SII 3.80: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Alternative title: “VII.—INSCRIPTIONS OF VIKRAMA-CHOLA. No. 80.—INSCRIPTION IN THE ARULALA-PERUMAL TEMPLE.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: This inscription (No. 33 of 1893) is engraved on the west wall of the stone platform called ‘the mountain’ (malai) in the Aruḷāḷa-Perumāḷ temple at Little Conjeeveram.1 As in the inscription of Ravivarman,2 the temple is here stated to be situated in Tiruvattiyūr, which belonged to Eyil-nāḍu, a subdivision of Eyiṟkōṭṭam3 (l. 2).

The inscription is dated in the 9th year of the reign of Parakēsarivarman, alias Vikrama-Chōḷadēva. The short poetical introduction mentions nothing of historical importance besides the conquest of Kaliṅga and the name of Vikrama-Chōḷa’s queen, Mukkōkkiḻānaḍigaḷ. These two points are, however, sufficient to enable us to identify the king with the Vikrama-Chōḷa of the inscriptions opening with the words pūmālai miṭaintu, who claims to have burnt the country of Kaliṅga,4 and one of whose queens was named Mukkōkkiḻānaḍi.5

The inscription records that a private person made over to the temple 780 kalam of paddy, with the stipulation that the interest, which amounts here to 50 per cent., should be applied for the requirements of the worship on 13 days of every year, viz. on the days of the nakshatra Jyēshṭhā. In this nakshatra, we are told, were born the two Vaishṇava saints Pūdattāḻvār and Poygaiyāḻvār,6 “who were pleased to compose hymns in praise of the god (Āḻvār) of Tiruvattiyūr” (l. 2). That portion of the Nālāyiraprabandham, which is entitled Iyaṟpā, opens with two hymns of 100 stanzas each, the first of which is ascribed to Poygaiyāḻvār and the second to Pūdattāḻvār. In the first (verse 77) reference is made to Veḥkā, and in the second (verse 95 f.) to Attiyūr. The second name has to be referred to the temple at Tiruvattiyūr, i.e. the Aruḷāḷa-Perumāḷ temple, and the first may be connected with the same temple, because Veḥkā is the Tamil name of the river Vēgavatī,7 which flows past the temple of Aruḷāḷa-Perumāḷ. At any rate the mention of the two Āḻvārs as recognized saints in the subjoined inscription proves that they must have lived a long time before the 12th century of the Christian era. As stated before (p. 148), two other Āḻvārs, Kulaśēkhara and Śaṭhagōpa, are presupposed by an inscription of Kulōttuṅga I. at Śrīraṅgam. In the Annual Report for 1899-1900 (p. 10) Mr. Venkayya states that an inscription of Śōḻa-Kēraḷadēva, whom he places in the 11th century of the Christian era, quotes the hymn Tiruneḍundāṇḍagam. This is the name of the last hymn of the Periyatirumoḻi, that portion of the Nālāyiraprabandham which was composed by Tirumaṅgaiyāḻvār. The upper limit of this Āḻvār is the beginning of the 8th century A.D.; for he celebrates in one of his hymns the temple of Paramēśvara-Viṇṇagaram at Kachchi, i.e. the Vaikuṇṭha-Perumāḷ temple at Conjeeveram, which seems to have been founded by the Pallava king Paramēśvaravarman II.8

Language: Tamil (tam) [Grantha (grantha), Tamil (tamil)].

Repository: South Indian Inscriptions (Original Edition) (south-indian-inscriptions).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0080.

File path: SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0080.xml.

Version: (aa17590), last modified (5bf283e).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [∥] pūmātu puṇara(p)puvimātu va(ḷara) nā(m)ātu vi(ḷa)ṅka jayamātu virumpattaṉnirupa(ta)ma(la)r ma(ṉ)ṉavar cūṭa maṉni(ya) Urimaiyāl maṇimuṭi cūṭicceṅkol ceṉṟu ticaitoṟu⟨m⟩ vaḷar(ppa) veṅkali (nī)ṅki meyyaṟan=ta(ḻ)aippakkaliṅkamiriyakkaṭamalai naṭātti vaḷa(ṅkoḷ)āḻivaraiyāḻi tiriya Ir¿i?cuṭara(ḷa)vumorukuṭai niḻaṟṟa vi¿j(ai)A?bhiṣekam pa(ṇ)ṇi (vī)rasiṁhāsanattu mukkokkiḻānaṭikaḷoṭum (vī)ṟ-

⟨2⟩ ṟi(run=ta)ruḷiya kopparakecaripanmarāna tribhuvanacca¿kra?va¿t=ti?kaḷ śrīvikkiramacoḻatevarkku yāṇṭu Oṉpatāvatu jayaṅkoṇṭacoḻa(ma)ṇṭalattu Eyiṟkoṭṭattu Eyilnāṭṭuttiru(va)ttiyūrāḻvāraippāṭiyaruḷina śrī(pū)ta(t)tāḻ(v)ārum śrīpoyk(ai)yāḻvārum (pi)ṟan=ta tirukke(ṭ)ṭ(ai) nāḷ Aruḷāḷa(p)perumāḷ puṟa(p)paṭṭa(ru)ḷi Ekāśīti tiru(ma)ñca(na)mu(m) perun=tiruvamutuñceytaru(ḷa)ttiru(ma)ñcanattukkuttirumuḷaiccār(t)ta tirumu-

⟨3⟩ ṉaippālikai muppattāṟukkuppālikai Oṉṟukkaṭikk¿i?ḻaṭṭa nellu Uriyāka nelluppatakkirunāḻiyum tirumu(ḷai)ppī¿t?aṅkoḷḷa Arici ṉānāḻiyum ¿pu?ṇyā¿g?adakṣ¿a?ṇ(ai)kku (A)rici Aṟunā(ḻi) U(ḻa)kkum (balidra)vya(ttu)kku Arici Irunāḻi Uriyum tirumu(ḷai)kkutti(ru)nan=tāviḷakkukku nā(ḷ)o(ṉ)ṟukku Eṇṇai Uḻakkāka nāḷañcuk(ku) Eṇ(ṇai) nāḻi Uḻa(k)kuṅkṛtahārohaṇattukku ney (mu)vuḻakkāḻākkum tirumañ-

⟨4⟩ canattukkuk(ka)lacam Eṇpattoṉṟukku Aṭik(kī)ḻ nellu (Ai)ṅkuṟuṇi Uriyum kum(pa)nālukku nellu nānāḻiyum tiruccuṇṇakkalacamo(ṉ)ṟukkaṭikk¿i?ḻari(ci) Irunā(ḻi)yuṅkalacañcūḻakkāṇavilai(yiṉ pu)ṭa(v)ai pa(ti)nm¿u?ṉṟuṅkalacañcuṟṟa nūlar(ai)ppalamum tirumañcanattukku ney muṉṉāḻiyum tenāḻiyum pāl muṉ-

⟨5⟩ ṉāḻiyu(m) tayir (muṉ)ṉā(ḻi)yum sna¿m?anadravyaṅkaḷ veṇṭuva(na)vum pañcaloka(mu)m pañca¿ran=na?mum tiruccuṇṇattukku nāṭa(ṉ)mañcaḷ nāṟpatin palamu(m) tiruviḷakkeṇṇai Uriyum homattukku ne(y)yuriyum cā⟨r⟩t=ti Aru(ḷa)cca(n=ta)namukka(cum) kaṟpūramāṟu (m)āvum Aki(la)r(ai)kka(ḻa)ñcuṅkastūri ma(ñ)cāṭiyumiraṇṭu māvu(m) puḻuku(ne)yyiraṇṭu mañcāṭiyunālu mā(vum)āttiraikkarici nānāḻiyu(m p)e-

⟨6⟩ ruṉtiruvamutukku A(ri)ci mukkalaṉe kuṟuṇiyum paruppuppatakkirunāḻi Uriyum palavaṟkattukkaṟi niṟai Eṇṇūṟṟirupattaimpalamu(m) kaṟiyamutukku Uppu nānāḻiyumiḷaku Uriyum kaṭuku Āḻākke Iruceviṭaraiyum c¿i?r¿ā?māḻakku(ñca)ṟkar(ai) I(ru)pa(tiṉ) palamum neyyuriyum Amutil pa(ṭ)aikka caṟkarai (mu)ppattirupalavaraiyum ney patinorunāḻi Āḻakkum vā-

⟨7⟩ ḻ(aip)paḻamaimpattañcum tayir tūṇiyum kaṇṭacaṟkar(ai) mukkacum tirukkaṇ(ṇā)maṭ(ai)kkarici Irunāḻiyuneyyuḻakkum caṟkarai Irupatiṉ pala(mu)m vāḻaippaḻam pattum A(ppa)Amutukkarici patakkum ne(y)yirunāḻi Uriyum caṟkarai Eṇpatin palamumi(ḷak)āḻa(k)ku(m) ¿(ci)?(ra)ka(mi)ru(c)eviṭaraiyum viṟaku kaṭṭu m¿u?(ṉ)ṟum kucak(ka)laUruvukku nellukkalamu(m taṇṇ)¿(i)?(ramu)tukkela(m)oruceviṭaraiyum A-

⟨8⟩ ṭaikkā⟨y⟩amutukku pākku nānūṟṟ(ai)m(pa)tu veḷḷilaippaṟṟonpatum tiru(vi)ḷakkeṇṇai nāḻi Uriyum tiruvi(ḷa)kkuṭaiyārkaḷ kuḻāy panniraṇṭukkeṇ(ṇai mu)nnāḻiyum pāvaiviḷakkukkeṇ(ṇai I)runāḻiyum Āka Ilaiyiṟṟukku niman=tamā(ka)cce(l)va(t)āka Iṭṭa (ca)mavilaippaṭiyālikkoyil (ci)la(va)ḷakkumarumoḻinaṅkai(ma)ra(k)kālāl tirukkeṭṭai nāḷonṟu-

⟨9⟩ kku nellu mu(p)patin kalamāka Orāṭṭai nāḷaikku veṇṭuvatāna nellu mu(ṉ)ṉūṟṟuttoṇṇūṟṟukkalattukkum coḻamaṇṭalat(tu) virutarājabhayaṅkaravaḷanāṭṭu ma(ṇ)ṇināṭṭu vaṅkamuḻaiyūr mu(ḻ)aiyūruṭaiyān veṇkāṭan Ātittatevanāna vaṅkat(ta)r(ai)yan Ittevar paṇṭā(ra)ttuccilavaḷakku(ma)ru(m)o(ḻi)naṅkaimarakkālālaḷan=ta nellu

⟨10⟩ Eḻunūṟ(ṟ)eṇpatin kalaminnelleḻunūṟṟeṇpatin kala(t)tukku māsantoṟum nellu muppattirukalane tūṇippatakkāka yāṇṭu varai <kalam> Araippolicaiyāl palicai polivatāna nellu muṉ(ṉū)ṟṟuttoṇṇūṟṟukkalaminel(lu mu)nnūṟṟutto(ṇ)ṇūṟṟuk(ka)lattukkum Aruḷāḷapperumā(ḷ) māsan=toṟum tirukkeṭṭai nāḷ puṟappaṭṭaru(ḷi)

⟨11⟩ tirumañcanamum peruntiruvamutum ceytaru(ḷa) (v)e(ṇ)ṭu(va)navaiyiṟṟukku Inniman=tappaṭiye pa(ṇ)ṭārattile viṭṭuccantrādit=tavat· niman=tamākacceyyakkaṭavatākaccilālekai ceyvittukkuṭukatom Ikkoyilil śrīkoyil vāriyam (pu)ṇṭa(va)t=tanat=tu rājarājakra(ma)vit=tanum tūtahari niṉṟanārāyaṇakkiramavittanum mṛhasthalattu

⟨12⟩ p(ā)ṇṭavatūtakkiramavit=tanum puṇṭavat=ta(nat)tu Iḷaiyakokkiramavittanum tūtahari v(e)ṇṇaikkūttakkirama(vit)tanum tūtahari Iḷaiyaruḷā(ḷa)kakiramavittanum koyiṟkaṇakku Uttiramelūruṭaiyānāna Eṭṭi tirukkā(ḷa)tti Uṭaiyāṉum Ivvakaivom [∥] Ippaṭik(ku) Iv(ai) Ut(ti)rame(lū)ruṭai(y)āṉ Eṭṭi tirukkāḷattiyuṭaiyāṉ Eḻuttu ∥ (௳)

Apparatus

⟨2⟩ cakravat=ti • Read cakravarti.

⟨3⟩ puṇyāgadakṣaṇ(ai)kku • Read puṇyāhadakṣiṇai.

⟨6⟩ cirā • Read cīraka.

⟨10⟩ <kalam> • This [[kḷa]] is the abbreviation for kalam; compare above, p. 7, note 10.

Translation by Hultzsch 1903

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! While the goddess with the lotus (i.e. Lakshmī) wedded (the king), while the goddess of the Earth prospered, while the goddess of Speech was resplendent, while the goddess of Victory loved (him), (and) while (all other) kings bore (on their heads) his two lotus-feet, (he) put on the jewelled crown by established right. While (his) seeptre went and made all regions prosper, the cruel Kali (age) was driven away, and true righteousness flourished. (He) despatched mountains of rut (i.e. elephants) to subdue Kaliṅga. (His) discus wandered (as far as) the circular mountain surrounding (the earth), (and his) single parasol cast its shade up to the two luminaries (i.e. the sun and the moon). Having performed the anointment of victory, (he) was pleased to take his seat on the throne of heroes together with (his queen) Mukkōkkiḻānaḍigaḷ.

(L. 2.) In the ninth year (of the reign) of this king Parakēsarivarman, alias) the emperor of the three worlds, Śrī-Vikrama-Śōḻadēva.

When on the day of Tirukkēṭṭai (Jyēshṭhā), on which were born the saint Pūdattāḻvār and the saint Poygaiyāḻvār, who were pleased to compose hymns in praise of the god (Āḻvār) of Tiruvattiyūr in Eyil-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Eyiṟkōṭṭam, (a district) of Jayaṅgoṇḍa-Śōḻa-maṇḍalam, (the god) Aruḷāḷa-Perumāḷ is carried out, is bathed eighty-one times, and receives great offerings,—one padakku) and two nāḻi) of paddy (are required) for thirty-six pots of sprouts9 to be offered at the bath, viz. one uri of paddy to be spread underneath each pot; four nāḻi of rice to purchase seeds for sprouting; six nāḻi and one uḻakku) of rice as fee (for wishing) an auspicious day (puṇyāha); two nāḻi) and one uri of rice for offerings (balidravya); one nāḻi and one uḻakku of oil for a perpetual lamp (burning) near the sprouts on five days, viz. one uḻakku of oil on each day; three uḻakku and one āḻākku of ghee for the kṛitahārōhaṇam;10 five kuṟuṇi and one uri of paddy (to be spread) underneath eighty-one water-pots (kalaśa) for the bath; four nāḻi of paddy for four large pots (kumbha); two nāḻi of rice (to be spread) underneath one water-pot (coated with) chunnam; thirteen pieces of cloth costing one kāṇam (of gold), to wrap round the water-pot; half a palam of thread, to tie round the water-pot; for the bath, three nāḻi of ghee, one nāḻi of honey, three nāḻi of milk, three nāḻi of curds, the necessary ingredients for the bath, five metals and five gems; forty palam) of saffron (nāḍaṉ-mañjaḷ), (to be mixed) with the chunnam; one uri) of lamp-oil; one uri) of ghee for burnt oblations (hōma); three kaśu11 of sandal, six twentieths of camphor, half a kaḻañju of agallochum, one and two twentieths mañjāḍi of musk, and two and four twentieths mañjāḍi of civet-fat, to be rubbed on (the image); four nāḻi of rice for māttirai (?); for the great offerings, three kalam and one kuṟuṇi of rice, one padakku, two nāḻi and one uri of pulse, and eight hundred and twentyfive palam in weight of vegetables of various kinds; for the vegetables, four nāḻi of salt, one uri of pepper, one āḻākku and two and a half śeviḍu of mustard, one āḻakku of cumin, twenty palam of sugar, and one uri of ghee; to offer with the rice, thirty-two and a half palam of sugar, eleven nāḻi and one āḻakku of ghee, fifty-five plantains, one tūṇi of curds, and three kaśu of sugar-candy; for tirukkaṇṇāmaḍai (?), two nāḻi of rice, one uḻakku of ghee, twenty palam of sugar, and ten platains; for cakes, one padakku of rice, two nāḻi and one uri of ghee, eighty palam of sugar, one āḻakku of pepper, two śeviḍu and a half of cumin, and three bundles of fire-wood; for pots, one kalam of paddy; one and a half śeviḍu of cardamoms, (to be mixed) with water; four hundred and fifty areca-nuts and nine bundles of betel-leaves; one nāḻi and one uri of lamp-oil; three nāḻi of oil for twelve torches (?) of the lamp-lighters; and two nāḻi) of oil for lamps (held by) images.

(L. 8.) Altogether, for each day of Tirukkēṭṭai, thirty kalam of paddy calculated by the average price (and measured) by the marakkāl of Arumoḻinaṅgai,12 with which the requirements of this temple are measured, were given in order to defray these (requirements). Consequently, for (thirteen) days in one year three hundred and ninety kalam) of paddy are required.

(L. 9.) For (this purpose) seven hundred and eighty kalam of paddy were measured into the treasury of this god with the marakkāl of Arumoḻinaṅgai, with which the requirements are measured, by Muḻaiyūr-Uḍaiyāṉ Veṇgāḍaṉ13 Ādittadēvaṉ, alias Vaṅgattaraiyaṉ, of Vaṅga-Muḻaiyūr in Maṇṇi-nāḍu,14 (a subdivision) of Virudarājabhayaṁkara-vaḷanāḍu,15 (a district) of Śōḻa-maṇḍalam. The interest on these seven hundred and eighty kalam of paddy—at the rate of thirty-two kalam, one tūṇi and one padakku of paddy per month—amounts to three hundred and ninety kalam of paddy per year—the rate of interest being one half kalam (per kalam).

(L. 10.) We, all the members of the temple committee16 of this temple:—Rājarāja-Kramavittaṉ of Puṇḍavattanam (i.e. Puṇḍravardhana); Dūtahari-Niṉṟanārāyaṇa-Kramavittaṉ;17 Pāṇḍavadūta-Kramavittaṉ18 of Mṛihasthalam (i.e. Bṛihatsthala ?); Iḷaiyakō-Kramavittaṉ19 of Puṇḍavattanam; Dūtahari-Veṇṇaikkūtta-Kramavittaṉ;20 Dūtahari-Iḷaiyaruḷāḷa-Kramavittaṉ; and the accountant of the temple, Uttiramēlūr-Uḍaiyāṉ,21 alias Eṭṭi Tirukkāḷatti-Uḍaiyāṉ,22 caused to be engraved on stone that, as long as the moon and the sun shall last, provision shall be made out of these three hundred and ninety kalam of paddy—(the required principal) having been deposited in the treasury in accordance with this provision—for the requirements of (the god) Aruḷāḷa-Perumāḷ when, on the day of Tirukkēṭṭai in each month, (he) is carried out, is bathed, and receives great offerings.

(L. 12.) This (is) the writing of Uttiramēlūr-Uḍaiyāṉ, (alias) Eṭṭi Tirukkāḷatti-Uḍaiyāṉ.

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.80 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 186–190, item 80.

Notes

  1. 1. For a few other inscriptions in the same temple see Ind. Ant. Vol. XXI. p. 122, Nos. I. and III.; Ep. Ind. Vol. III. pp. 71 and 118, and Vol. IV. p. 145.

  2. 2. Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 145 and note 3.

  3. 3. See above, p. 143 and note 3.

  4. 4. Above, Vol. II. p. 311, and Vol. III. p. 184.

  5. 5. Above, Vol. II. p. 311, and Vol. III. p. 75, No. 33, text line 14.

  6. 6. According to the Guruparamparāprabhāva the former was born at Tirukkaḍaṉmallai (Māmallapuram) in Aviṭṭam (Śravishṭhā), and the latter at Kachchi (Conjeeveram) in Tiruvōṇam (Śravaṇa), during the Dvāpara-yuga (!).

  7. 7. Compare above, p. 143, note 4.

  8. 8. See above, Vol. II. p. 344.

  9. 9. Muḷaippāligai are pots with earth in which seeds are made to sprout at the aṅkurārpaṇam, a ceremony preliminary to a religious or nuptial feast (Winslow).

  10. 10. Mr. H.Krishna Sastri suggests that this corrupt term may be meant for Kṛittikārōhaṇam, the name of a ceremony which is still observed in the temples of the Mysore State.

  11. 11. On kaśu or kaiśu see above, Vol. II. p. 75, note 2, and p. 130, note 1.

  12. 12. This had been the name of the queen of the Chōḷa king Virarājēndradēva I. ; see above, Vol. II. p. 233.

  13. 13. Compare above, p. 159 and note 1.

  14. 14. Muḻaiyūr in Maṇṇi-nāḍu is mentioned in an inscription of Kulōttuṅga I.; see above, p. 162 and note 3.

  15. 15. On this district see p. 152 above.

  16. 16. See above, p. 151, note 2.

  17. 17. On Dūtahari and Pāṇḍavadūta see above, p. 164, note 5.

  18. 18. On Dūtahari and Pāṇḍavadūta see above, p. 164, note 5.

  19. 19. The word Iḷaiyakō may refer either to the Chōḷa heir-apparent or to Lakshmaṇa; see Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 72.

  20. 20. Veṇṇeykkūttaṉ is one of the names of Kṛishṇa; see loc. cit.

  21. 21. On Uttiramēlūr see above, p. 141 and note 1.

  22. 22. Tirukkāḷatti is the Tamil form of Kālahasti in the North Arcot district.