SII 2.96: original edition by V. Venkayya

Alternative title: “No. 96. IN THE SECOND GOPURA OF THE TEMPLE, RIGHT OF ENTRANCE. No. 23 of 1897.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: The subjoined inscription is dated in the 3rd year of the reign of Tribhuvanachakravartin Rājarājadēva, i.e. Rājarāja III. It does not record any gift, but registers a political compact entered into by three chiefs of the Chōḷa country to be faithful to the king and to stand by each other. The compact shows that the Chōḷa country was disturbed, perhaps by internal dissensions and that the Chōḷa capital Tanjore was not free from them. As this is dated in the 3rd year of Rājarāja III., it may be presumed that the Chōḷa country became disturbed already towards the end of the reign of Kulōttuṅga III. Two such compacts belonging to about the same period are registered at Śeṅgama in the South Arcot District.¹

By Ulaguḍaiya-Nāyaṉār Śrīpādam (l. 13 f. and 17 f.) Rājarāja III. is probably meant.

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

Repository: South Indian Inscriptions (Original Edition) (south-indian-inscriptions).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv02p0i0096.

File path: SII02/DHARMA_INSSIIv02p0i0096.xml.

Version: 2026-05-13 11:59 (0b66879), last modified 2026-05-10 13:36 (9e3677a).

Edition

⟨1⟩ (svasti śrī) [∥] (tri)bhuva(na)ccakkarava⟨ttikaḷ śrīrā⟩-
⟨2⟩ jarājade(var)kku yāṇṭu 3 ḷ pā(ṇ)⟨ṭikulā⟩-
⟨3⟩ caṉivaḷanāṭṭu(p)puṟakkiḷi(yūr)nā⟨ṭṭuk⟩-
⟨4⟩ kaḷḷikku(ṭi)kkaḷḷikkuṭai(y)āṉ (va) [*]
⟨5⟩ periyānā(na) kulottuṅ(ka)co⟨ḻamāra⟩-
⟨6⟩ āyaṉum nittaviṉotava(ḷa)nāṭ⟨ṭukki⟩-
⟨7⟩ ḻāṟkūṟṟattukkiḷimaṅka(lat)tuk⟨kiḷimaṅ⟩-
⟨8⟩ kalamuṭaiyān karuṇāka(ra)nni [***]
⟨9⟩ ṉṟānāna kulottuṅkac(o)ḻa [**]
⟨10⟩ ṉma(mārā)yaṉum Ivviruvo⟨m nā⟩-
⟨11⟩ ṅkaḷ Uṭaiyār rājar(ā)jaĪ⟨śvaramu⟩-
⟨12⟩ ṭaiyār koyilil kalveṭṭiṉapa(ṭi)yāvatu ⟨∥⁓ nāṅka⟩-
⟨13⟩ ḷ Iraṇṭu tiṟattomum Ulakuṭ(ai)yaṉā⟨yaṉār⟩
⟨14⟩ śrīpātattukku cuttamalivaḷan(ā)ṭṭu ve(ṇ)⟨ṇikkū⟩-
⟨15⟩ ṟṟattucciṟumaṅkalattucciṟumaṅkala⟨muṭai⟩-
⟨16⟩ yān vannikoḷariyāṉa kulottuṅ⟨ka co⟩-
⟨17⟩ ḻapperayaṉum Immuvomum Ula⟨kuṭaiya⟩-
⟨18⟩ nāyanār śrīpātam piḻaiyā(mai)niṉ [***]
⟨19⟩ (ce)y(ta) Eṅkaḷ pakaikaḷ E(ṟi)nta [***]
⟨20⟩ kkaṭavomākavu(m) E(ṅkaḷil) O⟨ruvaṉuk⟩-
⟨21⟩ ku vanta pakai mu(vomukkum pa)⟨kai Āva⟩-
⟨22⟩ tākavum Oruvarkku va(nta) ⟨Uṟavu muvarkku⟩-
⟨23⟩ m Uṟavāvutākavum [*********]
⟨24⟩ kku (O)ruvom [************]
⟨25⟩ ṟaiyākkum va [*] laya [**********]
⟨26⟩ tānatarmma(n) [*********]
⟨27⟩ m maṇāṭṭimā [********]

Translation by Venkayya 1913

Hail! Prosperity! In the 3rd year² (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the [glorious Rā]jarājadēva, we two,—(viz.) Kaḷḷikkuḍaiyāṉ³ Va . . . Periyāṉ alias Kulōttuṅga-Śō[ṛa-Mārā]yaṉ of Kaḷḷikkuḍi in Puṟakkiḷiyūrnāḍu, (a subdivision) of Pāṇ[ḍyakulā]śani-vaḷanāḍu and [Kiḷimaṅ]galamuḍaiyāṉ Karuṇākaraṉ . . . . . . . alias Kulōttuṅga-Śōṛa . . nma-mārāyaṉ of Kiḷimaṅgalam in [Ki]ṛār-kūṟṟam, (a subdivision) of Nittavinōda-vaḷanāḍu,— engraved the following (agreement) on stone in the temple of the lord Rājarāja-Ī[śvaramu]ḍaiyār:—[We] of both parties and Śiṟumaṅgala[muḍai]yāṉ Vanni-Kōḷari alias Kulōttuṅ[ga-Śō]ṛa-pērayaṉ of Śiṟumaṅgalam in Veṇ[ṇi-kū]ṟṟam, (a subdivision) of Śuttamali-vaḷanāḍu—these three of us will not disobey His Majesty Ulaguḍaiya-Nā[yaṉār]⁴ . . . . . . . . . . (LI. 19-23) . . . . . our enemies . . . . . one who becomes an enemy of (any) one of us shall be the enemy of (all) three of us; and one who becomes a friend of (any) one (of us) shall be the friend of (all) three (of us).

[The rest of the inscription is too fragmentary to be translated.]

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 2.96 by Venkayya 1913 converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SII] Venkayya, V. 1913. South-Indian inscriptions. Volume II: Tamil inscriptions of Rajaraja, Rajendra-chola, and others in the Rajarajesvara temple at Tanjavur. Part IV: Other inscriptions of the temple. South Indian Inscriptions 2.4. Madras: Government Press. Pages 497–498, item 96.

Notes

1. See the Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1899-00, paragraphs 32 and 33.
2. The syllable ḷ added after the figure 3 has probably to be taken as an abbreviation of the word nāḷ which must mean ‘time’, as the number of the day of the year is not specified.
3. See my remarks on p. 459 above, note 1.
4. The words ulakuṭaiya nāyaṉār śrīpātam are repeated unnecessarily in l. 17f. What remains of ll. 18 and 19 does not furnish any complete sentence.

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<title>SII 2.96: original edition by V. Venkayya</title>

<title type="alt">No. 96. IN THE SECOND GOPURA OF THE TEMPLE, RIGHT OF ENTRANCE. No. 23 of 1897.</title>

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<p>The subjoined inscription is dated in the 3rd year of the reign of <hi rend="bold">Tribhuvanachakravartin Rājarājadēva</hi>, <hi rend="italic">i.e.</hi> <hi rend="bold">Rājarāja</hi> III. It does not record any gift, but registers a political compact entered into by three chiefs of the <hi rend="bold">Chōḷa</hi> country to be faithful to the king and to stand by each other. The compact shows that the <hi rend="bold">Chōḷa</hi> country was disturbed, perhaps by internal dissensions and that the <hi rend="bold">Chōḷa</hi> capital <hi rend="bold">Tanjore</hi> was not free from them. As this is dated in the 3rd year of <hi rend="bold">Rājarāja</hi> III., it may be presumed that the <hi rend="bold">Chōḷa</hi> country became disturbed already towards the end of the reign of <hi rend="bold">Kulōttuṅga</hi> III. Two such compacts belonging to about the same period are registered at <hi rend="bold">Śeṅgama</hi> in the South Arcot District.<note>See the <hi rend="italic">Annual Report</hi> on Epigraphy for 1899-00, paragraphs 32 and 33.</note> </p>

<p>By <hi rend="bold">Ulaguḍaiya-Nāyaṉār Śrīpādam</hi> (l. 13 f. and 17 f.) <hi rend="bold">Rājarāja</hi> III. is probably meant.</p>

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<p>Hail! Prosperity! In the 3rd year<note>The syllable <foreign>ḷ</foreign> added after the figure 3 has probably to be taken as an abbreviation of the word <foreign>nāḷ</foreign> which must mean ‘time’, as the number of the day of the year is not specified.</note> (<hi rend="italic">of the reign</hi>) of the emperor of the three worlds, the [glorious <hi rend="bold">Rā</hi>]<hi rend="bold">jarājadēva</hi>, we two,—(<hi rend="italic">viz.</hi>) <hi rend="bold">Kaḷḷikkuḍaiyāṉ</hi><note>See my remarks on p. 459 above, note 1.</note> <hi rend="bold">Va . . . Periyāṉ</hi> <hi rend="italic">alias</hi> <hi rend="bold">Kulōttuṅga-Śō[ṛa-Mārā]yaṉ</hi> of <hi rend="bold">Kaḷḷikkuḍi</hi> in <hi rend="bold">Puṟakkiḷiyūrnāḍu</hi>, (<hi rend="italic">a subdivision</hi>) of <hi rend="bold">Pāṇ[ḍyakulā]śani-vaḷanāḍu</hi> and <hi rend="bold">[Kiḷimaṅ]galamuḍaiyāṉ Karuṇākaraṉ</hi> . . . . . . . <hi rend="italic">alias</hi> <hi rend="bold">Kulōttuṅga-Śōṛa . . nma-mārāyaṉ</hi> of <hi rend="bold">Kiḷimaṅgalam</hi> in <hi rend="bold">[Ki]ṛār-kūṟṟam</hi>, (<hi rend="italic">a subdivision</hi>) of <hi rend="bold">Nittavinōda-vaḷanāḍu</hi>,— engraved the following (agreement) on stone in the temple of the lord <hi rend="bold">Rājarāja-Ī[śvaramu]ḍaiyār:</hi>—[We] of both parties and <hi rend="bold">Śiṟumaṅgala[muḍai]yāṉ Vanni-Kōḷari</hi> <hi rend="italic">alias</hi> <hi rend="bold">Kulōttuṅ[ga-Śō]ṛa-pērayaṉ</hi> of <hi rend="bold">Śiṟumaṅgalam</hi> in <hi rend="bold">Veṇ[ṇi-kū]ṟṟam</hi>, (<hi rend="italic">a subdivision</hi>) of <hi rend="bold">Śuttamali-vaḷanāḍu</hi>—these three of us will not disobey His Majesty <hi rend="bold">Ulaguḍaiya-Nā[yaṉār]</hi><note>The words <foreign>ulakuṭaiya nāyaṉār <hi rend="grantha">śrī</hi>pātam</foreign> are repeated unnecessarily in l. 17f. What remains of ll. 18 and 19 does not furnish any complete sentence.</note> . . . . . . . . . . (LI. 19-23) . . . . . our enemies . . . . . one who becomes an enemy of (<hi rend="italic">any</hi>) one of us shall be the enemy of (<hi rend="italic">all</hi>) three of us; and one who becomes a friend of (<hi rend="italic">any</hi>) one (<hi rend="italic">of us</hi>) shall be the friend of (<hi rend="italic">all</hi>) three (<hi rend="italic">of us</hi>).</p>

<p>[The rest of the inscription is too fragmentary to be translated.]</p>

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<p>Digital edition of SII 2.96 by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Venkayya1913_01"/></bibl> converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.</p>

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