Rama Rajasekhara (''fl.'' 870/71 – c. 883/84 AD) was a Chera Perumal ruler of medieval

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

, south India. Rajasekhara is usually identified by historians with

Cheraman Perumal Nayanar Cheraman Perumal Nayanar (literally meaning Chera king the Nayanar) was a bhakti poet-musician and religious teacher (one of the sixty-three nayanars) of Tamil Shaiva tradition in medieval south India. The Cheraman Perumal's friendship with Ch ...

, the venerated

Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

( Nayanar) poet-musician of the Bhakti tradition. Rajasekhara presumably succeeded

Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara Sthanu Ravi Varma ( early Malayalam and Tamil: Ko Tanu Iravi), known as the Kulasekhara, was the Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala in southern India from 844/45 to 870/71 AD.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interp ...

around 870 AD. "Tripuradahana" and "Saurikathodaya", Yamaka poems by Vasubhatta, were composed under the patronage of Rajasekhara. Two temple records, from Kurumattur, Areacode and Thiruvatruvay, Vazhappally, mention king Rajasekhara. The former contain the only available "prasasti" of a Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala. Rama Rajasehara probably abdicated the throne toward the end of his reign and became a

nayanar known as

. He was succeeded by Vijayaraga (''fl.'' c. 883/84-c.895 AD).

Sources

*''Shankaravijaya'' of Vidyaranya mentions one Kerala king "Rajasekhara" (who was a contemporary of Hindu philosopher Shankara). *''Shivanandalahari'', attributed to Hindu philosopher Shankara, indirectly mentions the Chera ruler as "Rajasekhara". * Rajasekhara is also tentatively identified with king "Co-qua-rangon" mentioned in the Thomas of Cana copper plates.

Rama Deva

''Laghu Bhaskariya Vyakhya,'' a mathematical commentary composed in the court of king Ravi Kulasekhara in 869/70 AD, mentions a Chera Perumal royal called Rama Deva, who marched out to fight the enemies on getting information from the spies. A possibility identifies Rama Deva with Rama Rajasekhara. Rama Deva is described as a member of the Solar Dynasty ("ravi-kula-pati") in Chapter IIII, ''Laghu Bhaskariya Vyakhya''.

Patron of Vasubhatta

Vasubhatta, the famous Yamaka poet of medieval Kerala, names his patron king as "Rama" in his Tripuradahana and Saurikathodaya. Tripuradahana refers to Rama Rajasekhara as follows: Another poem by Vasubhatta, the Yudhisthiravijaya, says that "Kulasekhara" was the regnal title of his patron king. A later commentary on the poem Yudhisthiravijaya argues that "Rama" was the personal name of the king with regnal title "Kulasekhara". Modern scholars generally consider this a result of confusion on the part of the commentators (between

and Rama Rajasekhara) who were separated in time from the Perumals. Some scholars also identify king Rama Kulasekhara as the patron of poet Vasubhatta (and thus placing Vasubhatta in 11th-12 centuries AD). This view is generally found unacceptable on several counts.

Epigraphic records

References

External links

* Mathew, Alex -
Political identities in History
' (2006) Unpublished Doctoral Thesis (M. G. University) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rajashekhara, Rama Nayanars 9th-century Indian monarchs People of the Kodungallur Chera kingdom Indian Shaivite religious leaders Kodungallur Chera kings