# SII 2.96: original edition by V. Venkayya

Emmanuel Francis

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

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv02p0i0096

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions)

File path: SII_B_clean/SII02/DHARMA_INSSIIv02p0i0096.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

Commit: 2026-11-14 15:07 (85a1dec), last modified 2026-09-29 11:08
(2b36d53)

## 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

## 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) [1+] ⟨5⟩ periyānā(na) kulottuṅ(ka)co⟨ḻamāra⟩⟨6⟩āyaṉum
nittaviṉotava(ḷa)nāṭ⟨ṭukki⟩⟨7⟩ḻāṟkūṟṟattukkiḷimaṅka(lat)tuk⟨kiḷimaṅ⟩⟨8⟩kalamuṭaiyān
karuṇāka(ra)nni [3+] ⟨9⟩ ṉṟānāna kulottuṅkac(o)ḻa [2+] ⟨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 [3+] ⟨19⟩ (ce)y(ta)
Eṅkaḷ pakaikaḷ E(ṟi)nta [3+] ⟨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 [9+] ⟨24⟩ kku
(O)ruvom [12+] ⟨25⟩ ṟaiyākkum va [1+] laya [10+] ⟨26⟩ tānatarmma(n) [9+]
⟨27⟩ m maṇāṭṭimā [8+]

## Translation by Venkayya 1913

Hail! Prosperity! In the 3rd year[2] (of the reign) of the emperor of
the three worlds, the [glorious Rā]jarājadēva, we two,—(viz.)
Kaḷḷikkuḍaiyāṉ[3] 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.

[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.