# SII 3.64: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Emmanuel Francis

Alternative title: VI.—INSCRIPTIONS OF KULOTTUNGA-CHOLA I. No.
64.—INSCRIPTION AT TIRUVORRIYUR

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0064

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions)

File path: SII_B_clean/SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0064.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## Summary

This inscription (No. 106 of 1892) is engraved on the west and south
walls of the first prākāra of the Ādhipurīśvara temple at Tiruvoṟṟiyūr
in the Saidāpēṭ tāluka of the Chingleput district.[1] The name of the
temple is derived from Ādhipura,[2] i.e. ‘the mortgagevillage,’ which is
the Sanskrit equivalent of Oṟṟiy-ūr. That this Śiva temple is a very
ancient one, follows from the fact that Oṟṟiyūr is mentioned by each of
the three authors of the Dēvāram.[3]

Like the two next following inscriptions (Nos. 65 and 66), this one is
dated in the 2nd year of the reign of Rājakēsarivarman, alias
Rājēndra-Chōḷadēva (II.). From the Chellūr plates of Vīra-Chōḍa[4] we
know that Rājēndra-Chōḍa was the original name of Kulōttuṅga I., who is
distinguished from his maternal grandfather Parakēsarivarman, alias
Rājēndra-Chōḷa I., by the surname Rājakēsarivarman. That the
Rājēndra-Chōḷa of this inscription is identical with Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷa I.
follows from its historical introduction, which mentions the capture of
elephants at Vayirāgaram and the conquest of the king of Dhārā at
Śakkarakōṭṭam. The first of these two deeds is also referred to in the
later inscriptions of Kulōttuṅga I.[5] And both these and the
Kaliṅgattu-Paraṇi report that he conquered Śakkarakōṭṭam when still a
Yuvarāja.[6] Further the subjoined inscription says that he took
possession of the eastern country, by which his original dominion, the
country of Vēṅgī,[7] may be meant. Perhaps he took Vēṅgī from his uncle
Vijayāditya VII., who appears to have received it from the Chōḷa king
Vīrarājēndra I.[8] The southern limit of the dominions of Rājēndra-Chōḷa
II. in the second year of his reign is perhaps roughly indicated by a
line connecting Tiruvoṟṟiyūr, Tiruvālaṅgāḍu and Kōlār, the localities of
the inscriptions Nos. 64 to 66. The subjoined inscription implies that
he felt himself already at that time as a member of the Chōḷa family to
which his mother and grandmother belonged,[9] and not as an Eastern
Chālukya, because it mentions as his crest the tiger, and not the boar.
But he cannot yet have taken possession of the Chōḷa country on the
banks of the Kāvērī. For, his victory over the Kuntala king
(Vikramāditya VI.) and his accession to the Chōḷa throne are referred to
only in later inscriptions of his, and in these he bears the new name
Kulōttuṅga, which, to judge from verse 11 of the Chellūr plates,[10] he
assumed on the very occasion of his coronation as Chōḷa king and after
his victory over Vikramāditya VI.[11]

The purpose of this inscription is to record that a general, whose name
we know already from an inscription of Adhirājēndra,[12] granted 240
kāśu, which the temple authorities employed for purchasing certain land
from five villages. Three of these belonged, like Tiruvoṟṟiyūr itself,
to Puḻal-nāḍu, a subdivision of Puḻaṟkōṭṭam; one to a subdivision of
Puliyūr-kōṭṭam; and the last to Eḻumūr-nāḍu. Both Puḻal[13] and
Puliyūr[14] now belong to the Saidāpēṭ tāluka. Puḻal-nāḍu must have
comprised the north-eastern portion of that tāluka, where we find
Tiruvoṟṟiyūr and two of the three other villages which the inscription
locates in Puḻal-nāḍu, viz. Maṇali[15] and Āmbilavāyil.[16] Eḻumūr-nāḍu
owes its name to Eḻumbūr (Egmore), now a portion of the city of Madras.

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

## Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [∥] (ti)ru maṉṉi vi(ḷa)ṅkumiruku(va)ṭaṉaiya taṉ to(ḷu)m
vāḷun=tuṇaiye(ṉa)kkeḷalar vañcaṉai (ka)ṭan=ta
vayirākarattukku(ñ)carakkuḻām pala vāriyeñcalil
cakkara(k)oṭṭat(tu)t(t)ārāvaracaṉai(tti)kku nikaḻa(t)tiṟai koṇṭa(ru)ḷi
A(ru)kkanutaiyattācai(yi)li(ru)kkuṅkamalama(ṉai)ya nilamakaḷta(ṉṉai)
muṉ¿(ṉi)?⟨ṉī⟩rkku(ḷi)t(tavaṉṉā)ḷ tirumālātikke(eḻa)lāki (y)ā(tu)ñcaliyā
vakaiyiṉiteṭuttutta(ṉ) kuṭai (ni)ḻaṟk¿i?⟨ī⟩ḻ Iṉpuṟavi(ru)ttittikiriyām
puviyānticaito(ṟu)m naṭāttip(pu)kaḻunta(ru)mamum puvitoṟum niṟu(t)ti
v¿i?⟨ī⟩ramu(n=ti)yākamu(m) mā(ṉamu)ṅka(ru)ṇaiyum
Urimaiccuṟṟamāka(p)piri(y)āttalanikaḻa (ca)ya(mu) ¿(vi)?⟨vī⟩ṟṟi(ru)n=tu
kulamaṇi(ma)ku(ṭamu)ṟaimaiyil cūṭitta(ṉ) kaḻal (ta)rātipar (cū)ṭacceṅkol
nāvalampuvitoṟum naṭātti(ya) ko rājakesarivanmarā(ṉa) U(ṭ)aiyār
śrīrājentracoḻa(te)varkku yāṇṭu Iraṇṭāvatu
jayaṅkoṇṭacoḻamaṇṭalattuppuḻaṟkoṭṭa(ttu)ppu(ḻa)lnā(ṭ)ṭut(tiru)voṟṟi(yū)r
Uṭaiyār koyilil kārā(ṇai)viṭa[ṅkat(e)var (ti)rucc]ān=tāṭa(lu)kku
(v)eṇ(ṭum) niva(n=taṅkaḷu)kku (seṉā)pati(ka)ḷ (coḻa)maṇ(ṭa)lattu
Uyyakkoṇṭār(va)ḷanāṭṭuttir¿a?⟨ai⟩m¿u?⟨ū⟩rnāṭ(ṭu naṭ)ār kiḻār rājarājaṉ
paraniruparā(kṣa)sanārā(ṉa) v¿i?⟨ī⟩racoḻaiḷaṅkoveḷār Ittevar paṇṭārattu
Oṭukkiṉa Aṉṟāṭu naṟkācu Irunūṟṟu nāṟpatu [|] Ikkācu Irunūṟṟu nāṟpatum
Ittevar paṇṭārattu (O)ṭukki Ikkā(cu)kku (I)tdevatā(ṉa)m
puḻaṟkoṭṭattuppuḻalnāṭṭu ma(ṇa)liyāṉa ciṅkaviṣṇuccatu(r)vvetimaṅkalattu
sabhaiyo(mum) Iṉnāṭṭu (Ā)mpilavāyilum Ikaṇaiyūrum
puliyūrkkoṭṭattuttuṭarmu(ṉ)ṉināṭṭu (v)eḻacā(ṟ)ṟum
(E)ḻum¿u?⟨ū⟩rnāṭṭuppi(raya)pu(ra)ka(ka)t(tu)m Ūrom
ni(la)vilaiyā⟨2⟩vaṇakkai(y)ye(ḻuttu) [|] [10+]

## Apparatus

⟨1⟩ (ka)ṭan=ta • Nos. 65 to 67 read kaṭan=tu. — ⟨1⟩
tirumālātikk(eḻa)lāki • Nos. 65 to 67 add Eṭuttaṉṉa. — ⟨1⟩ tikiriyām •
No. 66 reads tikiriyum (pu)liyun. — ⟨1⟩ viṭa [10+] ān=tāṭa • Read
viṭaṅkat(e)var (ti)ruccān=tāṭa as in line 4. — ⟨1⟩ tiramurnāṭ(ṭu) • Read
tiraimūrnāṭṭu in accordance with No. 57 above, text line 6. In text line
7 of the same inscription fill up Iḷaṅkoveḷārum on the strength of the
present inscription. — ⟨1⟩ pi(raya)pu(ra)ka(ka)t(tu)m • Read
pirayapākkattum or piraiyapākkattum as in lines 3 and 4.

## Translation by Hultzsch 1903

Hail ! Prosperity ! With his arms which resembled two mountains, (and
between) which the goddess of prosperity permanently rested and shone,
and with (his) sword as (only) helps, (the king) overcame the treachery
of (his) enemies; carried off many herds of elephants at Vayirāgaram
(Vajrākara); and was pleased to levy tribute (which) illuminated (all)
directions from the king of Dhārā at the rich[17] Śakkarakōṭṭam
(Chakrakōṭṭa). (He) gently raised, without wearying (her) in the least,
the lotus-like goddess of the earth residing in the region of the rising
of the sun,[18] —just as (the god) Tirumāl (Vishṇu), having assumed the
form of the primeval boar, had raised (the earth) on the day when (she)
was submerged in the ocean (by the demon) Hiraṇyāksha),—and seated (her)
under the shade of his parasol, (where she) experienced delight. (He)
made the wheel (of his authority) and the tiger (-banner) go in every
direction and established (his) fame and justice in every country. While
valour, liberality, pride and compassion, as (his) intimate relatives,
were resplendent on the undivided[19] earth, he took his seat (on the
throne) with (the goddess of) victory and put on by right the jewelled
crown of (his) family. While the rulers of the earth bore his feet (on
their heads), (he) wielded the sceptre in every (quarter of the)
beautiful continent of the nāval (tree).[20]

In the second year (of the reign) of this king Rājakēsarivarman, alias)
the lord Srī-Rājēndra-Śōḻadēva,—the general (sēnāpati)
Rājarājaṉ-Paranṛiparākshasanār, alias Vīra-Śōḻa-Iḷaṅgōvēḷār, the headman
of [Naḍ]ār in Tiraimūr-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Uyyakkoṇḍār-vaḷanāḍu, (a
district) of Śōḻa-maṇḍalam, deposited —for the expenses required for
anointing (the idol of) Kārāṇai-Viḍaṅgadēvar in the temple of the god of
Tiruvoṟṟiyūr in Puḻal-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Puḻaṟkōṭṭam, (a district)
of Jayaṅgoṇḍa-Śōḻa-maṇḍalam,—in the treasury of this god two hundred and
forty good[21] kāśu current at the time. After these two hundred and
forty kāśu had been deposited in the treasury of this god, (the
following) deed of sale of land was drawn up in writing against (the
receipt of) these kāśu by us, the assembly of Maṇali, alias
Siṁhavishṇu-chaturvēdimaṅgalam,[22] a dēvadāna of this (temple) in
Puḻal-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Puḻaṟkōṭṭam, and by us, the villagers of
Āmbilavāyil and Igaṇaiyūr in the same nāḍu), of Vēḻaśāṟṟu in
Tuḍarmuṉṉi-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Puliyūrkōṭṭam, and of Pirayapākkam
in [E]ḻumūr-nāḍu. . . . . . . . . .

## Commentary

⟨2⟩ kai(y)ye(ḻuttu) [|]. I consider it unnecessary to publish the
remaining three lines, which contain details of the land sold by each of
the five villages mentioned at the end of line 1.

## Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.64 by Hultzsch 1903 converted to DHARMA
conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

### Primary

[SII] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1903. South-Indian inscriptions.
Volume III: Miscellaneous inscriptions from the Tamil country. Part II:
Inscriptions of Virarajendra I., Kulottunga-chola I., Vikrama-chola and
Kulottunga III. South Indian Inscriptions 3.2. Madras: Government Press.
Pages 132–134, item 64.

[1] No. 27 on the Madras Survey Map of that tāluka. In Mr. Sewell’s
Lists of Antiquities, Vol. I. p. 176, the name is erroneously spelt
‘Tiruvattiyūr.’

[2] This name occurs in a short Sanskrit inscription of Kulōttuṅga I. at
Tiruvoṟṟiyūr; Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 106.

[3] See above, Vol. II. pp. 152, 252 and note 9; and Ep. Ind. Vol. III.
p. 277 f.

[4] Above, Vol. I. p. 52.

[5] See above, Vol. II. p. 235.

[6] See ibid. p. 230 and note 4.

[7] See above, Vol. I. p. 51.

[8] See above, p. 128, note 9.

[9] See, e.g., the Table in Vol. II. p. 232.

[10] Above, Vol. I. p. 59.

[11] This view is supported by the fact that the Vikramāṅkadēvacharita
does not yet call him Kulōttuṅga, but Rājiga, which is a familiar
abbreviation of his original name Rājēndra-Chōḷa; see above, Vol. II. p.
231.

[12] Above, No. 57, text line 6 f.

[13] See above, p. 76, note 15.

[14] See above, p. 49, note 9.

[15] No. 26 on the Madras Survey Map of the Saidāpēṭ tāluka.

[16] Now Āmulavāyal, No. 23 on the same map.

[17] Literally ‘not deficient.’

[18] I.e. he conquered the eastern country.

[19] I.e. not shared in by other kings.

[20] I.e. Jambūdvīpa. Nāval is the Tamil equivalent of jambū; compare
above, Vol. II. p. 253.

[21] I.e. of full weight; compare p. 111 above.

[22] This surname may go back to the Pallava king Siṁhavishṇu; see
above, Vol. II. p. 344.