Asiatic Quarterly Review (Full Title: The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly Review, and Oriental and Colonial Record): Volume XIII, No. 26 [‎497r] (118/238)

The Age of Mdnikka Vdfagar. 331
priority to Jnana Sambandhar suggest that the works are
not set out in the order of time, but only in the order of
preference, either for the devotees themselves in relation
to their superhuman powers, or for the exceptional musical
charms of their compositions.* It is to be noticed, how
ever, that Gandaraditya, the ninth and last but three, is of
the period 940 to 950 a.d., or not far from the time of the
compiler, 984. This circumstance, combined with the fact
that those included in the first seven numbers were un
doubtedly of the period 610 to 640, is in some degree
suggestive of chronological order.
Another reason suggested is that Manikka is placed later
on account of the superior importance of his works.f This
reason is inconsistent with the position given him in respect
of the ninth, eleventh, and twelfth places, as he will be
universally admitted to be superior to the persons to whom
those places were assigned.
On the whole, these reasons do not satisfactorily account
for Manikka’s works being placed in posterior order to
those of the Devaram compilers, if he was prior in time.
There is, further, the Tiruttondaittogai. or Catalogue of
Saints, drawn up by Sundara Murti Nayanar, the third of
the Dev&ram hymners in the seventh century. From this
Manikka Va^agar is entirely omitted. Having regard to
the eminence of Mdnikka Va^agar as a saint, this would
seem conclusive to show that he must have been subse
quent to the time of the Devdram hymners, who lived no
earlier than the beginning of the seventh century. Those,
however, who insist on his priority would regard him as
included in the postscript, “ Others besides who attained
saintship,” appended to this document ; but this view
Mr. Tirumalai Kolundu Pillai seems rightly to hold cannot
for a moment be entertained. He .observes, also, that the
omission cannot be owing to the remote antiquity of
Manikka Vd^agar, since five saints who admittedly pre-
* Tirumalai Kolundu, p. 36 .
t Ibid., p. 31.