Mēlappaḻuvūr, Kīḻaiyūr, Ireṭṭaikkōyil, Agastyeśvara, time of Rājendracōḻa I, year 15

Editors: Valérie Gillet, Emmanuel Francis.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSMelKil00011.

Summary: Mēlappaḻuvūr, Kīḻaiyūr, Ireṭṭaikkōyil, Agastyeśvara, on the northern façade of the sanctuary and on the ardha-maṇḍapa; four lines are engraved on the round part of the base (kumuda), and six lines on the flat lower part of the base (jagati). AIM, southern shrine; on the base of the northern façade of the sanctuary and the ardha-maṇḍapa, begins below the niche of Brahmā; four lines are engraved on the round part of the base (kumuda), and six lines on the flat lower part of the base (jagati); 15th regnal year of Kōpparakesarivarman Uṭaiyar Śrī Rājendracōḻadeva = Rājendracōḻa I (circa 1027 A.D.); meykkīrtti of Rājendracōḻa, lines 1 to 6; because the inscription is built over at the end, I cannot give a continuous translation.

Hand description:

Language: Tamil.

Repository: Mēlappaḻuvūr & Kīḻappaḻuvūr (tfa-melappaluvur-kilappaluvur-epigraphy).

Version: (217aac3), last modified (9f2b603).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī

I. āciriyappa

tiru maṉṉi vaḷara Iru-(ni)la-maṭa[n]t[ai]yu(m)

1

pōṟ-(je)ya-p-pāvaiyum c¡i!⟨ī⟩r-t-ta¡n!⟨ṉ⟩[i]-c-celv[i]yun

2

taṉ perun=tē‡v(i)yar āk(i) Iṉpu(ṟu)

3

neṭutuy[a ‡ l ūḻiyuḷ iṭa]tuṟai nāṭum

4

tuṭa(r)va¡n!⟨ṉ⟩a vēl[i]p paṭar va¡n!⟨ṉ⟩avāciyum

5

cuḷḷ(i)c cūḻ mat[i](l) koḷḷ(i)pp[ākkai](yum)

6

[naṇṇa] ṟkk’ arumuraṇ maṇ(ṇai)kkaṭakkamum

7

poru kaṭal [ī]ḻatt’ araicar tamuṭ⟨i⟩(y)um

8

Āṅkavaṉ tēvi(ya)r O(ṅk’ e)[ḻil] mu(ṭi)yum

9

muṉṉavar ¿m?⟨p⟩akkal teṉ¡n!⟨ṉ⟩avār vaitta

10

cun=t¿i?⟨a⟩ra⟨ṉ⟩ muṭiyum In=tira¡n!⟨ṉ⟩ āramum

11

te¡ṉ!⟨ṇ⟩ (t)i[r]ai [īḻamaṇṭalam muḻuvatum]

12

[eṟi paṭaik kē] ⟨2⟩ raḷar muṟaimaiyiṟ cūṭuṅ

13

kulata¡n!⟨ṉ⟩am ākiya palar puka⟨ḻ⟩ muṭiyum

14

ceṅ katir mālaiyum caṅk¿i?⟨a⟩tir vēlait

15

tol peruṅ kā‡va(l) pal paḻan= t¡i!⟨ī⟩vum

16

(ceru)[vil ‡ ciṉavi]l Irupatt’ oru kāl

17

Araicukaḷ(ai) kaṭṭa paracurāmaṉ

18

mēvaruñ cān=tima¡ṟṟ!⟨tt⟩¡i!⟨ī⟩v’ araṇ karuti

19

Iruttiya cempo¡n!⟨ṉ⟩ tiru t taku muṭiyum

20

payaṅ koṭu paḻimika muyaṅkiyil m(u)tukiṭṭ’

21

oḷitta cayaciṅkaṉ Aḷapparum pu(ka)ḻoṭu

22

pīṭiyal iraṭṭapāṭi Ēḻarai

23

Ilakkamum navane(t)i kulap peru malaikaḷum

24

vikramavīra-cakkara[-k-kōṭṭamum]

25

[mutirapaṭa vallai matura-maṇṭa] ⟨3⟩ lamum

26

kāmiṭai vaḷar nāmaṇaik kōṇaiyum

27

veñ cilai vīrar pañca-p-paḷḷiyum

28

pārcaṭaip paḻa¡n!⟨ṉ⟩a mācuṇitēcamum

29

a(ya)r‡vil vaṇ kīrttiy āti(nakara)-vayi‡[l]

30

(ca)n=tiraṉ tol kulatt’ in=tira-rātaṉai

31

viḷaiyamark kaḷattuṭ kiḷaiyoṭum piṭittu

32

pala ta¡n!⟨ṉ⟩at toṭuniṟ(ai) kula (ta)¡n!⟨ṉ⟩ak kuvaiyum

33

kiṭṭaruñ ceṟimuḷai Oṭṭa-viṣaiyamum

34

pūcura cey nalk kōcalai-nāṭun=

35

tanmapālaṉai vemmuṉai(y) aḻittu

36

vaṇṭuṟai cōlait taṇṭa puttiyum

37

Iraṇa-cūraṉai mu¡r!⟨ṟ⟩aṇu[ṟat tākkit]

38

[tikkaṇaik kīrtti takkaṇalāṭamum]

39

[kō] ⟨4⟩ vin=tacan=taṉ māviḻin= tōṭat

40

taṅkāta cāral (vaṅ)k(āḷa)tē(camu)m

41

to(ṭu )ka[ca. 5+](vo ṭala) mahipālaṉai

42

veñcamar vi‡(ḷā)katt’ a(ñ)cuvitt’ aruḷiy

43

oṉ{i}[t]i[ṟal] (yāṉaiyu)m peṇṭir paṇṭāramum

44

nittira neṭuṅ kaṭal uttiralāṭamum

45

veṟimalar(t) tī(r)tt’ (e/ē)ṟi puṉaṟ kaṅ(kaiyu)m

46

a(laikaṭal) naṭuvuṭ pala kalañ celuttic

47

saṅkrāmavijayōttuṅkavanma¡n!⟨ṉ⟩

48

ākiya kaṭāratt’ araiyaṉai vāykayam

49

poru ¿t?⟨k⟩aṭaṟ kumpa-k-kariyoṭum akappaṭutt’

50

urimaiyiṟp piṟakkiya pe[ru-nitip piṟakkamum]

51

[ārttavaṉ akanakarp pōr] ⟨5⟩ ttoḻil [vā]calil

52

(vi)jātara-t-tōraṇamum (O)ttoḷi

53

puṉai maṇip putavamum ka¡n!⟨ṉ⟩amaṇik katavum

54

ni‡[ṟai cīr vica]yamum tu‡[ṟai nīr]p pa¡ṉṉ!⟨ṇṇ⟩aiyum

55

⟨na⟩ṉ malai yūr eyiṟ [to]ṉmalaiyūrum

56

āḻ kaṭal akaḻ c¡u!⟨ū⟩ḻ māyir(u)ṭiṅkamum

57

kalaṅ (kā) val viṉai Ilaṅkā[cō]kamum

58

kōppuṟu niṟai pu¡n!⟨ṉ⟩al māppappāḷamum

59

kāvaṉ puricai mēv(i)liṉpaṅkamum

60

viḷaippan= tū¡ṟ!⟨r⟩uṭai vaḷaippan= tū¡ṟ!⟨r⟩um

61

(ka)[lāmutirk kaṭun tiṟal ilāmuri-tēcamum]

62

[kalait takkōr pukaḻt talai-t-takkōlamum]

63

⟨6⟩ t¡i!⟨ī⟩t’ am¿ā?⟨a⟩r val viṉai mātam(āli)ṅkamum

64

kalāmurik kaṭun tiṟal ilāmuritēcamum

65

tē¡n!⟨ṉ⟩akk’ alar poḻil mānakkavā(ra)‡[mum]

66

[toṭu kaṭaṟ kā]vaṟk kaṭu mu(ra‡ṇ) kaṭāramum

67

māp perun= taṇṭāṟ koṇṭa

68

kōpparakē(sa)rivanmarāna Uṭaiyar śrīrājen¿trira?⟨dra⟩ coḻadevaṟkku yāṇṭu 10 5 Āvatu

vaṭakarai Uttuṅkatuṅkavaḷanāṭṭu(k) kuṉṟakkūṟṟattup paḻuvūr nakarattōm nampirāṭṭiyār mukkoṟkiḻān aṭikaḷ […] ⟨7⟩ ḻaṅkai makaṉ cōmaṉ{p} puvaniyaip paṭak kuttip pōnav araṅkaṉ paṭṭaṉai nāṅkaḷ avaṉai pōkāmey ‡ […] ṉ pu(va) ‡ niyai […] ti nakarattōm paḻuvūr pakaiviṭai y-iśvarattu mahādevarkku pakalum Iravu cantirātittaval Eriya vaitta tirunon=t(ā)-viḷak=ku Oṉṟu vaittum Araṅkaṉ paṭṭaṉaik kaṇṭāl kaṇṭārēy kilākka peṟuvatākavum paḻuvūr nakarattōm tirunontāviḷak […] ⟨8⟩ tuṅ koṇṭu Ittēvatānam Iṉṉāṭṭu pakaiviṭai-catu⟨r⟩vvetimaṅkalattu kuḷa maṭai kuḷapaṭṭuk kiṭakka I ‡ […] (kku)ḷaṅ ‡ kalli Iv(vū)r aṭuttu mutalāyk kūṭi varum nellile(y) (Ā)ṇṭu varai tevakālāl muppatiṉ kala nel luk koṇṭu It-tirunontā-viḷa [1+] Erikka-k kaṭavōm ānōm

Ikkōyil kāṇiyuṭaiya śivabrāhmaṇar nālvōm paḻuvūr vaḷaiñciyarum caṅkarappāṭiyāru(m) […] ⟨9⟩ vūr caṅkarappāṭiyāṉ [1+] kumiḻi manappaṉai kāṇāk kol paṭṭu Ivaṉ paṭṭamaiyil (ca) [1+] ṉap paṭa (Ey)cārai Aṟiyā [1+] ‡ […] (kumi)ḻ(i) manappaṉaic cāt‡ti paḻuvūr vaḷaiñci(ya)rōm Ivvūr Amani(gandha)⟨r⟩vva-Īśvarattu mahādevaṟk=ku Iravum pakalum Eriya vaitta nontā-viḷak=ku Oṉṟiṉu(kku) vaitta kācu 5 10

Ikkācu Aiñpatum koṇṭu Ittēvar tēvatānam kaṇṭaṉ Eriyāna dirttak kuḷattē kalli muṉpu [1+] riñcu varuki […] ⟨10⟩ [3+] cantrādittavaṟ Erikka kaṭavōm ānōm Ittaḷik kāṇiyuṭaiya paṭṭuṭaiyōm Ēḻuvōm

kumiḻi mana[p]‡[pa]ṉ muṉpu ceytu varuki(ṉ)‡(ṟa) maṉaikālum Itukkuppaṭum na(ṉ)ceyum puṉceyum Ivaṉ maṇavāṭṭik=kum Ivaṉ vaṟkkattark=kum cantrā[ditta]vaṟ I(kō)yili ce(y)tu kuṭuttōm paḻuvūr nakarattōm

Apparatus

⟨7⟩ tirunon=t(ā) ⬦ tirunot(ā) VG • After this word, the line continues a little higher. The stones are not properly aligned.

⟨9⟩ Iva_ṉ vaṟkkattark=kum ⬦ Iva_ṇavaṟkkattāk=kum VG.

Translation by Gillet 2024

Fortune! Prosperity! {meykkīrtti}

Line 6: This is the 15th year of Kōpparakesarivarman alias Lord (uṭaiyar) Śrī Rājendracōḻadeva. We the Nagarattārs (nakarattōm) of Paḻuvūr of Kuṉṟakkūṟṟam of the Uttuṅkatuṅkavaḷanāṭu on the northern bank (vaṭakarai), our queen (nampirāṭṭiyār) Mukkoṟkiḻāṉ Aṭikaḷ1 […]

Line 7: Having pierced (kutti) so that the son (makaṉ) of […]ḻaṅkai, Cōmaṉ Puvani, dies (paṭa), he went (pōna); we (nāṅkaḷ) will not let him (avaṉai) go (pokāmēy), [he] Araṅkaṉ Paṭṭaṉ [the murderer]; [on behalf of? [cāt]ti?] […] Puvani, we the Nagarattārs (nakarattōm), for Mahādeva of the Lord (īśvarattu) of Pakaiviṭai of Paḻuvūr, [we] placed (vaitta) to burn (eriya) day and night, as long as the sun and the moon endure; one (oṉṟu) perpetual lamp (tirunotāviḷakku > tirunontāviḷakku) was placed (vaittum); if one sees (kaṇṭāl) Araṅkaṉ Paṭṭaṉ, those who have seen him (kaṇṭārēy) have to inform (kilākka > kiḷākka2 peṟuvatākavum) {other possible interpretation: must get him (peṟuvatākavum) so that he is afflicted (kilākka from kilāy)}; we the Nagarattārs of Paḻuvūr […] a sacred perpetual lamp (tirunontāviḷak) […]

Line 8: Having taken (koṇṭu) […] ; the sluice (maṭai) of the tank (kuḷam) of Pakaiviṭai-caturvedimaṅgalam of this nāṭu (iṉṉāṭṭu) of this devadāna (ittevatānam), having fallen (paṭṭu) in the tank (kuḷa), was lying (kiṭakka); having dug (kalli) the tank (kuḷaṅ); having taken (koṇṭu) thirty (muppatiṉ) kalams (kala > kalam) of paddy (nellu) by the measure Tēvakāl for one year (āṇṭu varai), from the paddy (nellilēy) which came (varum) gathered (kūṭi) as capital (mutalāy) in the name of (aṭuttu, lit. having joined, having come near) of this village, we will have to burn (erikkakkaṭavōmānōm) this perpetual lamp (ittirunontāviḷakku), we the four (nālvōm) Śivabrahmaṇas who possess (uṭaiya) the kāṇi of this temple (ikkōyil), the Vaḷainciyars (for Vaḷañciyar, a merchant guild) of Paḻuvūr and the oil mongers (caṅkarappāṭiyārum) […]

Line 9: […] Kumiḻi Manappaṉ, the oil monger (caṅkarappāṭiyāṉ) of [Paḻuvūr/this town (... vūr)], having fallen (paṭṭu) [under] an unseen (kāṇā) stick (kol); since he (avaṉ) died (paṭṭamaiyil), without knowing (aṟiyā ...) those who aimed (eycārai > eytārai) when […] fell (paṭa), on behalf (cātti) of Kumiḻi Manappaṉ, we the Vaḷaiñciyars of Paḻuvūr, to Mahādeva of the Lord (īśvarattu) [of] Amanigandhavva (amani > avani) of this village (ivvūr), gave (vaitta) to burn (eriya) night and day; 50 kācus were given (vaitta) for one perpetual lamp; having taken (koṇṭu, i.e with) these fifty kācus, having dug (kalli) the tīrtha tank (dirtta kuḷattē > tīrtta kuḷattē) alias the tank (eriyāna > ēriyāṉa) Kaṇṭaṉ [in] the devadāna of this god (ittēvar); […] which has come (varuki[ṉṟa]) […] before (muṉpu) […]

Line 10: […] as long as the sun and the moon endure, we will have to burn (erikkakaṭavōmānōm), we the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs (paṭṭuṭaiyōm), we the Seven (eḻuvōm), who possess (uṭaiya) a kāṇi of this temple (ittaḷi); Kumiḻi Man[appa]ṉ having made (ceytu) [a deed?] earlier (muṉpu), having made (ceytu) tax-free (iṟaiyilil), as long as the sun and the moon endure, to the wife (manavāṭṭikkum) of he (ivaṉ), and to his wife’s brother (ivaṇ avarkku-attākkum),3 the houses (maṉaikālum > maṉaikaḷum?) which have come (varukiṉṟa), and the wetlands (naṉceyum) and the dry lands (puṉceyum) which fall (paṭum) to this (itukku, i.e. along with the houses?), we the Nagarattārs of Paḻuvūr have given (kuṭuttōm) […]

Commentary

(6–9) End of lines built in.

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1923-1924 (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/372).

Edited and translated in Gillet 2024, based on autopsy and photographs (by Valérie Gillet, 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 144–146, item 11.

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 73, appendix C/1924, item 372.

Notes

  1. 1. The same queen appears in #22. She seems to be the wife of Rājendracōḻa.
  2. 2. This interpretation was proposed by G. Vijayavenugopal.
  3. 3. attāṉ has many meanings and refers to different possible relationships: father’s sister’s son; maternal uncle’s son when elder; wife’s brother; elder sister’s husband.