House Chola dynasty | ||
Kochchenganan (Kōccengaṇān) or Śengaṇān (also spelt Senganan) was one of the Tamil kings of the Early Cholas mentioned in Sangam literature. The only surviving details about his reign come from the fragmentary poems of Sangam in the Purananuru poems. Today historical accounts of the life of Kochchenganan are often confused with more contemporary accounts.
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Kalumalam Battle
Kalavazhi Narpathu is a poem giving a description of the battle of Kalumalam, near Karuvur in the Chera country, in which Kochchenganan defeated and made captive the Chera king Kanaikkal Irumporai. The poet Poygaiyar, a friend of the Chera king, placated Kochchenganan by singing his valour on the battle field in his poem and secured the release of his friend.
The Chera king was suffering from thirst after being deprived of water by Kochchenganan and the poet Poigayar pleaded with the king to allow his friend a drink of water. The Chera felt disgraced by the Chola king and declined the water belatedly offered to him.
The solitary poem from Purananuru supposedly composed by the Chera king while still in captivity, and forms a sad confession of his cowardice in surviving the disgrace that had befallen him (Purananuru – 74).
Religious Persuasion
Although there is no contemporary evidence bearing on Kochchenganan's religious persuasion, there seems little reason to suspect the crux of the later legends on his devotion towards Siva. These legends maintain that the Chola king built 70 Siva temples in his realm.
As a Saiva Saint
The Periyapuranam detailing the stories of the 63 Nayanmars of Shaivism, gives the following story regarding Kochchenganan:
In a fruit grove in the Chola country, there was a Siva Lingam under a Jambul tree. A white elephant used to come there daily and worship the Lingam. A spider, which was also devoted to Siva, noticed that dry leaves were falling on the God and to prevent this wove a web above the Lingam. The next day when the elephant came to worship, he found the web, and, thinking that someone had polluted the place, tore the web, offered his worship and went away. The spider came upon the scene, felt sorry that his web had been destroyed, wove another web and went away. The next day, as the elephant was pulling the web away, the spider, which was present there, gave him a sting: the elephant died of the poison on the spot. The spider, too, was caught in the elephant’s trunk, and perished. Suba Devan, the Chola king and his wife Kamalavati went to Chidambaram and eagerly prayed to the Lord Nataraja for a son. The Lord granted their wish and caused the spider to be born as the Chola king’s child. Soon Kamalavati conceived the child. The day of delivery arrived. Astrologers foretold that if the child could be delivered a few minutes later, it would rule the three worlds! The queen asked that she should be tied to the roof of the room upside down, with a tight bandage around her waist. When the auspicious time came, she was released and the child was born. This was the spider reborn! The child had red eyes as he had remained in his mother’s womb a little longer. The mother, looking into his eyes, said: ‘Kochekannano’ (the child with red eyes), and expired. Hence, he was named Kochengat Cholan. When he reached the proper age, his father enthroned him king. Kochengannan used to darshan (worship) Ayyaarappan (Pancha nadheeshwar-Thiruvaiyaaru)everyday in the morning. But one time, due to more water flow in river Kaviri he couldn't cross the river. So, he was sad. At that time the pulikaal munivar (Viyaakra paathar) appeared there and asked him to build a Temple for Ayyaarappan. The Temple was built in the small town Kurumbalur (in Perambalur taluk). The Shiva name in the temple is same 'Pancha nadheeswar' means ayyaarappan in Tamil.Thiruvanaikaval Temple
Thiruvanaikaval (also Thiruvanaikal) is a famous Shiva temple in Tiruchirapalli (Trichy). The temple was built by Kochchenganan.