# SII 3.47: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Emmanuel Francis

Alternative title: V.—INSCRIPTIONS AT TIRUVALLAM. No. 47.—ON THE WEST
WALL OF THE BILVANATHESVARA SHRINE

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0047

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions)

File path: SII_B_clean/SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0047.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## Summary

This inscription and No. 48 are written continuously, the first few
words of No. 48 occupying the end of line 4 of No. 47. At the beginning
of No. 47 it is stated that both inscriptions are copies of earlier
stone inscriptions, and that these copies were made when the central
shrine of the temple was pulled down. This is the reason why the
alphabets of Nos. 47 and 48 are more developed than that of No. 46,
though No. 46 records a grant by a queen of the same king as Nos. 47 and
48. In No. 47 she bears the title Vāṇamahādēvī, i.e. ‘the great queen of
the Bāṇa (king).’ As the queen mentioned in No. 46, she is stated to
have been the consort of the Bāṇa king Vāṇavidyādhara. She was the
daughter of Pratipati-Araiyar, the son of Śivamahārāja-Perumāṉaḍigaḷ,
who had the surnames Śrīnātha and Kokuṉi.[1] This word is a variant or a
corruption of Koṅguṇi, the title of the Western Gaṅga kings,[2] and the
name Pratipati is a corruption or, more probably, a misreading of the
copyist for Pṛithvīpati. Hence I would identify Pratipati, the son of
Śivamahārāja, with the Western Gaṅga king Pṛithivīpati I., who was the
son of Śivamāra[3] and the contemporary of the Rāshṭrakūṭa king
Amōghavarsha I.[4] and of the Gaṅga-Pallava king
Vijaya-Nṛipatuṅgavikramavarman.[5] The name of the residence of
Śivamahārāja was Kuṇilapura according to No. 47, and Nipuṇilapura
according to No. 48. Both forms of the word are clearly misreadings of
the engraver for Kuvaḷālapura, the modern Kōlār, which was the
traditional capital of the Gaṅga family.[6]

The Udayēndiram plates of Vikramāditya II. mention a Bāṇa chief named
Bāṇavidyādhara. This person must be distinct from the Vāṇavidyādhara of
the subjoined inscription, because he stood two generations before
Vikramāditya I., the contemporary of Vijaya-Nandivikramavarman[7] and
consequently of Amōghavarsha I.,[8] while Vāṇavidyādhara was the
son-in-law of Pṛithivīpati I., another contemporary of Amōghavarsha I.
An inscription at Gūlgānpode opens with a Sanskrit verse which
attributes to the Bāṇa king Vikramāditya-Jayamēru the surname of
Bāṇavidyādhara.[9] Dr. Fleet[10] proposes to identify this Vikramāditya
with the Vikramāditya I. of the Udayēndiram plates and with the
Vāṇavidyādhara of the subjoined inscription. This identification would
suit the fact that Vāṇavidyādhara’s queen was the daughter of
Pṛithivīpati I.

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

## Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [∥] śrīvimāṉam I(ḻi)ttuvataṟ(ku) mu(ṉ)puḷḷa
(ci)lālekaippaṭiy [∥]
sakalajaga⟨t⟩(tra)yā¿d?⟨bh⟩iva(ndi)tasurāsurā(dhī)śaparameśvarapratihārīk¿a?⟨ṛta⟩mahā¿va?⟨ba⟩likulo⟨d⟩(bha)vavāṇavidyādha⟨ra⟩rāyarāṉa
vāṇarāyar mahādeviyār
ko¿ku?⟨ṁgu⟩¿ṉ?⟨ṇ⟩idha⟨r⟩mmamahārāja(ku)(ṇi)lapurapara⟨2⟩meśvararāṉa
śrī{ri}nāthaśrīma¿naśi?⟨cchi⟩vamahārājapperumāṉaṭikaḷ makaṉ(ār)
pratipatiArai(ya)r ma(kaḷ)ār vāṇamahādeviyār tīk=kālipperumāṉaṭikaḷuk=ku
non=tāviḷak=ku Oṉṟiṉuk=ku Itt¿ik=k?⟨īkk⟩ālivallattu
sabhaiyārk=kuk=kuṭutta ce⟨3⟩mpoṉ Irupatiṉ kaḻa(ñ)cu [|]
Ippoṉṉuk=kuppoliyūṭṭu nicatam Uriy ney Oruviḷak=kuk=ku Aṭṭuvomāṉom
sabhaiyom [|] Iṉṉey can¿t?⟨d⟩rādi¿t=t?⟨ty⟩avaṟ muṭṭāmai Aṭṭuvomāṉom [|]
muṭṭil panmāhēśvarare nicati Ai¿ñ?⟨ṅ⟩kaḻañcu poṉ manṟavoṭṭik=kuṭuttom
[|] ⟨4⟩ Ittaṇṭappaṭṭum ney muṭṭāmai Aṭṭuvomānom sabhaiyom [|] Itaṉṟeṉṟom
geṅgaiyiṭaik=kumariyiṭaicceytār ce⟨y⟩ta pāvaṅkoḷvār [|] Iddhanmmam
panmāheśvararakṣai [|] Iddha⟨r⟩mmam rakṣittāraṭiyeṉ muṭi melaṉa ∥௳

## Translation by Hultzsch 1899

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! (The following is) a copy of a stone
inscription which existed before the sacred vimāna (i.e. the central
shrine) had been pulled down.

Vāṇamahādēvī,—the daughter of Pratipati-Araiyar, the son of Ko[ṅg]u[ṇ]i,
the righteous Mahārāja, the supreme lord of Kuṇilapura,[11] alias
Śrīnātha, the glorious Śivamahārāja-Perumāṉaḍigaḷ, (and) the great queen
of Vāṇavidyādha[ra]rāya, alias Vāṇarāya, 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,— gave to
the members of the assembly of this Tīkkāli-Vallam twenty kaḻañju of
pure gold for (maintaining) one perpetual lamp before (the god)
Tīkkāli-Perumāṉaḍigaḷ.

(L. 3.) (As) interest on this gold, we, the assembly, shall have to
supply (one) uri of ghee per day for one lamp. This ghee we shall have
to supply without fail as long as the moon and the sun exist. If (we)
fail (to do so), we agree that all the Māhēśvaras (among us) shall pay
as fine five kaḻañju of gold per day. Though fined thus, we, the
assembly, shall (continue) to supply the ghee without fail. Those of us,
who say that this is not (so), shall incur (all) the sins committed
between the Gaṅgā and Kumari.

(L. 4.) “This charity (is placed under) the protection of all
Māhēśvaras. The feet of those who protect this charity, (shall be) on my
head.”

## Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.47 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 98–100,
item 47.

[1] In No. 48, text line 2, this word appears as Goguṉidha[r]ma,
evidently a misreading of the copyist for Koṅguṇivarman.

[2] See Ep. Ind. Vol. III. p. 164, note 3.

[3] This name is perhaps a corruption of Śivamārāja, the Tamil form of
Śivamahārāja.

[4] Above, Vol. II. p. 380 f.

[5] Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 182.

[6] See above, Vol. II. p. 380, note 7, and Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 200,
note 1.

[7] See page 90 above.

[8] See page 92 above.

[9] Ind. Ant. Vol. X. p. 39, No. II.

[10] I am again quoting from a manuscript which he has kindly sent to
me; see above, p. 92, note 8.

[11] This is a mistake of the copyist for Kuvaḷālapura; see p. 99 above.