Mēlappaḻuvūr, Agastyeśvara temple, time of Rājakesarivarman, year 22

Editors: Valérie Gillet, Emmanuel Francis.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSMelKil00014.

Summary: AIM, southern shrine; on the easternmost wall section of the southern façade of the ardha-maṇḍapa, upper inscription; 22nd regnal year of Kōvirājakesarivarman = probably Āditya I (circa 893 A.D.); SII identifies the king with Rājarāja I; h) the puḷḷis (the dots added above the letter to signify that the vowel is dropped) are marked, which would confirm a date in the 9th century.

Hand description:

The puḷḷi is used. Notable also above duplicated consonant Grantha ligatures.

Language: Tamil.

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

Version: 2025-05-29 11:47 (10e9cb0), last modified 2025-05-29 11:47 (10e9cb0).

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī

kovirājakesariparm{·}mat·ku yāṇ·ṭu y-irupat(·)t’ iraṇ(·)ṭāvatu

kuṉ·ṟa-k·-kuṟ·ṟat·tu ⟨2⟩ Amani-kan=ta⟨r⟩(v·v/p·p)a-Īśvara-karat·tu mahādevaṟ·ku poy·kaik·kuṟuviṭat·tu vēṭ·ṭak·kuṭāṉ ⟨3⟩ vaṭukaṉ· m¿a?⟨ā⟩tavaṉ· paḻuvēṭ·ṭaraiyaṉ· kumaraṉ· maṟavaṉ· prasā{hā}⟨4⟩datt¿a?⟨i⟩ṉāl aruḷic·ceyya It·taḷi-t· tēvatāṉam· Ūkaṉ·kuṭi Apohanaṅ kiṭan·⟨5⟩ta bhūmiyaik· kal·li Iraṇ·ṭu pūvum· viḷaiya macak·ki-k kuṭut·ta n¡i!⟨ī⟩r-nilam Eṭṭu mā

Ip⟨6⟩pūmiyil· pōṉ·ta pōkaṅ· koṇ·ṭu Iraṇ·ṭu taḷiIlum· Orō nandā-viḷakku Ira⟨7⟩vum· pakalum· Erippōm āṉōm It·taḷip· paṭṭuṭaiyōm· Ēḻuvōm·

Iv·viḷak·ku ⟨8⟩ rakṣip·pār Amani-kan=ta⟨r⟩pa{·}purat·tu nakarat(·)tār aṭi y-eṉ(·) ṟalai mēlaṉa |||௳

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ °pam{·}mat·ku ⬦ °parmma⟨r⟩ku SII; °panmmatku VG.

⟨5⟩ bhūmiyaik SII ⬦ bhumiyaik VG.

⟨8⟩ Amanikan=ta⟨r⟩pa{·}purat·tu ⬦ Amanikan=tarvapurattu SII; Amanikantapapurattu VG.

Translation by Gillet 2024

Fortune! Prosperity! [This is] the 22nd year of Kōvirājakesarivarman. To Mahādeva of the temple (karattu, that is, gṛhattu) of the Lord (īśvara) [of] Amanikantavva/ppa (amani, that is, avani) of Kuṉṟakkūṟṟam, Vēṭṭakkuṭāṉ Vaṭukaṉ Mātavaṉ (matavaṉ, that is, mātavaṉ) of Poykaikkuṟuviṭam, by the grace of (prasāhāttaṉāl, that is, prasādattiṉāl) Paḻuvēṭṭaraiyaṉ Kumaraṉ Kaṇṭaṉ who graciously ordered (aruḷicceyya¹) [the following]: having worked the soil (kalli) of the land (bhūmiyai) which was lying (kiṭanta) without enjoyment (apohanan) in Ūkaṉkuṭi, a devadāna of this temple (ittaḷi), having prepared the land (macakki) so that two crops (iraṇṭu pūvum) grow (viḷaiya), [Vēṭṭakkuṭāṉ Vaṭukaṉ Mātavaṉ] gave (kuṭutta) eight mās of wet land (nīrnilam); with (koṇṭu) the produce (pōkaṅ) which came (poṉta) out of this land (ippūmiyil), we, the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs of this temple (ittaḷi), we the Seven (ēḻuvōm), will burn (erippōmāṉōm) night and day a perpetual lamp respectively (orō nandāviḷakku, that is, nontāviḷakku) in the two temples (iraṇṭu taḷiilum). The Nagarattārs of Amanikantapapuram will protect (rakṣippār) this lamp (ivviḷakku). May their feet be on my head (aṭi-y-eṉ-talai mēlaṉa).

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1923-1924 (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/360).

Edited in Srinivasa Rao 1952 (SII 13.298). Edited and translated in Gillet 2024, based on autopsy and photographs (Valérie Gillet, 2016-2018).

This digital edition by Valérie Gillet and Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SII] Srinivasa Rao, G.V. 1952. South-Indian inscriptions (texts) (with introductory notes in English). Volume XIII: The Cholas. South Indian Inscriptions 13. Madras: Archaeological Survey of India. Page TBC, item 298.

[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 148–149, item 14.

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 360.

Notes

1. Literally: graciously made.

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<lb n="1"/><hi rend="grantha">svasti śrī</hi>

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<hi rend="grantha">ko</hi>vi<hi rend="grantha">rājakesaripa<ref>r</ref>m<surplus>·</surplus>ma</hi>t·ku yāṇ·ṭu y-irupat<unclear>·</unclear>t' iraṇ<unclear>·</unclear>ṭāvatu

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kuṉ·ṟa-k·-kuṟ·ṟat·tu

<lb n="2"/>A<hi rend="grantha">ma</hi>ni-<hi rend="grantha">ka</hi>n=ta<hi rend="grantha"><reg>r</reg><choice><unclear>v·v</unclear><unclear>p·p</unclear></choice>a-Īśvara-kara</hi>t·tu <hi rend="grantha">mahāde</hi>vaṟ·ku poy·kaik·kuṟuviṭat·tu vēṭ·ṭak·kuṭāṉ

<lb n="3"/>vaṭukaṉ· m<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>ā</corr></choice>tavaṉ· paḻuvēṭ·ṭaraiyaṉ· kumaraṉ· maṟavaṉ· <hi rend="grantha">prasā<surplus>hā</surplus></hi>

<lb n="4" break="no"/><hi rend="grantha">da</hi>tt<choice><sic>a</sic><corr>i</corr></choice>ṉāl aruḷic·ceyya It·taḷi-t· tēvatāṉam· Ūkaṉ·kuṭi <hi rend="grantha">Apoha</hi>naṅ kiṭan·

<lb n="5" break="no"/>ta <hi rend="grantha">bhūmi</hi>yaik· kal·li Iraṇ·ṭu pūvum· viḷaiya macak·ki-k kuṭut·ta n<choice><orig>i</orig><reg>ī</reg></choice>r-nilam Eṭṭu mā

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<lb n="6" break="no"/>pūmiyil· pōṉ·ta pōkaṅ· koṇ·ṭu Iraṇ·ṭu taḷiIlum· Orō na<hi rend="grantha">ndā</hi>-viḷakku Ira

<lb n="7" break="no"/>vum· pakalum· Erippōm āṉōm It·taḷip· paṭṭuṭaiyōm· Ēḻuvōm·

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Iv·viḷak·ku

<lb n="8"/><hi rend="grantha">rakṣi</hi>p·pār Amani-kan=ta<hi rend="grantha"><reg>r</reg>pa<surplus>·</surplus>pura</hi>t·tu nakarat<unclear>·</unclear>tār aṭi y-eṉ<unclear>·</unclear> ṟalai mēlaṉa <g type="danda">.</g><g type="danda">.</g><g type="danda">.</g><g type="pc">.</g>

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<rdg source="bib:SrinivasaRao1952_01">°<hi rend="grantha">parmma</hi><supplied reason="omitted">r</supplied>ku</rdg>

<rdg source="bib:Gillet2024_01">°<hi rend="grantha">panmma</hi>tku</rdg>

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<lem source="bib:SrinivasaRao1952_01"><hi rend="grantha">bhūmi</hi>yaik</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Gillet2024_01"><hi rend="grantha">bhumi</hi>yaik</rdg>

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<lem>Amanikan=ta<hi rend="grantha"><reg>r</reg>pa<surplus>·</surplus>pura</hi>t·tu</lem>

<rdg source="bib:SrinivasaRao1952_01">Amani<hi rend="grantha">ka</hi>n=ta<hi rend="grantha">rvapura</hi>ttu</rdg>

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<p>Fortune! Prosperity! <supplied reason="subaudible">This is</supplied>

the 22nd year of Kōvirājakesarivarman. To Mahādeva

of the temple <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>karattu</foreign>, that is, <foreign>gṛhattu</foreign></supplied> of the Lord <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>īśvara</foreign></supplied> <supplied reason="subaudible">of</supplied> Amanikantavva/ppa

<supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>amani</foreign>, that is, <foreign>avani</foreign></supplied> of Kuṉṟakkūṟṟam, Vēṭṭakkuṭāṉ Vaṭukaṉ Mātavaṉ <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>matavaṉ</foreign>, that is, <foreign>mātavaṉ</foreign></supplied> of Poykaikkuṟuviṭam, by the grace of <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>prasāhāttaṉāl</foreign>, that is, <foreign>prasādattiṉāl</foreign></supplied>

Paḻuvēṭṭaraiyaṉ Kumaraṉ Kaṇṭaṉ who graciously ordered <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aruḷicceyya</foreign><note>Literally: graciously

made.</note></supplied> <supplied reason="subaudible">the following</supplied>: having worked the soil <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kalli</foreign></supplied> of the land <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>bhūmiyai</foreign></supplied> which

was lying <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kiṭanta</foreign></supplied> without enjoyment <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>apohanan</foreign></supplied> in Ūkaṉkuṭi, a <foreign>devadāna</foreign> of

this temple <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>ittaḷi</foreign></supplied>, having prepared the land <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>macakki</foreign></supplied> so that two crops <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>iraṇṭu pūvum</foreign></supplied> grow <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>viḷaiya</foreign></supplied>, <supplied reason="subaudible">Vēṭṭakkuṭāṉ Vaṭukaṉ Mātavaṉ</supplied> gave <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kuṭutta</foreign></supplied> eight <foreign>mā</foreign>s

of wet land <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>nīrnilam</foreign></supplied>; with <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>koṇṭu</foreign></supplied> the produce <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>pōkaṅ</foreign></supplied> which came <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>poṉta</foreign></supplied> out

of this land <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>ippūmiyil</foreign></supplied>, we, the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs of this temple <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>ittaḷi</foreign></supplied>, we the Seven

<supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>ēḻuvōm</foreign></supplied>, will burn <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>erippōmāṉōm</foreign></supplied> night and day a perpetual lamp respectively <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>orō nandāviḷakku</foreign>, that is, <foreign>nontāviḷakku</foreign></supplied> in the two temples <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>iraṇṭu taḷiilum</foreign></supplied>. The Nagarattārs of

Amanikantapapuram will protect <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>rakṣippār</foreign></supplied> this lamp <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>ivviḷakku</foreign></supplied>. May their feet be

on my head <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aṭi-y-eṉ-talai mēlaṉa</foreign></supplied>.</p>

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<p>Reported in <bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE1923-1924"/></bibl> (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/360).</p>

<p>Edited in <bibl><ptr target="bib:SrinivasaRao1952_01"/></bibl> (<ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv13p0i0298.xml">SII 13.298</ref>). 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/sf268f40r">Valérie Gillet, 2016-2018</ref>).</p>

<p>This digital edition by Valérie Gillet and Emmanuel Francis.</p>

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