Mēlappaḻuvūr, Kīḻaiyūr, Ireṭṭaikkōyil, Agastyeśvara, time of Rājakesarin, year 6

Editors: Valérie Gillet, Emmanuel Francis.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSMelKil00010.

Summary: Mēlappaḻuvūr, Kīḻaiyūr, Ireṭṭaikkōyil, Agastyeśvara, on the northern façade of the sanctuary, on the two consecutive wall sections on the eastern side of the niche of Brahmā AIM, southern shrine; on the northern façade of the sanctuary, on the two consecutive wall sections on the eastern side of the niche of Brahmā; 6th regnal year of Kōvirājakesarivarman = king difficult to identify; identified with Gaṇḍarāditya by Balasubrahmanyam (1963: 62–63) and Balambal (1978: 183); identified with Rājarāja I in SII; inscription similar to #34.

Hand description:

Language: Tamil.

Repository: Mēlappaḻuvūr & Kīḻappaḻuvūr (tfa-melappaluvur-kilappaluvur-epigraphy).

Version: (217aac3), last modified (9f2b603).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī

kōvirāca[kēsaripan]akku yānṭu 6-Āvatu

kunṟakku⟨2⟩ṟṟattu devatānam Avanikantaṟppa-Īśvaragṛhattu tenvāyi⟨l⟩ śrī⟨3⟩kōyil mahādevaṟku It(t)aḷi tēvaṉār makaḷār piḷḷai cēramāṉār (d)e⟨4⟩viyār ṉakkaṉ Akkāra naṅkaiyār cantrādittavaṟ Iravum pakalum Eri (vai)⟨5⟩tta ṉondā-viḷakku Onṟiṉukku paṭi Uḻakkiṉāl nicatam Uḻakku ṉeyy eriya ⟨6⟩ vaitta poṉ 10 2-m paṉṉiru kaḻañcu Ivviḷakk’ eriya vaitta (ti)rā viḷakk’ o⟨7⟩[ṉṟu] ṉirai 2 100 15 Iruppu nā‡rāyam U‡(ḷ)paṭa ce(ruvi)ṭaiyāl 2 100 10 5

Itu pa⟨8⟩nmāyeśvara rakṣai

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ [kesaripan]kesaripan SR • This part is no longer legible.

⟨7⟩ [ṉṟu]ṉṟu SR • This part is no longer legible.

Translation by Gillet 2024

Fortune! Prosperity! This is the 6th year of Kōvirājakesarivarman. For Mahādeva of the holy shrine (śrīkōyil) of the southern side (tenvāyi > tenvāyil) of the temple (gṛhattu) of the Lord (īśvara) [of] Avanikantaṟppa, a devadāna of Kuṉṟakkūṟṟam, the daughter of god (tēvaṉār makaḷār) of this temple (ittaḷi), wife/queen (deviyār) of Piḷḷai Cēramāṉār, Nakkaṉ Akkāra Naṅkaiyār, gave (vaitta) to burn (eri > eriya) night and day (iravum pakalum), as long as the moon and the sun last (cantrādittavaṟ), one perpetual lamp (nondāviḷakku oṉṟiṉukku); [she] placed (vaitta) 12 kalañcus of gold (poṉ) to burn (eriya) one uḻakku of ghee (ney) everyday (nicatam) with this uḻakku-measure (paṭi uḻakkiṉāl); for this lamp to burn (ivviḷakkeriya), [she] gave (vaitta) 215 standard weight (niṟai) for one standing lamp (tirāviḷakkoṉṟu), 215 by the ceruviṭai measure (ceruviṭaiyāl) including (uḷpaṭa) iron (iruppu) and led (nārāyam). This is under the protection of the Panmāheśvaras.

Commentary

(1) Rājakesarin is a king difficult to identify; identified with Gaṇḍarāditya by Balasubrahmanyam (1963: 62–63) and Balambal (1978: 183); identified with Rājarāja I in SII.

(1) The inscription is engraved over two consecutive wall sections.

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1923-1924 (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/364).

Edited by Srinivasa Rao 1952 (SII 13.153). Edited and translated in Gillet 2024, based on autopsy.

This digital edition by Valérie Gillet and Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SR] Srinivasa Rao, G.V. 1952. South-Indian inscriptions (texts) (with introductory notes in English). Volume XIII: The Cholas. South Indian Inscriptions 13. Madras: Archaeological Survey of India. Page 81, item 153.

[VG] Gillet, Valérie. 2024. Minor Majesties: The Paḻuvēṭṭaraiyars and their South Indian Kingdom of Paḻuvūr, 9th-11th centuries A.D. New York: Oxford University Press. [URL]. Pages 143–144, item 10.

Secondary

ARIE 1923-1924. Annual report on South-Indian epigraphy for the year ending 31st March 1924. Edited by G. Venkoba Rao. Madras: Government Press, 1925. Page 73, appendix C/1924, item 364.