# Nārttāmalai, time of Nr̥patuṅkavikramavarman, year 7

Emmanuel Francis

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSPallava00154

Repository: Pallava (tfa-pallava-epigraphy)

File path: DHARMA_INSPallava00154.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## Summary

Foundation of a temple (kōyil) and donation of land as arcanābhoga.

## Palaeographic description

No distinction between e and ē, nor between o and ō.

Medial i and ī not distinguished and interchangeable.

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## Edition

⟨Zone 1⟩ ⟨1⟩ (svasti śrī)

(kō-vicaiya-ni)rupat¡o!⟨u⟩ṅ[ka]-(vi)[kkirama-vanmaṟ]ku yāṇṭu Ēḻ-āvatu

viṭēlviṭuku mutta⟨2⟩(rai)yaṉ (ma)ka(ṉ) cāttam paḻ(i)yili kuṭaivitta
śrī-kōyil

Ic-ciri-kōyilu⟨3⟩(k)ku muka-maṇṭakamum I(ṣa)(vamum)
[Iṣa](va-k)-koṭ(ṭilu)m pali-p-p¡i!⟨ī⟩(ṭamum)⟨4⟩ceyvittā(ḷ) cātta(m)
[paḻiyili ma]kaḷ miṉavaṉ tamiḻ-atiyaraiya(ṉ-ā)ṉa pāl⟨5⟩laṉ
Aṉantaṉu(kku)-p pukka paḻiyili ciṟiya naṅkai _

⟨Zone 2⟩ ⟨6⟩ Ic-ciri-kō-¡I!⟨y-i⟩lukku A(r)cc¿i?⟨a⟩nā-bho(ga)t(tukku)
Aṇṇal[vā]⟨7⟩yiṟ-kūṟṟattu-p peru-viḷattūr-c cavaiñ cāttaṉ kāṇi-y-āṉa
mū-vēliyi⟨8⟩(l viḷai) ko(ṇṭa) kāṟ cē(y)yum Ev-vakai-p-paṭṭa I(ṟai)
Itaṉāl vantat’ e⟨9⟩l(lām) kōviṉukk’ av(i)-p-patuḷ ātu cavaiñ cāttaṉum
ivaṉ vaḻiyilāru¿pe?⟨m⟩ p¿a?⟨e⟩(ṟa/ra) ⟨Zone 3⟩ ⟨10⟩ [ka](ṭa)vat’ ākavum

Itu caṭai⟨ya⟩ṉum⟨11⟩[I]ṭ(ai)yūṟ ētum paṭaṉmurai kōvi⟨12⟩[ṉu]kku va(ru)m
Irupatt’ aiṅ-ka¿k?⟨ḻ⟩añcu po⟨13⟩[ṉ taṇṭaṅ kaṭavar ā](kavum)

paṭṭ-uṭaiya⟨14⟩ṉ U¿ḻ?⟨r⟩uttiraṉ tēyapukkikku-c ce⟨Zone 4⟩⟨15⟩yvittēṉ
paḻiyi⟨16⟩li ciṟiya naṅkai-¡Ē!⟨y-ē⟩ṉ

⟨17⟩ ppuṟapivi Īśvarattu-p pa⟨18⟩ṭṭ-uṭaiyāṉ uruttiraṉ tē⟨19⟩ya-pu⟨k⟩ku-c
ceyvi⟨t⟩tatu

⟨Zone 5⟩ ⟨20⟩ (I)t-tēvatāṉaṅ kātta⟨21⟩r aṭi Eṉ ṟalai (mēlaṉa)

## Apparatus

⟨1⟩ (svasti śrī) ⬦ svasti śrī IPS B&V; (svasti) śrī SII.

⟨2⟩ Iccirikōyilu⟨3⟩(k)ku ⬦ Iccirīkōyilu⟨3⟩(k)ku IPS.

⟨3⟩ palipp¡i!⟨ī⟩(ṭamum) ⬦ palippīṭamum IPS B&V; palippiṭamum SII.

⟨4⟩ ceyvittā(ḷ) ⬦ ceyvittāṉ IPS B&V; ceyvittā(ḷ) SII. — ⟨4⟩ cātta(m) ⬦
cāttam IPS B&V; cātt¿ā?⟨a⟩(m) SII. — ⟨4⟩ [ma]kaḷ ⬦ (ma)kaṉ IPS; makāṉ
B&V; (ma)kaḷ SII. — ⟨4⟩ pāl⟨5⟩laṉ ⬦ vā⟨5⟩laṉ IPS; mal⟨5⟩laṉ B&V;
pāl⟨5⟩laṉ SII.

⟨6⟩ Iccirikō¡I!⟨y-i⟩lukku ⬦ IccirīkōIlukku IPS; Iccirīkōyilukku B&V;
IccirikōIlukku SII.

⟨8⟩ (viḷai )ko(ṇṭa) ⬦ vilakova IPS; vilakōvā B&V; vi(lai) ko(ṇṭa) SII. —
⟨8⟩ kāṟ cē(y)yum ⬦ (I)kicaṟ ceyyum IPS; (i) kicar ceyyum B&V; kārceyyum
SII.

⟨9⟩ vaḻiyilāru¿pe?⟨m⟩ ⬦ vaḻiyilāru⟨m⟩ IPS SII; vaḷiyilārum B&V. — ⟨9⟩
p¿a?⟨e⟩(ṟa/ra) ⬦ pe(ṟa)k IPS SII; peṟak B&V.

⟨10⟩ caṭai⟨ya⟩ṉum ⬦ cuṭaiṉum IPS; kataiṉum B&V; caṭai⟨ya⟩ṉum SII • B&V
suggest it could be ketataiṉum as the first letter looks like ke.

⟨13⟩ paṭṭuṭaiya⟨14⟩ṉ ⬦ paṭṭuṭaiva⟨14⟩ṉ IPS B&V; paṭṭuṭaiyā⟨14⟩ṉ SII •
SII aligns with the spelling of the same word, lines 17-18.

⟨14⟩ U¿ḻ?⟨r⟩uttiraṉ ⬦ Ulutā tiraṉ IPS; Oḷutātiraṉ B&V; Uḷuttiraṉ SII.

⟨17⟩ ppuṟapivi ⬦ paḻaṟpili IPS; paḻiyi⟨li⟩ B&V; paḻiyili SII IP • SII
notes: “The -ī sign of ḻi is indicated on the side as in Vaṭṭeḻuttu
script.” — ⟨17⟩ Īśvarattup ⬦ Īśvarattup IPS B&V SII; B&V.

⟨18⟩ uruttiraṉ ⬦ uruttiraṉ IPS SII; urutiraṉ B&V; SII. — ⟨18⟩
tē⟨19⟩yapu⟨k⟩kuc ⬦ tē⟨19⟩y pukuc IPS; tē⟨19⟩yi pukuc B&V;
tē⟨19⟩yapu⟨k⟩kuc SII; IP.

⟨19⟩ ceyvi⟨t⟩tatu ⬦ ceyvitta[4+] IPS; ceyvitta B&V; ceyvi⟨t⟩tatu SII;
ceyvi(t)tatu IP.

## Translation

⟨1⟩ [Prosperity! Fortune!]

⟨1⟩ Seventh year of the victorious king
(Ni)rupatoṅ[ka](vi)[kkiramavanmaṉ][1]

⟨1–2⟩ ⟨This is⟩ the glorious temple that Cāttam Paḻiyili, son of
Viṭeḷviṭuku Muttaraiyaṉ, had made carved out.

⟨2–5⟩ She who has, for this glorious temple, a front hall, a r̥ṣabha, a
hall for the r̥ṣabha and an altar made ⟨is⟩ the daughter of Cāttam
Paḷiyili, ⟨that is⟩, Paḻiyili Ciṟiya Naṅkai … (pukka) fo Pāllaṉ Aṉantāṉ

⟨6–10⟩ For this glorious temple, for ⟨its⟩ arcanābhoga, let it be that
should be obtained a quarter cēy bought ...

⟨10–13⟩ Let it be that those who ... should ⟨receive⟩ a fine of
twenty-five kaḻañcus of gold ...

⟨13–16⟩ I, Paḻiyili Ciṟiya Naṅkai have this made as for ...
(tēyapukkikku) ⟨of⟩ the priest Uruttiraṉ.[2]

⟨17–19⟩ It has been made ... (tēyapukku) ⟨of⟩ the priest Uruttiraṉ.

⟨20–21⟩ The feet of he who protects this devadāna are on my head.

## Commentary

The beginning of lines 1-5 is severely damaged and nowadays hardly
legible.

The lines 20-21 have not been previously noticed.

## Bibliography

Edited in Vaidyanatha Aiyar & Swaminatha Aiyar 1929 (IPS 19). Translated
in Srinivasa Aiyar 1941 (IPS 19). Edited in Balasubrahmanyan &
Venkataranga Raju 1934 (without marking alveolar ṉ). Edited in
Venkatasubba Ayyar & Krishnamacharlu 1943. Text (mainly after
Venkatasubba Ayyar & Krishnamacharlu 1943) and summary in Mahalingam
1988 (IP 154).

This revised edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on photos.

### Primary

[IPS] Vaidyanatha Aiyar, V. S. & N. Swaminatha Aiyar. 1929. Inscriptions
(texts) of the Pudukkottai state arranged according to dynasties.
Pudukkottai: Pudukkottai Darbar. Page 11, item 19.

[IPS] Srinivasa Aiyar, K. R. 1941. Inscriptions in the Pudukkóttai
state: translated into English. Part I: Early, Pallava and Cola
inscriptions. Pudukkottai: Pudukkottai Darbar. Pages 20–21, item 19.

[B&V] Balasubrahmanyan, S. R. & K. Venkataranga Raju. 1934. “Narttāmalai
and its temples. Part II: the early cave-temples in the Melamalai.”
Journal of Oriental Research Madras 8 (1), pp. 24–30. Pages 29–30.

[SII] 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
26, item 63.

[IP] Mahalingam, T. V. 1988. Inscriptions of the Pallavas. New Delhi;
Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Agam Prakashan. Pages
452–453, item 154.

### 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. Page 12, appendix A/1904, item
365.

Vaidyanatha Aiyar, V. S. & Swaminatha Aiyar, N. P. 1929. Chronological
list of inscriptions of the Pudukkóttai state arranged according to
dynasties. Pudukkottai: Pudukkottai Darbar. Page 2, item 19.

Krishnan, K. G. 1964. South-Indian inscriptions. Volume XVII:
Inscriptions collected during the year 1903-04. South Indian
Inscriptions 17. Delhi: Archaeological survey of India (Manager of
Publications). Page 169, item 395.

[1] Sanskrit Nr̥patuṅkavikramavarman.

[2] That is, a Tamil tadbhava of Sanskrit Rudra.