# SII 3.49: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Emmanuel Francis

Alternative title: V.—INSCRIPTIONS AT TIRUVALLAM. No. 49.—ON THE SOUTH
WALL OF THE BILVANATHESVARA SHRINE

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0049

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions)

File path: SII_B_clean/SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0049.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## Summary

This inscription belongs to the 7th year of the reign of
Rājarāja-Kēsarivarman, i.e. of the Chōḷa king Rājarāja I. It contains a
date which admits of astronomical calculation, and which has been
repeatedly discussed since its discovery in 1890.[1] Professor Kielhorn
has shown that it corresponds to the 26th September A.D. 991.[2]

The inscription records a visit to the temple by a certain
Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār, who caused one thousand jars of water to
be poured over the god. When he had finished his worship, he observed
that the offerings in the temple had been reduced to a minimum and that
the temple lamps were only feebly burning. He called for the authorities
of the temple and of the village and asked them for a detailed statement
of the temple revenue and expenditure.

Here unfortunately the inscription is built in. But from the preserved
portion it is evident that Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār, i.e.
Gaṇḍarāditya, the son of Madhurāntaka, must have been a person of high
standing and influence. He cannot be identical with the Chōḷa king
Gaṇḍarādityavarman, because the latter had died before the reign of
Ariṁjaya, the grandfather of Rājarāja I.[3] Perhaps he was an (otherwise
unknown) son of Madhurāntaka, the son of Gaṇḍarādityavarman and
immediate predecessor of Rājarāja I.[4]

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

## Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [∥] ko rājarājakesariva¿m?⟨r⟩ma¿ṟkku?⟨rkku⟩ yā(ṇ)ṭu 7
Āvatu paṭuvūr¿k(k)o?⟨kko⟩ṭṭattu (mī)yāṟunāṭṭu
t¿ikkā?⟨īkkā⟩livallattuttirutt¿i?⟨ī⟩kkāli Āḻvārai Ivvāṭṭe
Ayppacit⟨2⟩tiṅkaḷ pau¿n=na?⟨rṇa⟩māsiyum Irevatiyum peṟṟa viṣuv⟨att⟩il
somagrahaṇattiṉāṉṟu maturān=takaṉ kaṇṭarātittaṉār Āḻvārai
sahasraka(lai)camāṭṭuvikka va⟨3⟩n=tu tiruvaṭi toḻutu niṟka
Āḻvārk⟨4⟩kukkāṭṭukiṉṟa tiruvamurtum
Irunāḻiya(ri)⟨5⟩cittiruvamurtāyk=kaṟiyamurtuneyAmur⟨6⟩tu{m}n=tayiramurtum
Iṉṟiyey non=tā⟨7⟩viḷak=kum Ālasyamāyiruk=kak=kaṇṭu Itti⟨8⟩(ru)k=koyil
civabrāhmaṇaraiyum t¿ik=k?⟨īkk⟩ālival⟨9⟩lattu sabhaiyāraiyum Aḻaittu
It⟨t⟩(e)⟨va⟩⟨10⟩ruṭaiya Āyamum vyayamum
tiruvā(ṇai)k=ku{m}n=tiru⟨vo⟩⟨11⟩laik=kum Uriya vaṇṇañcollukaveṉṟu
viṉa⟨va civa⟩⟨12⟩brāhmaṇarum t¿i?⟨ī⟩kkālivallattu sabhaiyārum col [5+]

## Apparatus

⟨1⟩ svasti • The words svasti śrī ko rāja are written on an erasure.

## Translation by Hultzsch 1899

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 7th year (of the reign) of king
Rājarāja-Kēsarivarman,—on the day of an eclipse of the moon at the
equinox which corresponded to (the day of) Rēvatī and to the full-moon
tithi of the month of Aippaśi in this very year,—
Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār came in order to have one thousand jars of
water poured over (the god) Tiruttīkkāli-Āḻvār at Tīkkāli-Vallam in
Mīyāṟu-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Paḍuvūr-kōṭṭam, and worshipped the holy
feet (of the god).

(L. 3.) While (he) stood (in the temple), (he) observed that the
offerings presented to the Āḻvār were reduced to two nāḻi of rice, that
the offerings of vegetables, the offerings of ghee and the offerings of
curds had ceased, and that the perpetual lamps were neglected.

(L. 7.) (He) called for the Śiva-Brāhmaṇas of this sacred temple and the
members of the assembly of Tīkkāli-Vallam and asked:—“State the revenue
and expenditure of this temple, in accordance with the royal order and
the royal letter.”

(L. 11.) The [Śiva-]Brāhmaṇas and the members of the assembly of
Tīkkāli-Vallam . . . . . . . . . .

## Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.49 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 101–103,
item 49.

[1] Above, Vol. I. p. 169; Ind. Ant. Vol. XIX. p. 70 ff. and Vol. XXIII.
p. 297.

[2] Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 66 f.

[3] See line 50 of the large Leyden grant.

[4] See above, Vol. I. p. 112, and Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 331.