Lion was one of the motifs used in Ashokan pillars. Lion is a solar symbol and it also represents the Buddha, as he is referred to as Sakyasimha which also means a lion among the Sakyas.
Varagunavarman II succeeded his father Srimar and ruled the Pandyan empire from 862 to 880 A.D. He made attempts to raise the prestige of Pandyan dynasty by invading the Chola territory.
The last veda called the Atharva Veda is a collection of magic spells and charms to ward off the evil spirits and diseases. It is considered a non-Aryan work and is the latest addition to the Vedas in later Vedic age.