Mēlappaḻuvūr, Agastyeśvara temple, time of Parāntaka I, year 36
Editors: Valérie Gillet, Emmanuel Francis.
Identifier: DHARMA_INSMelKil00001.
Summary: AIM, southern shrine; lowest inscription on the central wall section of the ardha-maṇḍapa of the northern façade; 36th regnal year of matirai koṇṭa Kōpparakesarivarman = Parāntaka I (circa 943 A.D.).
Hand description:
Language: Tamil.
Repository: Mēlappaḻuvūr & Kīḻappaḻuvūr (tfa-melappaluvur-kilappaluvur-epigraphy).
Version: (10e9cb0), last modified (10e9cb0).
Edition
⟨1⟩ svasti śrī
matirai koṇṭa kō-p-para-kēcari-paṉma⟨r⟩¡ki!⟨kku⟩ yā⟨2⟩ṇṭu 3 10 6 Āvatu
Avaṉi-ka¡ṉ!⟨n⟩taṟpa-purattu mah¿a?⟨ā⟩-devark⟨3⟩ku kaṇṭaṉ n(e/ē)(ṟ/r)iyāṉ tirutta kuḷattiṉ k¡i!⟨ī⟩ḻ Apohanaṅ kiṭa¡ṉ!⟨n⟩⟨4⟩(ta) (bhūmi)(yai macakki Itin nirk kiṭaṉta nilam) [ca. 8×] (ṟi) [ca. 1×] ⟨5⟩ t(u) Uṭump’ ōṭiy āmai tavaḻ¡ṉ!⟨n⟩tatu Eppē¡ṟ!⟨r⟩paṭṭatu Uṇṇilam Oḻiv’ iṉṟi(y) ⟨6⟩ (Aka)vēriyum puṟavēriyum m¡i!⟨ī⟩ṉ poṉṉum vaḷaiyiṟ cuṟṟu Eppē¡ṟ!⟨r⟩paṭṭatum tāṇi[1×]⟨7⟩[2×](k) koṇṭu Iraṇṭu taḷiyilum Orō no¡ṉ!⟨n⟩tā viḷakku Erippōm āṉō[m] ⟨8⟩ It-[ta]ḷi paṭṭuṭaiyōm Eḻuvōm
Apparatus
⟨4⟩ (ta) (bhūmi)(yai macakki Itin nirk kiṭaṉta nilam) • The reading of this phrase is based on the parallel in INSMelKil00002, line 4.
Translation by Gillet 2024
Fortune! Prosperity! [This is] the 36th year of Kōpparakesarivarman who has taken Madurai. For Mahādeva of Avaṉikaṉtaṟpapuram, Kaṇṭaṉ Neṟiyāṉ/Nēriyāṉ, when he improved (tirutta) [the land which] was lying (kiṭaṉta) without enjoyment (apohanaṅ) under (kīḻ) [the irrigation] of the tank (kuḷattiṉ), having prepared (macakki) the land (bhūmiyai) […] the land where the turtles (āmai) crawl (tavaḻṉtatu) and the lizards (uṭumpu) run (ōṭi),1 the inner lands (uṇṇilam) of whatever name (eppērpaṭṭatu) were exempted (oḻiviṉṟiya), the akavēri, the puṟavēri, the mīṉapoṉ,2 and whatever name (eppēṟpaṭṭatum) inside [this land] (vaḷaiyiṟ cuṟṟu); having taken (koṇṭu) […], we will burn (erippōmāṉō[m]) a perpetual lamp respectively (orō3 nontāviḷakku) in the two temples (iraṇṭu taḷiyilum), we the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs of this temple (paṭṭuṭaiyōm), we the Seven (eḻuvōm).4
Bibliography
Reported in ARIE 1923-1924 (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/368).
Edited and translated in Gillet 2024, based on autopsy and photographs (by Valérie Gillet, 2016-2018).
This digital edition by Valérie Gillet and Emmanuel Francis.
Primary
[VG] Gillet, Valérie. 2024. Minor Majesties: The Paḻuvēṭṭaraiyars and their South Indian Kingdom of Paḻuvūr, 9th-11th centuries A.D. New York: Oxford University Press. [URL]. Pages 136–137, item 1.
Secondary
ARIE 1923-1924. Annual report on South-Indian epigraphy for the year ending 31st March 1924. Edited by G. Venkoba Rao. Madras: Government Press, 1925. Page 74, appendix C/1924, item 368.
Notes
- 1. That is, uncultivated lands.
- 2. Literally: the inner lake (aka-v-ēri-y-um), the outer lake (puṟa-v-ēri-y-um), and the gold that the fishes are (mīṉa-p-poṉṉ-um). The interpretation of the mīṉappoṉṉum was suggested to me by E. Francis. I did not translate the original words because it is not clear whether they refer to proper ponds and fishes, as their literal meanings suggest, or to types of lands and other elements. For similar expressions, see INSMelKil00007.
- 3. Instead of considering oro as a variant of oru, G. Vijayavenugopal convinced me to take orō as a distributive of oru, that is oru oru, i.e. one each.
- 4. paṭṭuṭaiyār and eḻuvār each have a first- person plural marker (-ōm), suggesting that it could be taken as two separate groups, that is, the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs and the Seven, or as a single group, made of Seven Paṭṭuṭaiyārs. It makes more sense, in my view, to interpret this sequence which appears regularly in the inscriptions of this temple complex as the Seven Paṭṭuṭaiyārs.
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<lb n="1"/><hi rend="grantha">svasti śrī</hi>
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<p>
matirai koṇṭa kō-p-para-kēcari-paṉma<reg>r</reg><choice><orig>ki</orig><reg>kku</reg></choice> yā
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Avaṉi-ka<choice><orig>ṉ</orig><reg>n</reg></choice>taṟpa-purattu <hi rend="grantha">mah<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>-de</hi>vark
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<lb n="6"/><unclear>Aka</unclear>vēriyum puṟavēriyum m<choice><orig>i</orig><reg>ī</reg></choice>ṉ poṉṉum vaḷaiyiṟ cuṟṟu Eppē<choice><orig>ṟ</orig><reg>r</reg></choice>paṭṭatum tāṇi <gap reason="illegible" unit="character" quantity="1"/><!--tāṇi<gap reason="illegible" unit="character" quantity="1"/>. Indicate that uncertainty bears on the gap. Check EGD!-->
<lb break="no" n="7"/><gap reason="illegible" unit="character" quantity="2"/><unclear>k</unclear> koṇṭu Iraṇṭu taḷiyilum Orō no<choice><orig>ṉ</orig><reg>n</reg></choice>tā viḷakku Erippōm āṉō<supplied reason="lost">m</supplied>
<lb n="8"/>It-<supplied reason="lost">ta</supplied>ḷi paṭṭuṭaiyōm Eḻuvōm
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<note>The reading of this phrase is based on the parallel in <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00002.xml"/>, line 4.</note>
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<div type="translation" source="bib:Gillet2024_01">
<p>Fortune! Prosperity! <supplied reason="subaudible">This is</supplied> the 36th year of Kōpparakesarivarman who has
taken Madurai. For Mahādeva of Avaṉikaṉtaṟpapuram, Kaṇṭaṉ Neṟiyāṉ/Nēriyāṉ,
when he improved <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tirutta</foreign></supplied> <supplied reason="subaudible">the land which</supplied> was lying <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kiṭaṉta</foreign></supplied> without enjoyment
<supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>a<hi rend="grantha">poha</hi>naṅ</foreign></supplied> under <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kīḻ</foreign></supplied> <supplied reason="subaudible">the irrigation</supplied>
of the tank <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kuḷattiṉ</foreign></supplied>, having prepared
<supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>macakki</foreign></supplied> the land <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>bhūmiyai</foreign></supplied> <gap reason="lost"/> the land where the turtles <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>āmai</foreign></supplied> crawl
<supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tavaḻṉtatu</foreign></supplied> and the lizards <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>uṭumpu</foreign></supplied> run <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>ōṭi</foreign></supplied>,<note>That is, uncultivated lands.</note> the inner
lands <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>uṇṇilam</foreign></supplied> of whatever name <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>eppērpaṭṭatu</foreign></supplied> were exempted <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>oḻiviṉṟiya</foreign></supplied>,
the <foreign>akavēri</foreign>, the <foreign>puṟavēri</foreign>, the <foreign>mīṉapoṉ</foreign>,<note>Literally: the inner lake <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aka-v-ēri-y-um</foreign></supplied>, the outer lake <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>puṟa-v-ēri-y-um</foreign></supplied>, and the gold that
the fishes are <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>mīṉa-p-poṉṉ-um</foreign></supplied>. The interpretation of the <foreign>mīṉappoṉṉum</foreign> was suggested to me by
E. Francis. I did not translate the original words because it is not clear whether they refer to proper
ponds and fishes, as their literal meanings suggest, or to types of lands and other elements. For similar
expressions, see <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00007.xml"/>.</note> and whatever name
<supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>eppēṟpaṭṭatum</foreign></supplied> inside <supplied reason="subaudible">this land</supplied> <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>vaḷaiyiṟ cuṟṟu</foreign></supplied>; having taken <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>koṇṭu</foreign></supplied> <gap reason="lost"/>, we
will burn <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>erippōmāṉō<supplied reason="lost">m</supplied></foreign></supplied> a perpetual lamp respectively <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>orō</foreign><note>Instead of considering <foreign>oro</foreign> as a variant of <foreign>oru</foreign>, G. Vijayavenugopal convinced me to take <foreign>orō</foreign> as a
distributive of <foreign>oru</foreign>, that is <foreign>oru</foreign> <foreign>oru</foreign>, i.e. one each.</note> <foreign>nontāviḷakku</foreign></supplied> in
the two temples <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>iraṇṭu taḷiyilum</foreign></supplied>, we the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs of this temple <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>paṭṭuṭaiyōm</foreign></supplied>,
we the Seven <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>eḻuvōm</foreign></supplied>.<note><foreign>paṭṭuṭaiyār</foreign> and <foreign>eḻuvār</foreign> each have a first- person plural marker (<foreign>-ōm</foreign>), suggesting that it could be
taken as two separate groups, that is, the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs and the Seven, or as a single group, made of
Seven Paṭṭuṭaiyārs. It makes more sense, in my view, to interpret this sequence which appears regularly
in the inscriptions of this temple complex as the Seven Paṭṭuṭaiyārs.</note></p>
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<div type="commentary">
<p n="3">
Nēriyāṉ is a name of the Cōḻa kings (as lords of the Nēri hill) or alternatively a personal name meaning "one of subtle intellect" (see MTL<!--Update!--> s.v. <foreign>nēriyaṉ</foreign>). Neṟiyāṉ, as derived from <foreign>neṟi</foreign>, could mean "religious one", that is, devotee, or "virtouous/righteous one".
</p>
<p n="5">
<foreign>Uṭump' ōṭiy āmai tavaḻ<choice><orig>ṉ</orig><reg>n</reg></choice>tatu</foreign>, "where the lizzard (<foreign>uṭumpu</foreign>) runs (<foreign>ōṭi</foreign>) and the turtle (<foreign>āmai</foreign>) crawls (<foreign>tavaḻntatu</foreign>, literally "that which [the turtle] crawls"). This formula, designating uncultivated lands, is also used in the late Pallava copper-plate grants.
</p>
<p n="6">
<foreign><unclear>aka</unclear>vēriyum puṟavēriyum</foreign>. Literally: "the inner tank (<foreign>aka-v-ēri-y-um</foreign>) and the outer tank (<foreign>puṟa-v-ēri-y-um</foreign>)". This appears to refer to the tanks comprised by or nearby the plots, but the details remain unclear. See also <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00007.xml"/> for a similar formula.
</p>
<p n="6">
<foreign>m<choice><orig>i</orig><reg>ī</reg></choice>ṉ poṉṉum</foreign>. Dr. G. Vijayavenugopal (personal communication) suggested us to interpret <foreign>poṉṉum</foreign> as "gold", to read the previous word as <foreign>mīṉa</foreign> as a mistake for <foreign>īḻa</foreign> (<foreign>īḻam</foreign>), and to understand the phrase as "Lankan gold". We tentatively take the phrase in the sense of the "gold of fish", that is, the donation includes the income raised from the fishes in the two tanks just mentioned.
</p>
<p n="7">
<foreign>erippōm āṉōm</foreign>. Literally "we have become, we are" (<foreign>aṉōm</foreign>) "those who will burn" (<foreign>erippōm</foreign>).
</p>
<p n="8">
<foreign>it-taḷi</foreign>, "this temple", that is the temple in Avaṉikantaṟpapuram.
</p>
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<p>Reported in <bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE1923-1924"/></bibl> (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/368).</p>
<p>Edited and translated in <bibl><ptr target="bib:Gillet2024_01"/></bibl>, based on autopsy and photographs (<ref target="https://didomena.ehess.fr/concern/data_sets/sf268f390">by Valérie Gillet, 2016-2018</ref>).</p>
<p>This digital edition by Valérie Gillet and Emmanuel Francis.</p>
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Commentary
(3) Nēriyāṉ is a name of the Cōḻa kings (as lords of the Nēri hill) or alternatively a personal name meaning "one of subtle intellect" (see MTL s.v. nēriyaṉ). Neṟiyāṉ, as derived from neṟi, could mean "religious one", that is, devotee, or "virtouous/righteous one".
(5) Uṭump’ ōṭiy āmai tavaḻ¡ṉ!⟨n⟩tatu, "where the lizzard (uṭumpu) runs (ōṭi) and the turtle (āmai) crawls (tavaḻntatu, literally "that which [the turtle] crawls"). This formula, designating uncultivated lands, is also used in the late Pallava copper-plate grants.
(6) (aka)vēriyum puṟavēriyum. Literally: "the inner tank (aka-v-ēri-y-um) and the outer tank (puṟa-v-ēri-y-um)". This appears to refer to the tanks comprised by or nearby the plots, but the details remain unclear. See also INSMelKil00007 for a similar formula.
(6) m¡i!⟨ī⟩ṉ poṉṉum. Dr. G. Vijayavenugopal (personal communication) suggested us to interpret poṉṉum as "gold", to read the previous word as mīṉa as a mistake for īḻa (īḻam), and to understand the phrase as "Lankan gold". We tentatively take the phrase in the sense of the "gold of fish", that is, the donation includes the income raised from the fishes in the two tanks just mentioned.
(7) erippōm āṉōm. Literally "we have become, we are" (aṉōm) "those who will burn" (erippōm).
(8) it-taḷi, "this temple", that is the temple in Avaṉikantaṟpapuram.