the following villages: Varaguna-mangai, Gandaradityam, Nandipuram Kulottunga Cholanallur, &c. In all these instances the villages were called after the names, not titles, of kings.
