Talavāṉūr, time of Narēntirappōttaraiyaṉ

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: A Tamil verse recording the foundation of the cave-temple named Catturumalleśvarālaiyam (Sanskrit Śatrumalleśvarālaya) by Narēntirappōttaraiyaṉ.

Language: Tamil (tam) [Grantha (grantha), Tamil (tamil)].

Repository: Pallava (tfa-pallava-epigraphy).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSPallava00020.

File path: DHARMA_INSPallava00020.xml.

Version: 2026-11-11 17:29 (458e70c), last modified 2026-09-29 11:09 (6edbbfa).

Edition

Eastern face of the pillar

⟨1⟩ śrī toṇṭai-y-an-tār-
⟨2⟩ -vēntaṉ narēntira-
⟨3⟩ -p-pōtt-araiyaṉ ve-
⟨4⟩ ṇpēṭṭiṉ ṟeṉ-pā-
⟨5⟩ l mika makiḻntu ka-
⟨6⟩ ṇṭāṉ cara mikka ve-
⟨7⟩ ñ-cilaiyāṉ (ca)-
⟨8⟩ tturu-malleś(va)-
⟨9⟩ rāl(ai)yam (eṉ)(ṟ’ ara)-
⟨10⟩ ṉukk’ iṭam āka-(v) āṅku

Southern face of the pillar

⟨11⟩ Ivv-ūr (b)ram-
⟨12⟩ mamaṅkalavaṉ
⟨13⟩ cellaṉ civadā-
⟨14⟩ sa¡n! colliya-
⟨15⟩ tu

Apparatus

Eastern face of the pillar

⟨1⟩ śrī • We follow here EI in considering śrī as an initial benediction. It could alternatively be analysed as a prefix to toṇṭai-y-an-tār-vēntaṉ, that is “the glorious (śrī) king with the beautiful garland of toṇṭai.” — ⟨1⟩ vēntaṉ ⬦ vēntāṉ IP.

⟨4⟩ ṟeṉpāl ⬦ ṟeṉp(ā)l EI; ṟeṉp(ā)l IP.

⟨5⟩ kaṇṭāṉ ⬦ ko(ṇṭāṉ) IP.

⟨7⟩ (ca)tturu-malleś(va)rāl(ai)yam ⬦ catturumalleśvarālaiyam EI; śattrumalleśvarālayam IP • Examination in situ enabled to reject the reading °ālayam. The alternative reading °āleyam is possible.

⟨9⟩ (eṉṟ’ ara)ṉukk’ ⬦ eṉṟ’ araṇukk’ EI; eṉṟ’ araṇukk’ IP.

⟨10⟩ āka-(v) āṅku ⬦ āka-v aṅku EI; āka-v aṅku IP.

Translation by Hultzsch 1913–1914¹

Eastern face of the pillar

⟨1–10⟩ Prosperity! The king ⟨who wore⟩ a beautiful garland of toṇṭai, Narendra-Pōttaraiyaṉ, whose cruel bow bristled with arrows, made with great joy in the south of Veṇpēṭṭu ⟨this temple⟩ named Śatrumallēśvarālaya, to be the residence of Hara (Śiva).

Southern face of the pillar

⟨11–15⟩ Brahmamaṅgalavaṉ Cellaṉ Śivadāsa of this village composed this.

Translation into French

Eastern face of the pillar

⟨1–10⟩ Fortune ! Le roi à la belle guirlande de toṇṭai (ou: Le glorieux roi à la belle guirlande de toṇṭai), le roi-Pallava (ou: le roi-taureau) (pōtt-araiyaṉ) Narendra, dont l’arc cruel/furieux regorge de flèches, au sud de Veṇpēṭu (le hameau blanc), avec grande joie, a fait en sorte (kaṇṭāṉ²) qu’il y ait pour Araṉ (Sanskrit Hara, i.e Śiva) un lieu (iṭam) nommé (eṉṟu) demeure du Seigneur de Catturumalla (Sanskrit Śatrumalla).

Southern face of the pillar

⟨11–15⟩ Ce qu’a composé (colliyatu³) Brammamaṅkalavaṉ Cellaṉ Civadāsan (Sanskrit Śivadāsa) de ce village.

Commentary

See also the inscription Pallava 19, a probably earlier Sanskrit foundation inscription of the same cave-temple.

Identification of Narēntirappōttaraiyaṉ to be discussed.

⟨10⟩ āṅku: either “there,” that is, “here,” that is, in Veṇpēṭu, or “thus,” that is, concluding the verse, “so was it done.”

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1904–05 (ARIE/1904-1905/B/1905/50).

Edited and translated in Hultzsch 1913–1914 with visual documentation and English translation (EI 12.27B). Text and summary in Mahalingam 1988 (IP 20).

This revised edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on autopsy and photos (2008).

Primary

[EI] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1913–1914. “Two cave-inscriptions at Dalavanur. A: Sanskrit inscription of Narendra Satrumalla.” EI 12, pp. 225–226. Pages 225–226, item B.

[IP] Mahalingam, T. V. 1988. Inscriptions of the Pallavas. New Delhi; Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Agam Prakashan. Pages 98–99, item 20.

Secondary

ARIE 1904–05. G.O. No. 518, 18th July 1905. Epigraphy. Recording the annual report of the Government Epigraphist for the year 1904-1905, and directing that the report be forwarded to the government of India. Edited by V. Venkayya. No place, 1905. Pages 32, 39, appendix B/1905, item 50.

Venkatasubba Ayyar, V. & C. R. Krishnamacharlu. 1943. South Indian inscriptions. Volume XII: The Pallavas (with introductory notes in English). South Indian Inscriptions 12. Madras: Government Press. Page 7, item 11.

Srinivasan, K. R. 1964. Cave-temples of the Pallavas. Architectural survey of temples 1. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. Pages 71–68.

Notes

1. Text standardised according to DHARMA transliteration scheme.
2. Littéralement: a supervisé.
3. Littéralement: ce qu’a dit.

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toṇṭai-y-an-tār

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<lb n="8" break="no"/>tturu-mall</persName>e<hi rend="grantha">ś<unclear>va</unclear></hi>

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<lb n="11"/>Ivv-ūr <persName><hi rend="grantha"><unclear reason="eccentric_ductus">b</unclear>ra</hi>m

<lb n="12" break="no"/>mamaṅkalavaṉ

<lb n="13"/>cellaṉ civa<hi rend="grantha">dā

<lb n="14" break="no"/>sa</hi><choice><orig>n</orig><reg>ṉ</reg></choice></persName> colliya

<lb n="15" break="no"/>tu

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<note>We follow here <ptr target="bib:Hultzsch1913-1914_02"/> in considering <hi rend="grantha"><foreign>śrī</foreign></hi> as an initial benediction. It could alternatively be analysed as a prefix to <foreign>toṇṭai-y-an-tār-vēntaṉ</foreign>, that is “the glorious <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign><hi rend="grantha">śrī</hi></foreign></supplied> king with the beautiful garland of <foreign>toṇṭai</foreign>.”</note>

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<lem>kaṇṭāṉ</lem>

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<lem><unclear reason="eccentric_ductus">ca</unclear>tturu-malle<hi rend="grantha">ś<unclear>va</unclear></hi>rāl<unclear>ai</unclear>yam</lem>

<rdg source="bib:Hultzsch1913-1914_02">catturumalle<hi rend="grantha">śva</hi>rālaiyam</rdg>

<rdg source="bib:Mahalingam1988_01"><hi rend="grantha">śa</hi>ttrumalle<hi rend="grantha">śva</hi>rālayam</rdg>

<note>Examination in situ enabled to reject the reading <foreign>°ālayam</foreign>. The alternative reading <foreign>°āleyam</foreign> is possible.</note>

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<rdg source="bib:Hultzsch1913-1914_02">eṉṟ' araṇukk'</rdg>

<rdg source="bib:Mahalingam1988_01">eṉṟ' araṇukk'</rdg>

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Prosperity! The king <supplied reason="subaudible">who wore</supplied> a beautiful garland of <foreign>toṇṭai</foreign>, Narendra-Pōttaraiyaṉ, whose cruel bow bristled with arrows, made with great joy in the south of Veṇpēṭṭu <supplied reason="subaudible">this temple</supplied> named Śatrumallēśvarālaya, to be the residence of Hara <supplied reason="explanation">Śiva</supplied>.

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Brahmamaṅgalavaṉ Cellaṉ Śivadāsa of this village composed this.

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Fortune ! Le roi à la belle guirlande de <foreign>toṇṭai</foreign> (ou: Le glorieux roi à la belle guirlande de <foreign>toṇṭai</foreign>), le roi-Pallava (ou: le roi-taureau) <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>pōtt-araiyaṉ</foreign></supplied> Narendra, dont l’arc cruel/furieux regorge de flèches, au sud de Veṇpēṭu <supplied reason="explanation">le hameau blanc</supplied>, avec grande joie, a fait en sorte <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kaṇṭāṉ</foreign><note>Littéralement: a supervisé.</note></supplied> qu’il y ait pour Araṉ <supplied reason="explanation">Sanskrit Hara, i.e Śiva</supplied> un lieu <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>iṭam</foreign></supplied> nommé <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>eṉṟu</foreign></supplied> demeure du Seigneur de Catturumalla <supplied reason="explanation">Sanskrit Śatrumalla</supplied>.

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Ce qu’a composé <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>colliyatu</foreign><note>Littéralement: ce qu’a dit.</note></supplied> Brammamaṅkalavaṉ Cellaṉ Civadāsan <supplied reason="explanation">Sanskrit Śivadāsa</supplied> de ce village.

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<p>See also the inscription <ref target="DHARMA_INSPallava00019.xml">Pallava 19</ref>, a probably earlier Sanskrit foundation inscription of the same cave-temple.</p>

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<p>This revised edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on autopsy and photos (2008).</p>

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<!--METADATA:

On two perpendiculary adjacent faces of the lower square portion of the left/south pillar inside the Pallava rock-cut cave.

-->

Talavāṉūr, time of Narēntirappōttaraiyaṉ

Edition

Eastern face of the pillar

Southern face of the pillar

Eastern face of the pillar

Southern face of the pillar

Eastern face of the pillar

Southern face of the pillar

Apparatus

Eastern face of the pillar

Translation by Hultzsch 1913–19141

Eastern face of the pillar

Southern face of the pillar

Translation into French

Eastern face of the pillar

Southern face of the pillar

Commentary

Bibliography

Primary

Secondary

Notes

Translation by Hultzsch 1913–1914¹