# Kūram plates, time of Parameśvaravarman

Emmanuel Francis

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSPallava00046

Repository: Pallava (tfa-pallava-epigraphy)

File path: DHARMA_INSPallava00046.xml

Languages: Sanskrit [Grantha], Tamil [Tamil]

Commit: 2026-10-08 12:16 (1b1b17c), last modified 2026-09-29 11:09
(6edbbfa)

## Summary

...

## Palaeographic description

Tamil script. The puḷḷi is regularly marked.

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## Edition

### Plates

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨1v1=1⟩ svasti

1. Sragdharā

pañcā(syas triṁ)śad-a(rddha){ḥ}-(pra)tibha(ya)-nayanaś candra-(mauḷi)s
triśū(lī)-
(bhī)ma⟨1v2=2⟩vyāḷopavī(tī daśa-bhuja-parighas tatva-mātrātma-mūrttiḥ)
(divyo vekṣyo mukunda)-pra⟨1v3=4⟩(bhr̥)ti(bhi)r amarai(s sr̥ṣṭi-kr̥n
mantra-si)ddhaḥ
(karttā no mūrtta-vi)dyā (vihita-para-ya)ma-⟨1v4=4⟩s trāyatāṁ
viśva-mūrtti⟨ḥ⟩ ∥

2. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

kā(ryya-vyūha)-(parama-vyomā)mr̥ta-(jyotiṣo)
(vi)⟨5⟩dvan-mānasa-candra-kānta-patitā mūrcchanti yasyāṁśa(vaḥ)
(bhūtānāṁ hr̥)daye(ṣu cāna)ya⟨Page 2r⟩⟨6⟩ti yaḥ śaktiṁ kriyā-sādhanīṁ
trayātmā parameśvaras-sa jayati trai-lokya-cūḷā-maṇi(ḥ) ∥

3. Śārdūlavikrīḍita

A⟨7⟩brahmaṇyam asoma-yāgam ayathā-prasthāna-daṇḍodyamam·
mithyā-dāntam adāna-śūram a⟨8⟩nr̥ta-vyāhāra-jihmānanam·
jātaṁ yatra nareśvaran na ś¿ru?⟨r̥⟩ṇumo yuddheṣu vā vikla(vam·)
⟨9⟩ nirvvighna¿ḥ?⟨ṁ⟩ pr̥thivīn nirītim avatān tat pallavānāṁ kulam· ∥

... ⟨Page 2v⟩ ⟨Page 3r⟩ ⟨Page 3v⟩⟨Page 4r⟩⟨Page 4v⟩⟨Page
5r⟩⟨5r7=55⟩{tta} ⟨sarvva-kara⟩-parihāre⟨ṇa⟩ datta Iti

Atrā{ñ}jñaptiḥ Uttara-kāraṇikā-mahāsena-datta⟨ḥ⟩
vidyāvinī⟨5r8=56⟩ta-pallava-parameśvara-gr̥ha Iha ca
deva-karmma-(na)va-⟨kar⟩mm⟨ārthaṁ⟩ kūrattācāryya-putra-Ananta⟨Page
5v⟩⟨5v1=57⟩-śiva-Ācāryya⟨ḥ⟩ (datta) Iti (phu)llaśarmm¿a?⟨ā⟩ dvau
putra-(pautrā) Ā¿ñj?⟨jñ⟩a⟨p⟩tāḥ ∥⁓

Ū(ṟ)ṟu-k-kāṭṭu-k-kō⟨5v2=58⟩ṭṭattu nīrvēḷur-nāṭṭu-k kūramum
ñammaṉampākkamu [4+] (ñaṅkaṇata) [4+] (ṭa)
viccā-vinī⟨5v3=59⟩ta-p-pallava-racaṉ vil¿e?⟨ai⟩-k-kāṇaṅ k¿e?⟨ai⟩yi¿k?⟨ṟ⟩
koṭuttu(c ci) [4+] (ṇ)e ceyitu Āyiratt’ i(ru)-nū⟨5v4=60⟩ṟṟu-k kuḻi-p
paṭiyāl viṟṟu-k-koṇṭa nilam

ta(ḷi) Eṭuppataṟku Ōṭu cuṭa-k-koṇṭa ni⟨5v5=61⟩lam

tal¿e?⟨ai⟩-p-pāṭakattuḷ cūḷ¿e?⟨ai⟩-mēṭṭu-p-paṭṭiyum Ūruḷ maṇṭakam Eṭutta
nila⟨5v6=62⟩ttoṭuṅ kūṭa ¡Ayi!⟨Ai⟩ntē kāl paṭṭi nilamum viṟṟu koṇṭu
viccā-vinīta-pallava-paramēccu⟨5v7=63⟩ra-karam Eṭuttu Ēri toṇṭi It-taḷi
vaḻi-pāṭu ce¡yi!⟨y⟩vārkku Irukkum ma¿ne?⟨ṉai⟩yum
ma¿ne?⟨ṉai⟩-p-pa⟨5v8=64⟩ṭappum vakuttu Itanuḷ mikka nilam Oḻukkavikku
viḷ¿e?⟨ai⟩ nilam ā(ka)vum

- I¡ṉ!⟨n⟩-nilattukku ⟨Page 6r⟩ ⟨6r1=65⟩ (kīḻ-pā)l ellai m¿ū?⟨u⟩tukāṭṭu
  vaḻiyiṉ mēṟkum

- teṉ-pāl( ellai Ū)r-puku-(vaḻiyiṉ vaṭakku)⟨6r2=66⟩m

- mēl-pāl ellai Ūr-puku-vaḻi niṉṟum vaṭakku nōkki nāṭṭukkālu(k)kē pōṉa
  va(ḻi)⟨6r3=67⟩yiṉ kiḻakkum

- vaṭa-pāl ellai nāṭṭukkālin teṟkum [|]

I¡ṉ!⟨n⟩-nāṉk’ ell¿e?⟨ai⟩ Akattu(m) ⟨6r3=68⟩ taḷi(yu)m Ēriyum vaḻipāṭu
ce¡yi!⟨y⟩vār⟨k⟩ku ma¡n!⟨ṉ⟩aiyum ma¡n!⟨ṉ⟩ai-p-paṭappu¡ṉ!⟨n⟩ nīkki
mik⟨69⟩ka nilamum cūḷaimēṭṭu-p-paṭṭiyum Oḻukkavikku viḷai nilam-āka
koṭuttu It⟨70⟩-taḷikku vēṇṭun tēvakaruma-navakarumañ ce¡yi!⟨y⟩vataṟkum
Irupatiṉmar caturppētika⟨71⟩ḷukku-p piramatēyaṅ koṭuppataṟkum
maṇayiṟ-kōṭṭattu-p paṉmā-nāṭṭu-p para⟨72⟩mēccura-maṅkalattuḷ Akappaṭṭa
vaḷ¿e?⟨ai⟩y⟨att⟩il cuṟṟu nilam Atta¡n!⟨ṉ⟩aiyum Irupa(t)⟨Page
6v⟩⟨6v8=80⟩... [paramēcu]⟨Page 7r⟩⟨7r1=81⟩vara-maṅ(·)kalat(·)tu
ni[la]m-āka Ik(·)-kāluḷ(·) kuṟ[·]ṟ-ē(tta) [ca. 20+] ⟨7r2=82⟩ maiyum·
nāṭ(ā)ḻ·c·ciyu(ṉ) nāṭ(·)ṭu-p(·) paṇ(·)ṇik(·)keyu(m) [ca. 20+] ⟨7r3=83⟩
... ⟨7r4=84⟩ ...⟨7r5=85⟩p-puṟam(·) {k(·)} koṇ·ṭu vaḻipāṭu
...⟨7r6=86⟩m(·) koṇ(·)ṭu pu ... ⟨7r7=87⟩ ... ⟨7r8=88⟩ ...⟨Page
7v⟩⟨7v1=89⟩k-kāt(·)tu koṭuk(·)ka ↝

23. Indravajrā

Asyā⟨ḥ⟩ praśaster avat [⏑–⏑–⏓]
[––⏑––⏑⏑–⏑–⏓]
somaś ca yasyās sahavāsa-bandhus
tra(ya) [⏑––⏑⏑–⏑–⏓]

24. Anuṣṭubh

[⏓⏓⏓⏓]hma-dattañ ca
dvidhā bhaktiñ ca pātu yaḥ
mac-chiram ma [⏑––⏓]
[⏓⏓⏓⏓⏑–⏑⏓]

25. Anuṣṭubh

[brahma-sva-pari⟨7v4=92⟩puṣṭāni]
vāhanāni mahīpate
yuddha-kāl(e) [viśīryante]
[saikatāḥ setavo yathā]

26. Anuṣṭubh

⟨7v5=93⟩ deva-svam br¿a?⟨ā⟩hmaṇa-svañ ca
lobhenopahin asti (ya)⟨ḥ⟩
[⏓⏓⏓⏓⏑––⏓]
[⏓⏓]⟨7v6=94⟩cchiṣṭena jīvati ↝

27. Anuṣṭubh

bhūmi-dānāt paran dānam
na bhūt¿o?⟨aṁ⟩ na bhavi[ṣyati]
[tasyaiva haraṇāt pāpaṁ]
[na] ⟨7v7=95⟩ bhūt¿o?⟨aṁ⟩ na bhaviṣyati ∥ ꩜ ∥

...

## Apparatus

### Plates

⟨6⟩ trayātmā ⬦ tra⟨y⟩yātmā SII1 • ...

⟨58⟩ kūramum ñammaṉampākkamu SII1 ⬦ kūramum ñ=Ammaṉampākkamu IP.

⟨59⟩ (ci) [4+] (ṇ)e SII1 ⬦ cirāvaṇai TPC.

⟨62⟩ ¡Ayi!⟨Ai⟩ntē kāl ⬦ Ayintekāl SII1; ¿ayi?⟨ai⟩ntēkāl IP.

⟨85⟩ ppuṟam(·) {k(·)} koṇ·ṭu ⬦ ppura(m)kkoṇṭu SII1; ppura(ma)k koṇṭu TPC
• Alternative reading: p-puṟam-⟨ā⟩ka koṇ·ṭu

⟨89⟩ avat ⬦ ava(tā) SII1; va(tā) B.

⟨91-92⟩ [brahma ... yathā] • Text restored after stanza 33 in Sircar’s
list (Sircar 1965, p. 181).

## Translation by Brocquet 1997

...

23.

...

24.

...

25.

O king, the mounts
[accrued from the wealth of brahmins]
[crumble] in time of war
[like dams/bridges made of sand].

26.

...

27.

A gift superior to the gift of land
There has not been and there won’t be.
[Therefore a sin ⟨superior⟩ to seizing it]
There has not been and there won’t be.

## Bibliography

Edited in Hultzsch 1890 (SII 1.151). Revised edition of plates 3-4 in
Hultzsch 1923–1924. Edited in Subrahmanian 1966. Text and summary in
Mahalingam 1988 (IP 46). Text and French translation in Brocquet 1997 (B
33). Visual documentation in SII 2 (plates XI-XII).

This revised edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on photos (2008, by
Emmanuel Francis, by courtesy of Chennai Government Museum).

### Primary

[SII1] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1890. South-Indian inscriptions,
Tamil and Sanskrit, from stone and copper-plate edicts at Mamallapuram,
Kanchipuram, in the North Arcot district, and other parts of the Madras
Presidency, chiefly collected in 1886-87. Volume I. South Indian
Inscriptions 1. Madras: Government Press.

[SII2] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor, V. Venkayya & H. Krishna Sastri.
1916. South-Indian inscriptions. Volume II. Tamil inscriptions in the
Rajarajesvara Temple at Tanjavur and other miscellaneous records of the
Chola, Pallava, Pandya and Vijayanagara dynasties. South Indian
Inscriptions 2. Madras: Government Press.

[EI] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1923–1924. “Revised text and
translation of two of the Kuram plates.” EI 17, pp. 340–344.

[TPC] Subrahmanian, T.N. 1966. Pallavar ceppēṭukaḷ muppatu / Thirty
Pallava Copper-Plates (Prior to 1000 A.D.) Madras: Tamil Varalatru
Kazhagam. [URL]. Pages 33–60.

[IP] Mahalingam, T. V. 1988. Inscriptions of the Pallavas. New Delhi;
Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Agam Prakashan. Pages
152–161, item 53.

[B] Brocquet, Sylvain. 1997. “Les inscriptions sanskrites des Pallava :
poésie, rituel, idéologie.” Thèse de doctorat, Université de la Sorbonne
Nouvelle. Paris. Pages 512–531, item 37.

### Secondary

Francis, Emmanuel. 2013. Le discours royal dans l’Inde du Sud ancienne :
inscriptions et monuments Pallava, IV^(ème)-IX^(ème) siècles. Tome I :
Introduction et sources. Publications de l’Institut orientaliste de
Louvain 64. Louvain-la-Neuve; Paris: Université catholique de Louvain,
Institut orientaliste; Peeters. Page 278, item IR 36.

Sircar, Dines Chandra. 1965. Indian epigraphy. Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass.