# SII 3.56: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Emmanuel Francis

Alternative title: V.—INSCRIPTIONS AT TIRUVALLAM. No. 56.—ON THE SOUTH
WALL OF THE MAHAMANDAPA IN THE BILVANATHESVARA TEMPLE

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0056

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions)

File path: SII_B_clean/SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0056.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## Summary

This inscription is incomplete. Of the five lines which are preserved I
am publishing only the two first ones. It is dated in the 2nd year of
the reign of Rājakēsarivarman, alias Rājamahēndradēva, and records that
a military officer purchased 800 kuḻi (l. 4) of land from the
inhabitants of Tiruvallam and granted them to the temple.

On page 32 above it has been stated that the Kaliṅgattu-Paraṇi and
Vikkirama-Śōḻaṉ-Ulā mention two Chōḷa kings who have not yet been
identified. The first of them reigned between Rājēndra and Vīrarājēndra
I., and the second between Vīrarājēndra I. and Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷa I. In
the introductory remarks to No. 57 it will be shown that the second king
is identical with Parakēsarivarman, alias Adhirājēndradēva. Hence the
only king who remains to be identified is the successor of Rājēndra and
predecessor of Vīrarājēndra I. He may be identified provisionally with
Rājakēsarivarman, alias Rājamahēndradēva, to whose 2nd year the
subjoined inscription belongs. In favour of this identification it may
be mentioned that the subjoined inscription praises him for guiding the
goddess of the earth on the path of Manu, while the Kaliṅgattu-Paraṇi
(viii. 28) speaks of “the Chōḷa who dispensed justice three or four
times better than the ancient Manu,”[1] and that an inscription of the
9th year of Rājēndra mentions among the boundaries of a village “the
road of Rājamahēndra.”[2] Perhaps Rājamahēndra was the co-regent of
Rājēndra.

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## Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [∥] tirumakaḷ (vi)ḷaṅkavirunila(ma)ṭa(ntai)yai O(ru)kuṭai
ni(ḻa)ṟkiḻ¿i?⟨ī⟩¿n?⟨ṉ⟩it¿i?⟨u⟩ niṟpa (pu)ṇarn=tu ta(ru)maneṟi niṟppa
(ma)ṉun(e)ṟi (ṉa)ṭāttiya (k)ovirājakecarivanmarāna Uṭaiyār
śrīrājamahentra(d)e(va)rkku yāṇṭu 2 Āvatu
jayaṅ(ko)ṇṭacoḻamaṇ(ṭa)la(t)tuppe(ru)mpā(ṇa)ppāṭikkaraivaḻittiruvallattu
sa(bh)aiy(o)m nilavi(lai)yāvaṇa(k)kaiyye(ḻu)ttu [|]
(Aru)m(o)ḻitevavaḷanāṭṭu Iṅ(ka)ṇāṭṭu Iṅka(ṇūru)ṭaiyān caṅkaraṉ
kaṇṭa⟨2⟩rāti(t)tanārāṉa senāpati(ka)ḷ rājarājaccoḻiyavaraiyar pakkal
nāṅkaḷ koṇṭa A(ṉ)ṟāṭu naṟkācu Aṟupattu nālināṟkāconṟukkukkuṭinaṟkal
niṟai ce(m)mai pon E(ḻu)mañcāṭiyāka van=ta pon Irupa(t)tirukaḻañce Eṭṭu
mañcāṭiyu(m Eṅ)ka(ḷū)rttiruvalla(mu)ṭaiya (ma)hādevarātidāsan
caṇḍe(śva)radevar pak=kal Ippo(n) Irupattirukaḻañce Eṭṭu
ma(ñ)cāṭiyuṅkoṇṭu (nā)ṅkaḷ (viṟ)kiṟa bhūmi rājen=tira⟨3⟩coḻapp(e)reri
k¿i?⟨ī⟩ḻ koṭacceṟuvukkukk¿i?⟨ī⟩ḻpāṟk(e)llai [8+]

## Translation by Hultzsch 1899

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 2nd year (of the reign) of king
Rājakēsarivarman, alias the lord Śrī-Rājamahēndradēva, who, while the
goddess of fortune was resplendent, wedded the great goddess of the
earth, in order that (she) might abide joyfully under the shade of a
single parasol, and who caused (her) to walk (in) the path of Manu, in
order that (she) might abide (in) the way of righteousness. The
hand-writing, (referring to) a deed of sale of land, of us, the assembly
of Tiruvallam in Karaivaḻi, (a subdivision) of Perumbāṇappāḍi, (a
district) of Jayaṅkoṇḍa-Śōḻa-maṇḍalam. We have received sixty-four kāśu,
(which were) good (i.e. of full weight) (and) current at the time, from
Śaṁkaraṉ Kaṇḍarādittaṉār, alias the Sēnāpati Rājarāja-Śōḻiyavaraiyar,
the lord of Iṅga(ṇūr) in Iṅgaṇāḍu, (a district) of Arumoḻidēva-vaḷanāḍu.
At the rate of seven mañjāḍi of pure gold, weighed by the true standard
of the city,[3] for each kāśu, (this amount) is equal to twenty-two
kaḻañju and eight mañjāḍi of gold. Having received these twenty-two
kaḻañju and eight mañjāḍi of gold from Chaṇḍēśvaradēva, the first
servant of (the god) Mahādēva (of the temple) of Tiruvallam in our city,
we sold (the following) land.

(L. 2.) (The field called) Kōḍachcheṟuvu below the large tank of
Rājēndra-Chōḷa. The eastern boundary of (this field is) etc.

## Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.56 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 113–114,
item 56.

[1] Ind. Ant. Vol. XIX. p. 331.

[2] See p. 41 above.

[3] See Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 106, note 1.