Mēlappaḻuvūr, Agastyeśvara temple, time of [name lost], year 22

Editors: Valérie Gillet, Emmanuel Francis.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSMelKil00015.

Summary: AIM, southern shrine; on the westernmost wall section of the southern façade of the ardha-maṇḍapa, upper inscription; 22nd regnal year of […] rivarman = probably Āditya I (circa 893 A.D.); 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; the western part of the inscription is built over by the wall of the mukha-maṇḍapa, but we can restore some words because the inscription is similar to INSMelKil00013 and INSMelKil00014.

Hand description:

Language: Tamil.

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

Version: 2025-06-06 15:33 (bf3fb67), last modified 2025-06-01 13:43 (a9f31c6).

⟨1⟩ […] ripammaṟku yāṇṭu Irupattiraṇṭāvatu ⟨2⟩ […] Avanikanta⟨r⟩ppa-Īśvaragṛhattu mahādevarkku ce ⟨3⟩ […] mahaṣivaśettu kṣatriyaṉ potukaṉ perumāṉ ⟨4⟩ […] yuṭa paḻuvēṭṭaraiyaṉ kumaraṉ maṟavaṉ prasa ⟨5⟩ […] naṅ kiṭanta bhūmiyaik kalli Eṭṭu māc cey nīr ⟨6⟩ […] la pōkaṅ koṇṭu Iraṇṭu taḷiIlum Orō nan ⟨7⟩ […] koṇṭōm Ittaḷip paṭṭuṭaiŌm Ēḻuvōm Ivvi ⟨8⟩ […] ntaṟpapurattu nakarattār Iddharmmam rakṣippār aṭi En ⟨9⟩ […]

Translation by Gillet 2024

[…] This is the twenty-second year of [Kōvirājakesa]rivarman. To Mahādeva of the temple (gṛhattu) of the Lord (īśvara) [of] Avanikantappa […] Mahāṣivaśettu the Kṣatriya, Potukaṉ Perumāṉ¹ […] by the grace (prasa[dāttiṉāl]) of Paḻuvēṭṭaraiyaṉ Kumaraṉ Maṟavaṉ […] having worked (kalli) on the land (bhūmiyai) which lies (kiṭanta) [without enjoyment] (apōhanan), [Mahāṣivaśettu the Kṣatriya, Potukaṉ Perumāṉ, gave] eight mās (eṭṭu mā) and one cey of wet land (nīr[nilam]) […] with (koṇṭu) the produce (pōkaṅ) [of this land], [we will have to burn] one perpetual lamp (nan[tāviḷakku]) in each (orō) of the two temples (iraṇṭu taḷi ilum) […] we, the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs of this temple, we the Seven, have taken (koṇṭōm) [the produce to burn the lamps]. The Nagarattārs of [Avanika]ntaṟpapuram will protect (rakṣippār) this endowment (iddharmmam). I am a servant (aṭi-en).²

Commentary

The beginning of the lines is built in.

There is probably a 9th line, covered by a later wall, that would be followed on the same line by the beginning of INSMelKil00016. The inscription would conclude with the usual formula “The feet of he who protects this pious donation are on my head.”, exactly like in INSMelKil00014

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1923-1924 (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/355).

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

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]. Page 149, item 15.

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 TBC, appendix C/1924, item 355.

Notes

1. Probably the donor.
2. This is probably the beginning of the final expression “May their feet be on my head” (aṭi y-eṉ-talai mēlaṉa). However, this would mean that there is a 9th line engraved under the wall, but the following line belongs to another later inscription, INSMelKil00018. The latter would then begin after the final expression of INSMelKil00015, in continuation of the 9th line.

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<summary><p>AIM, southern shrine; on the westernmost wall section of the southern façade of the <foreign>ardha-maṇḍapa</foreign>, upper inscription; 22nd regnal year of <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> rivarman = probably Āditya I (<foreign>circa</foreign> 893 A.D.); the <foreign>puḷḷi</foreign>s (the dots added above the letter to signify that the vowel is dropped) are marked, which would confirm a date in the 9th century; the western part of the inscription is built over by the wall of the <foreign>mukha-maṇḍapa</foreign>, but we can restore some words because the inscription is similar to <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00013"/> and <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00014"/>.</p>

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<lb n="1"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> <hi rend="grantha">ripamma</hi>ṟku yāṇṭu Irupattiraṇṭā<hi rend="grantha">va</hi>tu

<lb n="2"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> <hi rend="grantha">Avanikanta<reg>r</reg>ppa-Īśvaragṛha</hi>ttu <hi rend="grantha">mahādeva</hi>rkku ce

<lb n="3"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> <hi rend="grantha">mahaṣivaśe</hi>ttu<hi rend="grantha"> kṣatri</hi>yaṉ potukaṉ perumāṉ

<lb n="4"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> yuṭa paḻuvēṭṭaraiyaṉ kumaraṉ maṟavaṉ <hi rend="grantha">prasa</hi>

<lb n="5"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> naṅ kiṭanta <hi rend="grantha">bhūmi</hi>yaik kalli Eṭṭu māc cey nīr

<lb n="6"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> la pōkaṅ koṇṭu Iraṇṭu taḷiIlum Orō nan

<lb n="7"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> koṇṭōm Ittaḷip paṭṭuṭaiŌm Ēḻuvōm Ivvi

<lb n="8"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> ntaṟpapurattu nakarattār I<hi rend="grantha">ddharmma</hi>m ra<hi rend="grantha">kṣi</hi>ppār aṭi En

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<p> <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> This is the twenty-second year of <supplied reason="lost">Kōvirājakesa</supplied>rivarman. To Mahādeva of the temple <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>gṛhattu</foreign></supplied> of the Lord <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>īśvara</foreign></supplied> <supplied reason="subaudible">of</supplied> Avanikantappa <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> Mahāṣivaśettu the Kṣatriya, Potukaṉ Perumāṉ<note>Probably the donor.</note> <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> by the grace <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>prasa<supplied reason="lost">dāttiṉāl</supplied></foreign></supplied> of Paḻuvēṭṭaraiyaṉ Kumaraṉ Maṟavaṉ <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> having worked <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kalli</foreign></supplied> on the land <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>bhūmiyai</foreign></supplied> which lies <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kiṭanta</foreign></supplied> <supplied reason="lost">without enjoyment</supplied> <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>apōhanan</foreign></supplied>, <supplied reason="subaudible">Mahāṣivaśettu the Kṣatriya, Potukaṉ Perumāṉ, gave</supplied> eight <foreign>mā</foreign>s <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>eṭṭu mā</foreign></supplied> and one <foreign>cey</foreign> of wet land <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>nīr<supplied reason="lost">nilam</supplied></foreign></supplied> <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> with <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>koṇṭu</foreign></supplied> the produce <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>pōkaṅ</foreign></supplied> <supplied reason="lost">of this land</supplied>, <supplied reason="lost">we will have to burn</supplied> one perpetual lamp <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>nan<supplied reason="lost">tāviḷakku</supplied></foreign></supplied> in each <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>orō</foreign></supplied> of the two temples <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>iraṇṭu taḷi ilum</foreign></supplied> <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/> we, the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs of this temple, we the Seven, have taken <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>koṇṭōm</foreign></supplied> <supplied reason="lost">the produce to burn the lamps</supplied>. The Nagarattārs of <supplied reason="lost">Avanika</supplied>ntaṟpapuram will protect <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>rakṣippār</foreign></supplied> this endowment <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>iddharmmam</foreign></supplied>. I am a servant <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aṭi</foreign>-<foreign>en</foreign></supplied>.<note>This is probably the beginning of the final expression “May their feet be on my head” <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aṭi y-eṉ-talai mēlaṉa</foreign></supplied>. However, this would mean that there is a 9th line engraved under the wall, but the following line belongs to another later inscription, <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00018"/>. The latter would then begin after the final expression of <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00015"/>, in continuation of the 9th line.</note> </p></div>

<p>The beginning of the lines is built in.</p>

<p>There is probably a 9th line, covered by a later wall, that would be followed on the same line by the beginning of <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00016"/>. The inscription would conclude with the usual formula <quote>The feet of he who protects this pious donation are on my head.</quote>, exactly like in <ref target="DHARMA_INSMelKil00014"/></p>

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<p>Reported in <bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE1923-1924"/></bibl> (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/355).</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/****">by Valérie Gillet, 2016-2018</ref>).</p>

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

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