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Arunachala:
Aruna
means Red, bright like fire (the fire is not ordinary fire which is only
hot). This is Jnanagni (Fire of Wisdom) which is neither hot nor
cool. Achala means ‘a hill’. So Arunachala means Hill of Wisdom.
Achala
is Sanskrit for 'mountain' and it also means 'absolute stillness'.
Samudra:
Samudra means - sea of syrup
(one of the seven seas), the gathering of the waters above and under the
firmament. An ocean of virtues and auspiciousness.

There is an epigraph chiselled
in the masonry at the Tiruvannamalai Temple dated 1317 which describes the
glory of King Vallaladeva’s reign at Arunasamudra, an ancient name for
Tiruvannamalai.
From
the lotus of [Vishnu's] navel arose Brahma, the creator of all men. From his
mind was born Atri. Then Soma [the moon] was born in his eye. In [his
family] was born the king Someswara. To him was born Narasimha who was like
a lion to his elephant-like opponents. From him whose gifts eclipse those of
the heavenly tree [the kalpa-vriksha or wish-fulfilling tree] whose wealth
eclipses that of Kubera [the god of wealth] … and whose prowess eclipses
that of the terrible blaze emanating from the forehead eye of the God having
the bull as His vehicle [i.e. Siva] was born the king Vallaladeva.
The illustrious King Vallaladeva,
possessing all auspicious things, was staying at his capital, which was
distinguished by the name Aruna-samudra, belonging to the Hoysala kingdom,
which was established with love by his father, which possessed the wealth
of a kingdom, and which was the abode of real riches.
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