# SII 3.68: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Emmanuel Francis

Alternative title: VI.—INSCRIPTIONS OF KULOTTUNGA-CHOLA I. No.
68.—INSCRIPTION IN THE PANDAVA-PERUMAL TEMPLE

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0068

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions)

File path: SII_B_clean/SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0068.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## Summary

This inscription (No. 17 of 1893) is engraved on the north wall of the
Pāṇḍava-Perumāḷ temple at Conjeeveram. The ancient name of the temple
was Tiruppāḍagam (l. 3), and it is mentioned under the name of Pāḍagam
in the Nālāyiraprabandham.

The date is the 5th year of the king, who is now styled
Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva (I.), while in the inscriptions of his 2nd, 3rd and
4th years (Nos. 64 to 67 and 77) he still bears the name
Rājēndra-Chōḷadēva (II.).

The new inscription refers to his early victories at Śakkarakōṭṭam and
Vayirāgaram.[1] It then states that he vanquished the king of Kuntala,
i.e. the Western Chālukya king Vikramāditya VI., that he crowned himself
as king of the country on the banks of the Kāvērī, i.e. of the Chōḷa
country, and that he decapitated an unnamed Pāṇḍya king. An inscription
of the 6th year of his reign[2] adds nothing new to these

The subjoined inscription records that a merchant of Kāñchipuram
provided the temple with a flower-garden and purchased from the
villagers of Ōrirukkai some land for the benefit of the gardeners. I
cannot find Ōrirukkai on the map; but it must be looked for near
Uttiramēlūr[3] (l. 4) in the Madurāntakam tāluka of the Chingleput
district. As boundaries of the land granted, the inscription mentions
also the river Aḻichchiyāṟu and apparently the village of Śāttamaṅgalam.
A village of this name[4] I find 8 miles east of Madurāntakam.

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

## Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [∥] (pu)kaḻ cūḻn=ta puṇari Akaḻ cūḻn=ta puviyil
(p)oṉnemiyaḷavun=taṉ nemi naṭātti viḷaṅku jayamakaḷai Iḷaṅkop(pa)ruvattu
cakkarakoṭṭattu vikkiramattoḻi⟨lā⟩l putumaṇam puṇarn¿=ta?⟨tu⟩
vaṉkaḷiṟṟ¿i?⟨ī⟩ṭṭa⟨m⟩ vayirākarattu vāri Ayilmuṉaikkon=taḷavaraicar
tan=tanamiri(ya) vāḷuṟai kaḻittu toḷ vali kāṭṭi porppari na(ṭ)ātti
k¿i?⟨ī⟩rttiyai niṟutti vaṭaticai vākai
cūṭitteṉṟicai(t)temarukamalap(pū)makaḷ p¿u?⟨o⟩tumaiyum poṉniyāṭai{yum}
naṉnilappāvaiy¿un=?⟨in ⟩taṉimaiyun=tavirttu
pu¿n?⟨ṉ⟩ita¿ru?⟨t⟩(tiru)maṇimaku⟨2⟩muṟai(m)aiyil cūṭi
taṉ(na)ṭiyira(ṇ)ṭum taṭamuṭi(yā)ka t(o)nnila(v)en=tar (cūṭa)ppo(ṉ)ni
matuvāṟu p(eru)ka kaliy(ā)ṟu vaṟappa ce(ṅ)kol ticaitoṟuñcel(la) veṇkuṭai
Irunilavaḷ(ā)ka(m)eṅkaṇun=tanātu tiruni(la)veṇṇilāttikaḻa Orutani
meruvil puli viḷaiyāṭa (Āḻ)kaṭaṟ(ṟī)vān=tarattu pūvar tiṟai vi(ṭu)tta
kala(ṉ) co⟨ri⟩ kaḷiṟu muṟai ni(ṟ)pa viḷaṅkiya tennavanarun=talai
parun=talaittukkiṭappa (na)ṉmaṇiyāramun=tirup(pu)yattalaṅkalum tana(tu)
v¿i?⟨ī⟩ramu(n=ti)yākamu(m) viḷaṅka pārmicai meva(la)r vaṇaṅka
v¿i?⟨ī⟩rasiṁhāsanattu puvanamuḻutuṭaiyāḷoṭum (vī)ṟṟi⟨3⟩run=taruḷiya (k)o
rāja(k)esari(vatma)rāna Uṭaiyār śrīkulottuṅkacoḻadeva(ṟ)ku yāṇṭu
Añcāvatu (∥ ௳ ∥) jayaṅkoṇṭacoḻamaṇṭalattukkāliyūrkkoṭṭattukkāliyūrnāṭṭu
Ori(ru)kkai Ūrom śilālekai ceytu kuṭutta paricāvatu [|]
Eyiṟkoṭṭatteyilnāṭṭu nakaraṅ¿kura?⟨kā⟩ñcipurattu
Arumoḻitevapperun=teruvil viyāpāri kumāra(p)peruvāṇiyaṉ teva(ṉ)
Eṟiñcoṭiyāka Aruḷāḷadāsaṉ tiruppāṭakatteḻun=taruḷiyirun=ta
Āḻvā(nu)kkucceyta tirunan=taṉavanam koyilil tiruppuṟakk¿u?⟨a⟩ṭaiyil ⟨4⟩
Aru(ḷ)āḷadāsaneṉnum
tiruṉan=taṉava(ṉa)muḻapp(ār)kku¿k?⟨ṅ⟩ko¿ṟṟ?⟨tt⟩ukku(m) (pu)ṭavai
(mu)talukku(m) nibandhañ(c)e(yya) nāṅkaḷ Iṟaiyiḻicci Eṅkaḷ¿u?⟨ū⟩ril
viṟṟukkuṭutta (ni)lamāvatu [|] k¿i?⟨ī⟩ḻpāṟkellai U(tti)ramelūrār vatikku
meṟkun=tenpāṟkellai Aḻicciyāṟṟukku vaṭakkum mel(p)āṟk(e)llai
(ti)ruv(e)⟨ḵ⟩kāvāḻv(ā)nukku nāṅka(ḷ) viṟṟa nila(t)tukkum
cāttamaṅkalamuṭai(y)āṉ kaṭakaṉ ceṟuvukkum kiḻakkum vaṭapāṟkellai
cāttamaṅkalamuṭaiyāṉ kaṭiccāñceṟukkuṇṭilukkutteṟkum [|]
Innāṉkellaiyu⟨5⟩(ḷ)ḷumakappaṭṭa Uṇṇilamoḻiviṉṟippa(ti)naṟucāṇ k(o)lāl
kuḻiyiraṇṭāy¿a?⟨i⟩ramu(m) (vi)ṟṟu Inṉilattukku vilaipp(o)ruḷivaṉ pakkal
koṇṭa p(o)ṉ (ma)turān=takaṉ māṭai(y)oṭo(k)ka kuṭi naṟkallāl niṟai
pa(ti)noru(kaḻa)ñcu(m) Aṟakkoṇṭu Iṟaiyi(li) tevatānamākki Innilat(tu)kku
(v)elikkācuma n¿i?⟨ī⟩(rvi)lai(yu)m cilliṟai co(ṟu)māṭṭuḷ(ḷi)ṭṭu
Ep(p)erppaṭṭatum kāṭṭa(pp)e(ṟā)tomākavum [|] In(ni)la(m)āṉaikkaṟukkil
Aṟutta ¿ka?⟨ni⟩lattāl (van=ta) nel(lu) Āḻvān śrīpa(ṇṭ)āratte
Aḷappomākavu⟨m |⟩ (I)nnilattakappa⟨6⟩ṭṭa kālvāy ki(ḻak)kuḷ(ḷa)
nilattukku (nī)r pā(ya)ppeṟu(va)tākavu(m) [|] Ipparicu Icain=tu
candrātittavaṟcella (ci)lālekai ceytu kuṭuttom Ori(ru)kkai Ūrom [|]
Ivarkaḷ colla Eḻutinen Iv(vū)r veḷḷāḷan cāttamaṅkalamuṭai(y)ān veḷān
kayi(lā)yatten [|] Ivai Enneḻuttu (∥ ௳ ∥) śrīvaiṣṇavarakṣai ∥ ௳ ∥⁓

## Apparatus

⟨2⟩ tirup(pu)yattalaṅkalum • Other inscriptions add pol.

⟨6⟩ kayi(lā)yatten • In modern Tamil this would be kayilāyattāṉeṉ.

## Translation by Hultzsch 1903

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! Having made the wheel of his (authority)
to go as far as the golden circle (i.e). Mount Mēru) on the earth, which
was surrounded by the moat of the sea, that was (again) surrounded by
(his) fame, (the king) newly wedded, in the time (when he was still)
heir-apparent (iḷaṅgō), the brilliant goddess of victory at
Śakkarakōṭṭam by deeds of valour and scized a herd of strong elephants
at Vayirāgaram. (He) unsheathed (his) sword, showed the strength of
(his) arm, and spurred (his) war-steed, so that the king of Kondaḷa
(Kuntala), (whose spear had) a sharp point, lost his wealth. Having
established (his) fame, having put on the garland of (the victory over)
the Northern region, and having stopped the prostitution of the goddess
with the sweet and excellent lotus-flower (i.e. Lakshmī) of the Southern
region, and the loneliness of the goddess of the good country whose
garment is the Poṉṉi (Kāvērī), (he) put on by right (of inheritance) the
pure royal crown of jewels, while the kings of the old earth bore his
two feet (on their heads) as a large crown.

(L. 2.) The sweet river Poṉṉi swelled, (and) the river (of the sins) of
the Kali (age) dried up. (His) sceptre swayed over every region; the
heavenly[5] white light of (his) white parasol shone everywhere on the
circle of the great earth; (and his) tiger(-banner) fluttered unrivalled
on the Mēru (mountain). (Before him) stood a row of elephants showering
jewels, which were presented (as) tribute by the kings of remote islands
of the deep sea. The excellent head of the brilliant king of the South
(i.e. the Pāṇḍya) lay being pecked by kites. While his valour and
liberality shone like (his) necklace of precious stones and (like) the
flower-garland on (his) royal shoulders, (and) while (all his) enemies
prostrated themselves on the ground, (he) was pleased to take his seat
on the throne of heroes together with (his queen), the mistress of the
whole world.

(L. 3.) In the fifth year (of the reign) of this king Rājakēsarivarman,
alias) the lord Śrī-Kulōttuṅga-Śōḻadēva,—we, the inhabitants of
Ōrirukkai in Kāliyūr-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Kāliyūr-kōṭṭam,[6] (a
district) of Jayaṅgoṇḍa-Śōḻa-maṇḍalam, made and gave the following
writing on stone:—Kumāra-Peruvāṇiyaṉ[7] Dēvaṉ Eṟiñjōḍi, alias
Aruḷāḷadāsaṉ,[8] a merchant (residing) in the great street of
Arumolidēva[9] at Kāñchipuram, a city in Eyil-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of
Eyiṟkōṭṭam,[10] had made for the god who is pleased to reside in the
Tiruppāḍagam (temple) a flower-garden, called the flower-garden of
Aruḷāḷadāsaṉ (and situated) on the outside of the temple. In order to
provide for the cost (mudal) of the clothing of those who work (in this
garden) and of (their) families, we sold the following land in our
village free from taxes.

(L. 4.) The eastern boundary (is) to the west of the road of the
inhabitants of Uttiramēlūr; the southern boundary (is) to the north of
the Aḻichchiyāṟu (river); the western boundary (is) to the cast of the
land which we have sold to (the temple of) Tiruve[ḥ]kāvāḻvāṉ[11] and of
the field of Śāttamaṅgalam-Uḍaiyāṉ Kaḍagaṉ; and the northern boundary
(is) to the south of the small field of Śāttamaṅgalam-Uḍaiyāṉ
Kaḍichchāṉ. Having sold the two thousand kuḻi, (measured) by the rod of
sixteen spans,[12] enclosed in these four boundaries, not excluding the
cultivated land, (we) received from him[13] as purchasemoney for this
land eleven kaḻañju of gold, weighed by the true standard of the city
(kuḍinaṟ-kal) (and) equal (in fineness) to the Madurāntakaṉ-māḍai.[14]
Having received (this amount) in full and having made (the land) a
tax-free dēvadāna), we shall not be able to claim on this land
vēlikkāśu,[15] water-cess (nīr-vilai), petty taxes,[16] śōṟumāṭṭu[17]
and any other (tax).

(L. 5.) We have to measure into the treasury of the temple the paddy
which comes from the land harvested in Āṉaikkaṟukku, (a portion of ?)
this land. It shall be lawful to irrigate the land lying to the east (of
the land sold), from the channels included in this land.

(L. 6.) Having thus agreed, we, the inhabitants of Ōrirukkai, made and
gave (this) writing on stone to continue as long as the moon and the
sun. At the bidding of these, I, Śāttamaṅgalam-Uḍaiyāṉ Vēḷāṉ
Kayilāyatt[āṉ], a cultivator of this village, wrote (this). This is my
writing. (This is placed under) the protection of the Śrī-Vaishnavas.

## Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.68 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 140–143, item 68.

[1] See page 132 above.

[2] On the south wall of the Śmaśānēśvara shrine in the Ēkāmranātha
temple at Conjeeveram (No. 1 of 1893). This inscription is much
obliterated and is therefore left unpublished.

[3] This is another form of Uttaraṉmērūr on page 3 above, note 6.

[4] No. 491 on the Madras Survey Map of the Madurāntakam tāluka.

[5] tirunilam is perhaps used in the sense of ‘heaven,’ as tirunāṭu and
the corresponḍing Telugu form tirunāṇḍu; see Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 73.

[6] See above, p. 138, note 8.

[7] This title means ‘the great merchant of the heir-apparent.’ Compare
Śēramāṉ-lōka-pperuñ-jeṭṭi, Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 292 and note 6.

[8] This name is derived from Aruḷāḷa-Perumāḷ, the name of the great
Visḥnu temple in Little Kāñchī. Compare Ep. Ind. Vol. III. pp. 71 and
118, Vol. IV. p. 145, and Vol. V. p. 72.

[9] See above, p. 8, note 3.

[10] See above, Vol. II. p. 390.

[11] According to the Nālāyiraprabandhan, Veḥkā was one of the Vishṇu
temples in Kāñchī. Besides, Veḥkā or Vēgavatī is the name of a river
which passes Conjeeveram and joins the Pālāṟu near Villivalam; see above
Vol. II. p 345 and note 9.

[12] See above, p. 106 and note 3, and p. 109.

[13] Viz. from Aruḷāḷadāsaṉ (l. 3).

[14] On kuḍi-naṟ-kal and Madurāntakaṉ-māḍai see Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 106,
notes 1 and 3.

[15] The same term occurs in No. 57 above, text line 9.

[16] Śill iṟai is the same as śil-vari, on which see above, p. 122, note
6.

[17] With this obscure term compare ēṟachchōṟu, above, No. 24, text line
7, and No. 27, text line 8.