# SII 3.44: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Emmanuel Francis

Alternative title: V.—INSCRIPTIONS AT TIRUVALLAM. No. 44.—ON THE NORTH
WALL OF THE MAHAMANDAPA IN THE BILVANATHESVA A TEMPLE

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0044

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions)

File path: SII_B_clean/SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0044.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## Summary

As stated in the introductory remarks to No. 43, the subjoined
inscription was copied from an earlier stone inscription when the
maṇḍapa of the temple was pulled down and re-erected. It is dated in the
Śaka year 810 (in words, l. 4 f.) and in the time of a Bāṇa chief who is
not mentioned by name, but only by his title Mahāvalivāṇarāja (l. 3 f.).

The inscription records that a Brāhmaṇa of Eṭṭukkūr near Kāvirippākkam
(ll. 10 to 12) paid 25 kaḻañju of gold to the villagers of Vaṉṉipēḍu
(ll. 5 and 19), who, in return, pledged themselves to supply oil to a
lamp in the temple. Kāvirippākkam is the modern Kāvēripākkam,[1] and
Vaṉṉipēḍu is the modern Vaṉṉivēḍu,[2] about a mile south of Wālājāpēṭ.
At the time of the inscription Vaṉṉipēḍu belonged to Kārai-nāḍu, a
subdivision of the district of Paḍuvūr-kōṭṭam (l. 5). Kārai-nāḍu owes
its name to Kārai,[3] a village on the north of Rāṇipēṭ.

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

## Edition

⟨1⟩ (sva)sti (śrī) [∥] ⟨2⟩
sakalajaka(tra)yāti(va)n=titasur(ā)surādhīśa⟨3⟩{pura}(pa)rameśvarapratih(ārī)kṛtamahāvali⟨4⟩vā¿ṉ?⟨ṇ⟩arā(ja)r
(caka)r yāṇṭu Eṇ(ṇū)ṟṟorupatāva⟨5⟩tu paṭuvūrk=koṭṭattuk=kāraināṭ(ṭu)
vann¡ī!⟨i⟩peṭākiya ⟨6⟩ Iraṇavikramaccatu(r)vvetimaṅkalattu sa⟨7⟩bhaiyom
Ik=koṭṭattu
m¿i?⟨ī⟩yāṟunāṭṭu(tti)k=kā⟨8⟩livallattuttiruttīk=kālipperumānaṭikaḷuk=ku
⟨9⟩ cantrātit(ta)val (Orutirununtāviḷak=ku Eri)ppataṟk=ku nica⟨10⟩tam
Uḻak=kāḻākk(e)ṇṇaiyaṭṭuvataṟkku Ik=koṭṭattuk=kāvi⟨11⟩rippāk=kamākiya
A¿(ma)?⟨va⟩ninārāyaṇaccatu(r)vvetimaṅkalattuk=ki⟨12⟩ḻvaṭaceri
Eṭṭu(k=kū)r mātavakramavittaṉ pak(ka)l dhanmakaṭṭaḷai⟨13⟩ttu(ḷai) niṟai
Irupattaiṅka(ḻa)ñcu po(ṉ) koṇṭu cantrāti⟨14⟩ttava(l) Erippat(ā)ka
I⟨t⟩dhanmam muṭṭāmai celut(tu)vo⟨15⟩mā(n)om sabhai(y)omi⟨t⟩(dha)nmam
muṭṭil dhanmāsanatt⟦u⟧⟨⟨i⟩⟩⟨16⟩(l)e nicatam (Aiṅ)kaḻañcu poṉ
panmāheśva⟨17⟩rare maṉṟap(p)eṟuva(t)āka(vu)m [|] Immaṉṟupāṭi(ṟu)⟨18⟩ttum
(I)t(ti)runantā(vi)ḷakku (mu)ṭṭ(ām)ai⟨19⟩cceluttuvom(ā)ṉom
vaṉ(ṉi)peṭā(kiya)
raṇa(vi)kkiramaccat¿i?⟨u⟩rvve(ti)ma⟨20⟩ṅ(ka)lattuccav(ai)y(o)m [|]
(I)taṟku vir(o)tañceytār keṅ⟨21⟩kaiyiṭaikkumariṭaicceytār ceyta
pā(va)ṅkoḷvār [|] ⟨22⟩ Itu pa⟨23⟩(nm)āhe⟨24⟩śvara¿ra?⟨r·⟩ ra⟨25⟩kṣai
⟨26⟩ ∥⁓∥௳

## Apparatus

⟨2⟩ sakalajaka(tra)yāti(va)n=tita° • Read jagattrayābhivandita.

⟨3⟩ °kṛtamahāvali° • Between kṛta and mahāvali the engraver has omitted
the words mahābalikulodbhava.

⟨5⟩ vannī • Read vanni (i.e. vaṉṉi).

⟨6⟩ catu(r)vveti • Read caturvedi.

⟨7⟩ (tti)k=kā • Read tīkkā.

⟨11⟩ A(ma)ninārāyaṇaccatu(r)vveti • Read Avaninārāyaṇacaturvedi. — ⟨11⟩
k=ki⟨12⟩ḻ • Read kkī⟨12⟩ḻ.

## Translation by Hultzsch 1899

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! (During the reign of)
Mahāvalivāṇarāja,—[born from the family of Mahābali], who had been made
door-keeper by the lord of gods and demons, Paramēśvara (Śiva), who is
worshipped in all the three worlds,—in the Śaka year eight hundred and
ten,—we, the assembly of Vaṉṉipēḍu, alias
Raṇavikrama-chaturvēdimaṅgalam, in Kārai-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of
Paḍuvūr-kōṭṭam, received twenty-five kaḻañju of gold, weighed by the
balance (used in the case) of charitable edicts,[4] from
Mādhava-Kramavittaṉ of Eṭṭukkūr, a hamlet on the north-east of
Kāvirippākkam, alias A[va]ninārāyaṇa-chaturvēdimaṅgalam, in the same
kōṭṭam, in order to supply (one) uḻakku (and one) āḻākku of oil per day
for burning one sacred perpetual lamp, as long as the moon and the sun
exist, before (the god) Tiruttīkkāli-Perumāṉaḍigaḷ of Tīkkāli-Vallam in
Mīyāṟu-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of the same kōṭṭam.

(L. 13.) We, the assembly, shall have to continue this charity without
fail, so as to burn (the lamp) as long as the moon and the sun exist.

(L. 15.) If (they) fail in this charity, all the Māhēśvaras shall be
liable to pay into court[5] a fine[6] of five kaḻañju of gold per day.

(L. 17.) Though paying this fine, we, the assembly of Vaṉṉipēḍu, alias
Raṇavikrama-chaturvēdimaṅgalam, shall have to continue this sacred
perpetual lamp without fail.

(L. 20.) Those who obstruct this (charity), shall incur (all) the sins
committed between the Gaṅgā and Kumari.[7]

(L. 22.) This (charity is placed under) the protection of all
Māhēśvaras.

## Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.44 by Hultzsch 1899 converted to DHARMA
conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

### Primary

[SII] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1899. South-Indian inscriptions.
Volume III: Miscellaneous inscriptions from the Tamil country. Part I:
Inscriptions at Ukkal, Melpadi, Karuvur, Manimangalam and Tiruvallam.
South Indian Inscriptions 3.1. Madras: Government Press. Pages 95–96,
item 44.

[1] No. 91 on the Madras Survey Map of the Wālājāpēṭ tāluka of the North
Arcot district.

[2] No. 68 on the same map.

[3] No. 21 on the same map.

[4] See page 30 above.

[5] Compare above, No. 7, text line 5.

[6] On the verb maṉṟu, ‘to pay a fine,’ see above, p. 51, note 4.

[7] See above, p. 3 and note 8.