Page:Tamil studies.djvu/400

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THE ORIGIN OF MALAYALAM
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king Parankusan or Ko-Maran Jatavarman defeated the Chera kings in a series of battles at Vilijnan, Pulandai, Kottar, Chevur and other places. All these are mentioned by the commentator of Iraiyanar's Agapporal. We need not enumerate here the other wars in which the Cheras suffered defeat, as they are given in the South Indian Inscriptions.

(5) The customs and manners of the Nambudri Brahmans and their sexual connection with the Sudras, which in course of time spoiled both Sanskrit and Tamil, were looked upon with disfavour by the East Coast Brahmans or Bhattas, who always regarded the former as an inferior class on that account, though to a lesser degree than they did the Nambi or the 'front locked' brethren of their own country.

(6) For this reason none of the later religious reformers—Ramanuja, Madhva and others—did not care to introduce their reforms in Kerala. In a vast country of 14,250 square miles there were in the days of the Tamil Saints (650-950 A.D.) only one Siva shrine and thirteen Vishnu teinples, whereas during the same period there were at least 300 temples dedicated both to Siva and Vishnu in a small area of 3.259 square miles—we mean in the Tanjore district. Hinduism, as it was understood and practised in the North and East, was evidently at a great discount in Kerala during that period. Even now pilgrims from the Tamil land rarely visit these shrines in Malabar and Travancore, excepting one or two, as they are practically unknown to Hindu devotees.