# Tiruveḷḷaṟai’s well, gnomic verse

Emmanuel Francis

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSPallava00525

Repository: Pallava (tfa-pallava-epigraphy)

File path: DHARMA_INSPallava00525.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## Summary

Gnomic verse.

## Palaeographic description

The puḷḷi is consistently used, although not for most of duplicated
consonants and sometimes unduly.

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## Edition

⟨1⟩ śrī

1. Āciriyaviruttam

kaṇ·ṭār kāṇā-v ulakattiṟ· kātal-a cey⟨·⟩tu nillātē{y}
paṇ·ṭē{y} paramaṉ paṭait·ta nāḷ pārttu niṉ·ṟu naiyyātē{y·}
⟨2⟩ taṇ·ṭ’ ār· mūp(·)pu van·t’ uṉ·ṉai-t· taḷara-c· cey·tu nillā muṉ·{ṉ}
uṇ·ṭ’ ēl{l} uṇ(·)ṭu mik(·)katu Ulakam·{m} aṟiya vaim(·)miṉ{·}ē{y}

## Apparatus

⟨1⟩ kātal-a ⬦ kātal SII • There is not puḷḷi on the final l. One could
concur with SII and emend kātala to kātal, or, alternatively, analyse,
without emending the original text, this word as kātal-a, an adjectival
form of kātal, “things related to love.”

## Translation by Subrahmanya Aiyar 1911–1912

Prosperity!

Without being ⟨passionately⟩ attached to this world where men seen
⟨today⟩ are not seen ⟨tomorrow⟩; without giving ⟨yourself⟩ up to despair
looking for the ⟨final⟩ day appointed by the Creator; and before your
⟨limbs⟩ become weak at the appearance of old age with its ⟨appendage of
a⟩ stick; if you have ⟨wealth⟩ maintain ⟨yourself⟩ and devote ⟨what
remains to charity⟩ so that ⟨all⟩ the world may know ⟨it⟩.

## Translation into French

⟨1⟩ Fortune !

1.

Dans ce monde que ne voient plus ceux qui ont vu, sans t’affairer à
l’amour[1],
Sans dépérir à penser[2] sans cesse au jour qu’a jadis fixé le Seigneur
suprême,
Avant de succomber[3] à la venue du vieil âge qui ressemble à un
bâton[4] et te fera décrépir[5],
Si tu as quelque chose en abondance[6], afin que le monde sache,
donne-le !

## Commentary

See also inscription Pallava 98.

In two instances, consonants are unduly duplicated at word sandhi (uṇṭ’
ēl{l}, ulakam{m}).

The particle -ē is consistently appended with a y (nillātē{y}, paṇṭē{y},
naiyyātē{y}, vaimmiṉē{y}). Subrahmanya Aiyar 1911–1912, p. 157, n. 7
notes: “In these four instances the final y seems to have been inserted
to represent the full sound produced in pronouncing the words.”

## Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1905–06 (ARIE/1905-1906/B/1905/541).

Edited in Subrahmanya Aiyar 1911–1912 (EI 11.15). Text and summary in
Mahalingam 1988 (IP 98).

This revised edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on autopsy, photos, and
visual documentation published in Subrahmanya Aiyar 1911–1912.

### Primary

[SII] Subrahmanya Aiyar, K. V. 1911–1912. “Tiruvellarai inscription of
Dantivarman.” EI 11, pp. 154–158.

[IP] Mahalingam, T. V. 1988. Inscriptions of the Pallavas. New Delhi;
Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Agam Prakashan. Pages
335–336, item 98.

### Secondary

ARIE 1905–06. G.O. No. 492, 2nd July 1906. Epigraphy. Recording the
annual report of the Assistant Archaeological Superintendent for
Epigraphy, Southern Circle, for the year 1905-1906, and directing that
the report be forwarded to the Government of India. Edited by V.
Venkayya. No place, 1906. Page 33, appendix B/1905, item 541.

[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
16, item 40.[7]

[1] Littéralement: sans t’arrêter à faire les choses de l’amour.

[2] Littéralement: à regarder.

[3] Littéralement: ne plus pouvoir tenir debout.

[4] Alternativement: un châtiment.

[5] Littéralement: le vieil âge étant venu … et t’ayant fait décrépir.

[6] Littéralement: ce qui est abondant et existe, s’il en est.

[7] Summary only.