Vallam, time of Kantacēṉaṉ

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: Vedānteśvara temple. Pillar inscription recording the foundation of a cave-temple by Kantacēṉaṉ (Sanskrit Skandasena), son of Vayantappiri (Sanskrit Vasantapriya) and servant of Mayēntirappōttarēcaru (Mahendravarman I Pallava).

Language: Tamil (tam) [Tamil (tamil)].

Repository: Pallava (tfa-pallava-epigraphy).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSPallava00036.

File path: DHARMA_INSPallava00036.xml.

Version: 2026-08-26 06:31 (95a9465), last modified 2026-08-26 06:31 (95a9465).

Edition

⟨Zone 1: Left/South Pillar⟩

⟨1⟩ pakā-p·-piṭuku laḷitāṅ·kuraṉ·

⟨Zone 2: Right/North Pillar⟩

⟨2⟩ cat(·)turu¡m(·)m!allaṉ· kuṇaparaṉ·

⟨3⟩ mayēn·tira-p-pōt·t-arēcaru Aṭiyāṉ·

⟨4⟩ vayan·tap·piri Arēcaru makaṉ· kan·tacēṉa-

⟨5⟩ ṉ· ceyivit(·)ta tēvakulam· ↝

Translation by Hultzsch 1895

Kantaceṉaṉ (Skandasena), the son of Vayantappiriarecaru (Vasantapriyarāja), the servant of Pakāppiṭuku Laḷitāṅkuraṉ (Lalitāṅkura) Catturummallaṉ (Śatrumalla) Kuṇaparaṉ (Guṇabhara) Mayentirappōttarecaru (Mahendrapōtarāja), caused ⟨this⟩ temple (devakula) to be made.

Translation

⟨1–5⟩ Temple (tēvakulam¹) caused to be made by Kantacēṉaṉ², son of the king (arēcaru) Vayantappiri,³ servant (aṭiyāṉ) of Pakāppiṭuku Laḷitāṅkuraṉ⁴ Catturummallaṉ⁵ Kuṇaparaṉ⁶ Mayēntirappōttarēcaru.⁷

Commentary

It is not clear what the relation is between the two discrete inscriptions, each on a different pillar. We read them in succession as Pakāppiṭuku, Lalitāṅkura, Śatrumalla and Guṇabhara are well attested birudas of Mahendravarman I. We follow here the interpretation of Hultzsch 1895.

Pōttarēcaru (and its variants, e.g. Pōttaraiyar) is a title of the Pallava kings. Mayēntirappōttarēcaru is Mahendravarman I (r. ca. 580-630).

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1892–93 (ARIE/1892-1893/A/1892/185).

Edited in Hultzsch 1895 (SII 2.72) with visual documentation and English translation. Text and summary in Mahalingam 1988 (IP 36).

This revised edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on autopsy and photos (2004).

Primary

[SII] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1895. South-Indian inscriptions: Tamil inscriptions of Rajaraja, Rajendra-chola, and others in the Rajarajesvara temple at Tanjavur. Volume II, Part III: Supplement to the first and second volumes. South Indian Inscriptions 2.3. Madras: Government Press. Pages 340–341, item 72.

[IP] Mahalingam, T. V. 1988. Inscriptions of the Pallavas. New Delhi; Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research; Agam Prakashan. Page 134, item 36.

Secondary

[ARIE] ARIE 1892–93. G.O. Nos. 642-43, 14th August 1893. Epigraphy. Directing, with remarks, Dr. Hultzsch’s report on Epigraphical work done during 1892-93 be forwarded to the Govrnement of India and approving of the programme for the next field season. Edited by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch. Madras: Government of Madras, Public Department, 1893. Pages 2, 8, appendix A/1892, item 185.

Srinivasan, K. R. 1964. Cave-temples of the Pallavas. Architectural survey of temples 1. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. Pages 61–64.

Lockwood, Michael, Vishnu Bhat A, Gift Siromoney & Dayanandan P. 2001. Pallava art. Madras, Tambaram: Tambaram Research Associates. Page 267.

Notes

1. Sanskrit devakula.
2. Sanskrit Skandasena.
3. Sanskrit Vasantapriya.
4. Sanskrit Lalitāṅkura.
5. Sanskrit Śatrumalla.
6. Sanskrit Guṇabhara.
7. Sanskrit Mahendra + Tamil Pōttaraicar. That is, the Pallava king Mahendra, that is, Mahendravarman I Pallava.

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<p>Kantaceṉaṉ <supplied reason="explanation">Skandasena</supplied>, the son of Vayantappiriarecaru <supplied reason="explanation">Vasantapriyarāja</supplied>, the servant of Pakāppiṭuku Laḷitāṅkuraṉ <supplied reason="explanation">Lalitāṅkura</supplied> Catturummallaṉ <supplied reason="explanation">Śatrumalla</supplied> Kuṇaparaṉ <supplied reason="explanation">Guṇabhara</supplied> Mayentirappōttarecaru <supplied reason="explanation">Mahendrapōtarāja</supplied>, caused <supplied reason="subaudible">this</supplied> temple <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>devakula</foreign></supplied> to be made.</p>

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Temple <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tēvakulam</foreign><note>Sanskrit <foreign>devakula</foreign>.</note></supplied> caused to be made by Kantacēṉaṉ<note>Sanskrit Skandasena.</note>, son of the king <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>arēcaru</foreign></supplied> Vayantappiri,<note>Sanskrit Vasantapriya.</note> servant <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>aṭiyāṉ</foreign></supplied> of Pakāppiṭuku Laḷitāṅkuraṉ<note>Sanskrit Lalitāṅkura.</note> Catturummallaṉ<note>Sanskrit Śatrumalla.</note> Kuṇaparaṉ<note>Sanskrit Guṇabhara.</note> Mayēntirappōttarēcaru.<note>Sanskrit Mahendra + Tamil Pōttaraicar. That is, the Pallava king Mahendra, that is, Mahendravarman I Pallava.</note>

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<p>It is not clear what the relation is between the two discrete inscriptions, each on a different pillar. We read them in succession as Pakāppiṭuku, Lalitāṅkura, Śatrumalla and Guṇabhara are well attested <foreign>biruda</foreign>s of Mahendravarman I. We follow here the interpretation of <bibl><ptr target="bib:Hultzsch1895_01"/></bibl>.</p>

<p>Pōttarēcaru (and its variants, e.g. Pōttaraiyar) is a title of the Pallava kings. Mayēntirappōttarēcaru is Mahendravarman I (r. ca. 580-630).</p>

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<p>Reported in <bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE1892-1893"/></bibl> (ARIE/1892-1893/A/1892/185).</p>

<p>Edited in <bibl><ptr target="bib:Hultzsch1895_01"/></bibl> (SII 2.72) with visual documentation and English translation. Text and summary in <bibl><ptr target="bib:Mahalingam1988_01"/></bibl> (IP 36).</p>

<p>This revised edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on autopsy and photos (2004).</p>

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