SII 3.207: original edition by H. Krishna Sastri

Alternative title: “FIVE CHOLA COPPER-PLATES FROM TIRUKKALAR. No. 207.—TIRUKKALAR PLATE OF RAJENDRA-CHOLA I.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: These are five copper-plates belonging to the Pārijātavanēśvara temple at Tirukkaḷar, a village ten miles south-east of Mannārguḍi in the Tanjore district1. A short notice of these appeared in Dr. Hultzsch’s Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1902—03, paragraph 17. The report also contains a list of 23 stone inscriptions which were copied from the same temple.2 These five copper-plates, strung on a copper-ring of 5" diameter, have flat rims, measure 1’(7/8)" x 5(1/2)" each, weigh together 566 tolas and have ring-holes bored in the middle of the left margin about an inch from the edge. They contain in them five complete inscriptions of different Chōḷa kings. The first of them, which is also the earliest, is a record of Parakēsarivarman Rājēndra-Chōḷa I who ascended the Chōḷa throne in A.D. 1012. It begins with the king’s usual historical introduction commencing with the words tiru maṉṉi vaḷara, enumerates his conquests up to the capture of Kaḍāram, is dated in the 18th year of his reign and registers the extent of the dēvadāna lands belong-ing to the temple of Mahādēva at Tirukkaḷar which is said to be a village in Puṟaṅgarambai-nāḍu, a subdivision of Arumoḻidēva-vaḷanāḍu.

Compared with the inscription of this king found at Tirumalai3, dated in the 13th year of reign and his Tanjore epigraph4, dated in the 19th year of reign, the present inscription furnishes a few differences in reading which are noticed in foot-notes.

The identification of all the place names occurring in the historical introduction has been made by Professor Hultzsch5, and it remains to note here only a few facts in this connection. Iḍaituṟai-nāḍu which has been taken to be Yeḍatore, a small village in the Mysore district by Mr. Rice, has since been shown by Dr. Fleet to be identical with the territorial division Eḍedoṟe, two thousand, a tract of country lying between the rivers Kṛishṇā on the north and Tuṅgabhadrā on the south, comprising a large part of the present Raichur district6. The Kanyākumāri inscription of Vīrarājēndra shows that Maṇṇaikaḍakkam is not to be identified with Maṇṇe in the Nelamaṅgala taluk of the Bangalore district but is the same as Mānyakhēṭa, which Rājēndra-Chōḷa is said to have made a playground for his armies7. Chakkara-kōṭṭam has been satisfactorily identified by Rai Bahadur Hira Lal with Chitrakūṭa or ºkōṭa, eight miles from Rājapura in the Bastar State: he has also adduced epigraphical evidence to show that its king was really Dhārāvarsha in A.D. 11118, as stated in the epigraphs of Kulōttuṅga I. Dakshiṇa-Lāḍam has been taken to be Dakashiṇa-Virāṭa or Southern Berars; but it looks likely that it is identical with Dakshiṇa-Rāḍha in Bengal9. Śrī-Vijaya appears under the form Śrī-Vishaya in a Kaṇḍiyūr inscription10 of the same king; and the large Leyden grant states that Māravijayōt-tuṅgavarman was the overlord of this territory11. This has been taken to be the same as San-fotsai of the Chinese annals and has been identified with Palembang, a residency of Sumatra12.

Language: Tamil (tam).

Version: (3992bd7), last modified (0ec4724).

Edition

⟨Page 1r⟩

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī || tiru maṉṉi vaḷara Irunilamaṭantaiyum porccayappāvaiyum cīrtta-

⟨2⟩ ṉic celviyun taṉ perunteviyarāki yiṉpuṟa neṭitiya lūḻiyu ḷiṭaituṟai

⟨3⟩ nāṭum tuṭarvaṉavelip paṭar vaṉavāciyum c¿ū?ḷḷic cūḻūmatiṭ koḷḷippākkaiyu-

⟨4⟩ m naṇṇaṟ karumaraṇ maṇṇai kkaṭakkamum porutaṭarīḻattaraiyarta muṭiyu māṅkavar teviya

⟨5⟩ roṅkeḻiṉmuṭiyu muṉṉavar (pa)kkaṟ ṟeṉṉavar vaitta cuntaramuṭiyu mintiranāramun te-

⟨6⟩ ṇṭirai yīḻamaṇṭala muḻuvatum Eṟipaṭaik ke⟨ra⟩ḷar muṟaimaiyiṟ cūṭuṅ kulataṉa-

⟨7⟩ mākiya palar pukaḻ muṭiyum ceṅkatirmālaiyum caṅkatir velait tolpe-

⟨8⟩ ruṅkāvaṟ pala paḻantīvum ceruviṟ ciṉavi lirupattorukā laraicukaḷai kaṭṭa paracurā-

⟨9⟩ maṉ mevaruñ cāntimattīvaraṇ karuti yiruttiya cempoṟ ṟiruttaku muṭiyum payaṅko-

⟨10⟩ ṭu paḻi mika muyaṅkiyil mutukiṭṭoḷitta cayaciṅkaṉ Aḷapperum pukaḻoṭu piṭiy¿i?liraṭṭapāṭi yeḻa-

⟨11⟩ rai yilakkamum navaṉetikkulapperumalaikaḷum v¿ī?kkiramavīrar cakkarakoṭṭamu mutirvaṭavallai matu-

⟨12⟩ ra maṇṭalamum kāmiṭaivaḷa nāmaṇai{y}kkoṇaiyum veñcilai vīrar pañcappaḷḷiyum pācaṭaippa-

⟨13⟩ ḻaṉa mācuṇitecamum Ayarvilvaṇpūrttiyaiyātiñakaravaiyiṟ cantiraṉ ṟolkulattintirātaṉai (vi)-

⟨14⟩ ḷaiyamarkkaḷattuk kiḷaiyoṭum piṭittup palataṉattoṭu niṟaikulataṉakkuvaiyum kiṭ ṭaruñce-

⟨Page 1v⟩

⟨15⟩ ṟimiḷai (y)oṭṭaviṣaiyamum pūcurar cer nalk kocalaiñāṭum taṉmapālaṉai vemmuṉai yaḻittu va-

⟨16⟩ ṇṭuṟai colait taṇṭaputtiyum Iraṇacūraṉai muraṇuka ttākkit tikkaṇai kīrttit takkaṇalāṭamum ko-

⟨17⟩ vintacantaṉ māviḻintoṭat taṅkāta cāral vaṅkāḷatecamum toṭukaḻaṟ caṅkuvoṭṭal mayipālaṉai ve-

⟨18⟩ ñcamar viḷākat tañcuvittaruḷi yoṇṭiṟal yāṉaiyum peṇṭir paṇṭāramum nittila neṭuṅkaṭalu-

⟨19⟩ ttiralāṭamum veṟimalarttīrat teṟipuṉaṟ kaṅkaiyum Alaikaṭaṉaṭuvaṭ palakalañ celuttic caṅkirāma-

⟨20⟩ vijaiyottuṅkapaṉmaṉākiya kaṭārattaraiyaṉai vākaiyam poru(ka)ṭakku(mpa)kkari-

⟨21⟩ yoṭu makappaṭu(t turi)maiyiṟ piṟakkiya perunetip piṟakkamum Ārttavaṉakaṉakarp po-

⟨22⟩ rttoḻil vācalil viccātara {to}toraṇamu moyttoḷir puṉaimaṇipputavamum kaṉa-

⟨23⟩ maṇikkatavamum niṟai śrīvijaiyamum tuṟainīrppaṉṉaiyu maṉmalaiyūreyiṟ ṟoṉ malai(yū)-

⟨24⟩ rum Āḻkaṭalakaḻcūḻ māyiruṭiṅkamum kalaṅkā valviṉai yilaṅkācopamum kāppuṟu niṟai-

⟨25⟩ puṉal māppappāḷamum kāvalampuricai mevilimpaṅkamum viḷaippain tūṟuṭai vaḷaippaintū-

⟨26⟩ ṟum kalaittakkor pukaḻ talaittakkolamum tīyatamāvalviṉai mātamaliṅka(muṅ kalā)mutir kaṭuntiṟal Ilāmu-

⟨27⟩ ritecamum teṉakkalar poḻil māṉakkavāramun toṭukaḻaṟkāvaṟ kaṭumuraṭ kaṭāramu māpporu taṇṭāṟ ko⟨ṇ⟩ṭa ko-

⟨28⟩ pparakecaripaṉmarāṉa Uṭaiyār śrīrājentiracoḻatevarkku yāṇṭu patiṉeṭṭāvatu Arumoḻiteva(va)-

⟨29⟩ ḷanāṭṭu puṟaṅkarampai nāṭṭu veṅkūrkkaḷa tirukkaḷar mahādevar devatānam nilam 1/2

⟨30⟩ 10 9 khamapanṉilam vaḷai(yi)ṟcuṟṟu mik¿i?tikkuṟaivu Uḷḷaṭaṅka || ௳

Apparatus

⟨2⟩ yiṉpuṟa • Tr. reads iṉpuṟu. Here and in the following foot-notes, Tr. denotes the Tirumalai inscription of Rājēndra-Chōḷa I, published in Ep. Ind., Vol. IX, pp. 229 ff. — ⟨2⟩ neṭitiyal • Here and in the following foot-notes, Tj. denotes the Tanjore inscription of Rājēndra-Chōḷa I published in Vol. II, above, pp. 105 ff. Tj. and Tr. read neṭutiyal.

⟨3⟩ cūḻū° • cūḻ is the reading in Tr. and Tj.

⟨4⟩ karumaraṇ • muraṇ is the reading in Tr. and Tj. — ⟨4⟩ porutaṭa • This reading occurs in Nos. 9, 10 and 82 of South-Ind. Inscrs., Vol. II.

⟨10⟩ muyaṅkiyil • Tr. has mucaṅkiyal, while Tj. reads muyaṅkiyal. The change of ca and ya is quite ordinary. — ⟨10⟩ Aḷapperum • Tj. has Aḷapparum. — ⟨10⟩ piṭiy¿i?⟨a⟩l • Tr. and Tj. read piṭiyal. Correct piṭiyil into piṭiyal

⟨11⟩ mutir • Tr. reads paṭa.

⟨12⟩ vaḷa nāmaṇai{y}kkoṇaiyum • In place of vaḷa nāmaṇai{y}kkoṇaiyum, Tr. reads vaḷaiy nāmaṇaikkoṇamum, but Tj. has vaḷanāmaṇai kkoṇaiyum. — ⟨12⟩ veñcilai • For veñcilai (= of fierce arrow) of Tr. and Tk., Tj. has veñciṉa (= of fierce anger). — ⟨12⟩ pācaṭaippa⟨13⟩ḻaṉa mācuṇitecamum • For pācaṭai paḻaṇamācuṇi tecamum of Tj. and Tk., Tr. has pācuṭai paḻanaṉ mācuṇitecamum.

⟨13⟩ vaṇpūrttiyaiyātiñakara • vaṇpūrtti{yai} yātiñakar of the Tk., generally occurs as vaṇkirtti āti nakar (Tr. and Tj.). The change of nakar into ñakar is correct. — ⟨13⟩ kulattintirātaṉai • For kulattintirātaṉai of Tj. and Tk., Tr. has kulattirataṉai where ntira is perhaps omitted before rataṉai.

⟨14⟩ kiṭ ṭaruñ • For kiṭṭaruñ of Tj. and Tk., Tr. has ciṭṭarum which is perhaps an engraver’s mistake.

⟨16⟩ muraṇuka • For muṟaṇuka of Tj. and Tk., Tr. has muraṇuṟa.

⟨17⟩ toṭukaḻaṟ caṅkuvoṭṭal • The reading toṭu kaḻaṟ caṅkuvoṭṭal agrees with that given in Tj., but Tr. has caṅku koṭṭaṉ.

⟨19⟩ veṟimalarttīrat teṟipuṉaṟ kaṅkaiyum • While Tj. reads veṟimalarttīrttat teṟipuṉalkkaṅkai, Tr. has veṟimaṇaṟṟīrttat teṟipuṉaṟkaṅkai; and Tk. veṟimalarttīrat teṟipuṉaṟkaṅkai. — ⟨19⟩ ṉaṭuvaṭ • For ṉaṭuvaṭ of Tk., ṉaṭuvuṭ is the reading in Tj. Both are correct.

⟨20⟩ vākaiyam • While Tk. reads vākaiyam, Tj. has vākayam. — ⟨20⟩ poru(ka)ṭakku(mpa)kkari • In place of kaṭakkumpakkari, an Uttaramallūr inscription reads kaṭal kumpakkari. (see note 6 on page 107 above).

⟨22⟩ viccātara • A different reading of this is viccātira: see South-Ind. Inscrs., Vol. II, p. 107.

⟨23⟩ śrīvijaiyamum • Tj. reads śrīvicaiyamum and one of the Tirupvallam inscritions reads cīrvicaiyamum. — ⟨23⟩ maṉmalai • Tj. reads vaṉmalai.

⟨24⟩ yilaṅkācopamum • Read Ilaṅkācokamum as in Tj.

⟨25⟩ viḷaippain tū • Tj. reads viḷaippantū. — ⟨25⟩ vaḷaippaintū • Tj. reads vaḷaippantū.

⟨26⟩ tīyata • Tj. has tita. — ⟨26⟩ mātamaliṅka(muṅ) • mātamaliṅkamum occurs as mātamāliṅkamum in Tj.

⟨27⟩ teṉakkalar • For teṉakkalar, Tj. has teṉakkavār. — ⟨27⟩ kaḻaṟkāvaṟ • kaṭalkkāval is the reading in Tj.

Translation by Krishna Sastri 1929

Hail! Prosperity! In the eighteenth year (of the reign of) king Parakēsari-varman alias Uḍaiyār Śrī-Rājēndra-Chōḷadēva, in (his) life of high pros-perity, while Tiru (Lakshmī), having become constant, was increasing, (and) while the goddess of the great earth, the goddess of victory in battle, and the matchless goddess of fame rejoiced to have become his great queens,—conquered with (his) great, warlike army (the following):—

Iḍaiduṟai-nāḍu, Vanavāsi, whose unbroken hedge of forest (trees) was extending; Koḷḷippākkai, whose walls were surrounded with brushwood; Maṇṇaikkaḍakkam, whose fortification was unapproachable; the crown of the king of Īḻam who came to close quarters in fighting; the exeedingly fine crowns of the queens of that (king); the beautiful crown and Indra’s pearl necklace, which the king of the south (i.e., the Pāṇḍya) had previously deposited with that (king of Īḻam); the whole Īḻa-maṇḍala (on) the transparent sea; the crown praised by many and the garland emitting beautiful rays, family treasures, which the (kings of) Kēraḷa, whose armies possessing missile weapons, rightfully wore; many ancient islands whose old, great guard was the ocean which resounds with its conches; the crown of pure gold, worthy of Tiru (Lakshmī) which Paraśurāma, having considered the fortifications of Śāndimattīvu impregnable, had deposited (there), when, in anger (he) bound the kings twenty-one times in battle; the seven and a half lakshas of Iraṭṭapāḍi (which was) strong by nature, (and which he took), together with immeasurable fame, (from) Jayasiṁha, who, out of fear, turned his back at Muśaṅgi and hid himself (thus earning) great infame; the principal great mountains (which contained) the nine treasures (of Kubēra); Śakkarakōṭṭam (guarded by) brave warriors; the ancient and strong northern Madura-maṇḍala; Nāmaṇaikkōṇam, which was surrounded by dense groves; Pañchapaḷḷi (protected by) warriors (who bore) cruel bows; the moth (-grown) ancient Māśuṇidēśa; a large heap of family-treasures, together with many (other) treasures (which he carried away) after having captured Indraratha of the old race of the moon, together with (his) family, in a fight which took place in the beautiful city of Ādinagar, filled with unceasing abundance; Oḍḍa-vishaya, which was difficult to approach, (and which he subdued in) close fight; the good Kōśalai-nāḍu, where Brāhmaṇas abounded; Daṇḍabutti, in whose gardens beetles abounded (and which he acquired) after having destroyed Dharmapāla (in) a hot battle; Takkaṇa-Lāḍam, whose fame reached (all) directions (and which he occupied) after having forcibly attacked Raṇaśūra; Vaṅgāḷa-dēśa, where the rain-wind never stopped (and from which) Gōvindachandra fled, having descended (from his) male elephant; elephants of rare strength and treasures of women, (which he seized), after having been pleased to put to fright on a hot battle-field, Mahīpāla, decked (as he was) with ear-rings, slippers and bracelets; Uttira-Lāḍam in the neighbourhood of the expansive ocean abounding in pearls; and the Gaṅgā, whose waters dashed against the banks filled with fragrant flowers; and (who), having despatched many ships in the midst of the rolling sea and having caught Samgrāma-vijayōttuṅgavarman, the king of Kaḍāram, along with (his) rutting elephants, which put up rare fight and brought victory,—(took) the large heap of treasures, which (that king) had rightfully accumulated; the (arch called) Vidyādhara-tōraṇa put up at the “gate” of his wide inland city provided with accoutrements of war; the “jewel-gate”, adorned with great splendour; the “gate of large jewels” the prosperous Śrī-Vishaiya; Paṉṉai with a ghat of (bathing) water; the ancient Malaiyūr (with) a fort situated on a fine hill; Māyiruḍiṅgam, surrounded by the deep sea (as) a moat; Ilaṅgāśōgam (i.e., Laṅkāśōka) undaunted (in) fierce battles; Māppappāḷam, having abundant high waters as defence; Mēvilimbaṅgam, having fine walls as defence; Vaḷaippandūṟu, possessing (both) cultivated land (?) and jungle; the principal (city of) Takkōlam, praised by great men (versed in) the sciences; the island of Mādamaliṅgam, of strong battlements; Ilāmuri-dēśam, provided with scientifically ripe excessive strength; the great Nakkavāram, whose gardens (abounded in) flowers dribbling honey; and Kaḍāram, of fierce strength, protected by foot-soldiers wearing kaḻal; the dēvadāna lands (belonging to the temple) of the Mahādēva at Veṅgūrkkaḷa-Tirukkaḷar in Puṟaṅgarambai-nāḍu (a sub-division) of Arumoḻidēva-vaḷanāḍu, measured (1/2) (vēli) 19(1/4), (1/160) and . . .13. This land was inclusive of excess and deficiency (in measurement) of the surrounding parts.

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.207 by Krishna Sastri 1929 converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SII] Krishna Sastri, H. 1929. South-Indian inscriptions. Volume III, Part IV: Copper-plate grants from Sinnamanur, Tirukkalar and Tiruchchengodu. Including title page, preface, table of contents, list of plates, addenda and corrigenda, introduction and index of Volume III. South Indian Inscriptions 3.4. Calcutta: Government of India, Central Publication Branch. Pages 465–469, item 207.

Notes

  1. 1. Sewell’s Lists of Antiquities, Vol. I, p. 280.

  2. 2. Nos. 642 to 655 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1902. They belong to the reigns of the Chōḷa kings Tribhuvanachakravartin Rājādhirāja, Rājarāja, Vīrarājēndra and Kulōttuṅga, the Pāṇḍya kings Jaṭāvarman Tribhuvanachakravartin Śrīvallabha and Māṟavarman Kulaśēkhara and the Vijayanagara sovereigns Viruppaṇṇa and Vīra-Bhūpati.

  3. 3. Edited in Ep. Ind., Vol. IX, pp. 229 ff.

  4. 4. Above, Vol. II, pp. 105 ff. No. 20.

  5. 5. Ep. Ind., Vol. IX, pp. 230-1.

  6. 6. Ibid, Vol. XII, p. 296.

  7. 7. Trav. Arch. Series, Vol. III, pp. 119 and 156.

  8. 8. Ep. Ind., Vol. IX, p. 179. Mr. Hira Lal would substitute “Kulōttuṅga conquered king Dhārāvarsha at Chakrakōṭṭa” for “Kulōttuṅga conquered the king of Dhārā at Chakrakōṭṭam”: See foot-note 2.

  9. 9. Memoirs of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. LXI, p. 7 ff.

  10. 10. Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1894-5, paragraph 12.

  11. 11. Arch. Survey of Southern India, Vol. IV, p. 218.

  12. 12. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. XXVI, p. 73 and Ep. Ind., Vol. XVII, p. 313.

  13. 13. Here is a figure resembling pa.