# SII 3.80: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Emmanuel Francis

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

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0080

Repository: SII original (south-indian-inscriptions)

File path: SII_B_clean/SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0080.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

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

## 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 Eyiṟkōṭṭam[3] (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]

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

## 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?⟨u⟩cuṭara(ḷa)vumorukuṭai niḻaṟṟa
vi¿j(ai)A?⟨jaiya⟩bhiṣekam pa(ṇ)ṇi (vī)rasiṁhāsanattu
mukkokkiḻānaṭikaḷoṭum (vī)ṟ⟨2⟩ṟi(run=ta)ruḷiya kopparakecaripanmarāna
tribhuvanacca¿kra?⟨kra⟩va¿t=ti?⟨rti⟩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?⟨ī⟩ḻaṭṭa nellu
Uriyāka nelluppatakkirunāḻiyum tirumu(ḷai)ppī¿t?⟨c⟩aṅkoḷḷa Arici
ṉānāḻiyum ¿pu?⟨pu⟩ṇyā¿g?⟨h⟩adakṣ¿a?⟨i⟩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?⟨ī⟩ḻari(ci)
Irunā(ḻi)yuṅkalacañcūḻakkāṇavilai(yiṉ pu)ṭa(v)ai
pa(ti)nm¿u?⟨ū⟩ṉṟuṅkalacañcuṟṟa nūlar(ai)ppalamum tirumañcanattukku ney
muṉṉāḻiyum tenāḻiyum pāl muṉ⟨5⟩ṉāḻiyu(m) tayir (muṉ)ṉā(ḻi)yum
sna¿m?⟨p⟩anadravyaṅkaḷ veṇṭuva(na)vum pañcaloka(mu)m
pañca¿ran=na?⟨ratna⟩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?⟨ī⟩r¿ā?⟨aka⟩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)?⟨cī⟩(ra)ka(mi)ru(c)eviṭaraiyum viṟaku kaṭṭu m¿u?⟨ū⟩(ṉ)ṟum
kucak(ka)laUruvukku nellukkalamu(m
taṇṇ)¿(i)?⟨ī⟩(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 sprouts[9] 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
kaśu[11] 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 Veṇgāḍaṉ[13] 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 committee[16] of this
temple:—Rājarāja-Kramavittaṉ of Puṇḍavattanam (i.e. Puṇḍravardhana);
Dūtahari-Niṉṟanārāyaṇa-Kramavittaṉ;[17] Pāṇḍavadūta-Kramavittaṉ[18] of
Mṛihasthalam (i.e. Bṛihatsthala ?); Iḷaiyakō-Kramavittaṉ[19] 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.

[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] Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 145 and note 3.

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

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

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

[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] Compare above, p. 143, note 4.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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