Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara

Campaigns in the Kongu country

Sthanu Ravi appears to have acted as a junior ally in a military campaign led by the Chola ruler bearing the title "Rajakesari Varma" in the Kongu country (central Tamil Nadu). Epigraphic evidence indicates that the two rulers jointly conferred military honours upon a Tanjore chief named Vikki Annan, who was married to a woman identified as "Kadamba Mahadevi". Vikki Annan was likely a Ganga prince, being the son of Prithvipati, and is mentioned in a Ganga inscription dated to the mid-9th century AD. However, records also indicate that "Vikki Annan" was a title adopted by the Chalukyas. The designation "Kadamba" in the princess's name suggests a probable affiliation with the Kadamba lineage.

The identity of the Chola ruler titled "Rajakesari Varma" remains a subject of scholarly debate. One interpretation, advanced by historian Elamkulam P. N. Kunjan Pillai and others, identifies "Rajakesari Varma" with Aditya Chola (c. 871–907 AD). This hypothesis assumes that Sthanu Ravi ruled Kerala until around 885 AD, enabling his participation as a junior partner in Aditya Chola’s Kongu campaigns, particularly the conquest of the region from the Pandyas (c. 885 AD). Recent scholarship generally supports this view. An alternative interpretation, accepted by M. G. S. Narayanan (1972/1996) following T. V. Mahalingam ("An Interregnum in Pallava History", JIH, XLI, I), identifies "Rajakesari Varma" with Srikantha Chola (817–845 AD), thereby placing the joint military action in Kongu around 844/45 AD.

Astronomy

The astronomer and mathematician Sankaranarayana (c. 840–900 AD) served as a distinguished member of the royal court of Kulasekhara at the capital, Mahodayapuram (present-day Kodungallur). He is best known for authoring the Laghubhaskariyavyakha, an extensive commentary on the works of the eminent mathematician Bhaskara I (7th century AD). Evidence suggests that an "astronomical observatory" operated at Mahodayapuram under Sankaranarayana's supervision.

The vyakhya contains references to an instrument termed the "Rashichakra", marked by a "Yanthravalaya". This "device" is possibly identical to the Golayanthra or Chakrayanthra described by the renowned polymath Aryabhata. The Chakrayanthra was subsequently refined and came to be known as the Phalakayanthra by Bhaskara I.

Inscriptions

As Sthanu Ravi

Ayyan Adikal, the chieftain of the port of Quilon (present-day Kollam) under Sthanu Ravi, issued the renowned Quilon Syrian Christian copper plates around 849 AD. The inscription records that Ayyan Adikal granted land and serfs to a Christian church at Quilon, established by Mar Sapir Iso, and entrusted its maintenance to the trade guilds anjuvannam and manigramam. The grant was made in the presence of the Chera Perumal prince Vijayaraga. An inscription from Kanyakumari indicates that Vijayaraga was married to a daughter of Kulasekhara, titled Kizhan Adikal Ravi Neeli, and was likely the son of Kulasekhara's sister.

As Kulasekhara

Literary references

Contradicting testimonials

• An anonymous work titled "Padmapadacharyacharita" states that the protagonist — who was a disciple of philosopher-theologian Shankara — flourished during the time of a Kerala king named "Kulasekhara". However, "Shivanandalahari", attributed to Shankara, indirectly refers to the Kerala ruler as Rajasekhara. Similarly, "Shankaravijaya" by Vidyaranya also mentions a Kerala king named Rajasekhara as a contemporary of Shankara.
• Vasubhatta, a renowned Yamaka poet of medieval Kerala and the author of "Tripuradahana" and "Saurikathodaya", identifies his patron king as "Rama". "Vijayadarsika", a later commentary by Acyuta on Vasubhatta's "Yudhisthiravijaya", states that "Kulasekhara" was the coronation title of king Rama, whose given name, according to the commentator, was "Rama" ("Kulasekhara ityabhisekakrtam nama; pitradikrtam theramavarmeti"). "Ratnapradipika" by Sivadasa — another commentary subsequent to "Vijayadarsika" — echoes the same claim: "Kulasekharasya Kulasekhara iti namavatah, etadabhisekakrtam nama. Pitradikriam tu ramavarmeti". Modern scholars, however, generally regard these assertions as the result of confusion on the part of the commentators Acyuta and Sivadasa, who were chronologically distant from Vasubhatta, leading them to conflate Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara with Rama Rajasekhara.

• Some scholars also identify king Rama Kulasekhara as the patron of the poet Vasubhatta, thereby placing Vasubhatta in the 11th–12th centuries AD. However, this view is generally considered unacceptable for several reasons.

Laghubhaskariyavyakha

Identification of Sthanu Ravi with Kulasekhara

In his commentary Laghubhaskariyavyakha, Sankaranarayana notes that he was patronized by a king of Mahodayapuram named "Ravi", who bore the title "Kulasekhara", thereby supporting the identification of Sthanu Ravi with Kulasekhara. The opening verse of the commentary also contains an indirect invocation to a lord referred to as "Sthanu", deliberately composed so as to be applicable both to the deity Shiva and to the reigning monarch.

Coronation year of Sthanu Ravi

Laghubhaskariyavyakha also provides two distinct dates, one in the Kali Era (866 AD, the date of an eclipse) and the other in the Saka Era (870 AD).

• "Angartvambara nanda devamanubhir yate dinanam gane"
• Decipherment
  • Anga = 6, Rtu = 6, Ambara = 0, Nanda = 9, Veda = 4, and Manu = 14
  • Order - 6609414
  • Read in Reverse Order - 1449066
• Equivalent Kali Date - 3967 years and 86 days [= 25 Mithuna, Kollam Era 41] = 866 AD

• Another reference to the date - "Sakabdah punariha candra randhramuni sankhyaya"
  • Candra = 1, Randhra = 9, and Muni = 7
  • Order - 197
  • Read in Reverse Order - 791 (Saka Year) = 870 AD

According to its own testimony, the Laghubhaskariyavivarana was composed in the 25th regnal year of Ravi Kulasekhara (869/70 AD), placing his coronation around 844/45 AD.

Further, Sankaranarayana mentions the conjunction of Guru (Jupiter) and Sauri (Saturn) in Capa (Dhanu), stating that it occurred when the king had completed 25 regnal years (Chapter VII). It is known that, in the 9th century AD, Jupiter and Saturn simultaneously entered Dhanu Rasi only in 869 AD.