Babu, Vijaya Kumaar

Professor Vijaya Kumaar Babu: Utilization of Human Resources Tamil Inscriptions of Andhra Desa-A Select Study

Providing of employment has been herculeous task to rulers since ages. And modern socialist philosophy demands that rulers and government have a duty to provide employment to all. But the same proved to be a failure, to a larger extent. Coming to Indian context, Temples, the Citadels of Worship, in the name of Religious Services, have come forward to provide employment. And payments have been from the temple funds. Subject under reference is taken from a record, dated to 12^th century AD, engraved on the temple walls in the Tamil language and script.

Bapatla Inscription (Guntur District, AP, India), under reference, found engraved on the walls of the Temple dedicated to Lord Bhavanarayana, dated 1028 SE corresponding to 1106 AD, is issued during 37^th Regnal of Kulottunga Chola-I. Running into 32 lines, it is composed in contemporary Tamil script and language. Line 01 to 05 and half portion of the 06^th line are in the Grantham characters in Sanskrit language. However lines from 14-20 are lost. It records the donation of 30 Raja Raja Madalu (coinage in currency of the times), for maintenance of 5-Vedic scholars, paid recitation of Vedas; and the donation is handed over to Temple Treasury. Inscription also records some of the official positions in Temple service, those include Priests, Gardens Maintenance Staff, Flowers Pluckers, Garland Makers, Water Pitchers, Premises Cleaners, such as—Devakarmi, Sthanapati, Pandari, Tiruvaaradhana vellai, Stotramular, Panchaachaarya, Kangani, Permadi etc. whose duties must be offering of Religious Services to the God consecrated,. Interestingly, the official positions they enjoyed have become their nominal prefixes and suffixes—Sthanapati Vishnuvardhana, Devakarmi Velevanarayana, Pandari Madhusudana, Tiruvaaradhana vellai Murtibhattu, Stotramular Veerattadevan, Padipaadamulapattudai Panchaachaarya etc.

Thus, the purpose of the article is to make an in-depth study and explain to the modern world both Oriental and Occidental that, in India, Temple functioned not only as the Centre of Religion, Philosophy and Worshipping the God, but also as the providers of the Employment. It could safely be said, that no other religious centre, in the World, till date, has provided employment to such a large number of people. Tamil inscription under reference, with all its documentary evidence, from the 12^th century records, will be an eye-opener even to the present world to educate, on how best the proper Utilization of the Human Resources, helps the society, in eradicating the problem of unemployment and under-employment.