SII 1.82: original edition by Eugen Hultzsch

Alternative title: “PART II. TAMIL AND GRANTHA INSCRIPTIONS. VI. INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KAILĀSANĀTHA AT KĀÑCĪPURAM. No. 82. ON A PILLAR IN THE MAṆḌAPA IN FRONT OF THE RĀJASIṀHAVARMEŚVARA SHRINE.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: The following inscription is dated in the fifteenth year of Madirai-koṇḍa Ko-Parakesarivarman. The same names are borne by the Choḷa king Parāntaka I., alias Vīranārāyaṇa, in a copper-plate grant published by Mr. Foulkes.1 As Madirai seems to stand for Madurai (Madura), the capital of the Pāṇḍyas,—Madirai-koṇḍa, “who took Madura,” might also be considered as the Tamil equivalent of Madhurāntaka, “the destroyer of Madura.” This was the name of a grandson of Parāntaka I. according to the large Leyden grant.2 Another Madhurāntaka, who was the son of Rājarāja, issued the Sanskrit portion of the Leyden grant after his father’s death.3 He is probably identical with Rājendra-Choḷa-deva, who, according to Nos. 67 and 68, conquered the Maduramaṇḍalam. The three kings just mentioned are Nos. 3, 9 and 11 of the subjoined table, which I insert for ready reference. It contains the pedigree of the Choḷas according to the large Leyden grant. The first three kings of the table are also named in Mr. Foulkes’ above-mentioned grant.4 On inscriptions of the two last kings and on other conquests of theirs, see the introductions of Nos. 40 and 67, above.

[[genealogical table]] [C1]1. Vijayālaya of the Sūryavaṁśa. [C1]2. Āditya I. [C1]3. Parāntaka I., alias Vīranārāyaṇa or Madirai-koṇḍa Ko-Parakesarivarman. He covered the Śiva Temple at Vyāghrāgrahāra5 with gold, married the daughter of the king of Keraḷa and conquered the Bāṇa king, Vaitumba,6 the king of Laṅkā (Ceylon) and Rājasiṁha Pāṇḍya.7 [C1]4. Rājāditya, was killed in a battle with Kṛishṇarāja.8 [C2]5. Gaṇḍarādityavarman, founded a village called by his name on the northern bank of the Kāverī.9 [C3]6. Ariṁjaya. [C1]7. Parāntaka II., alias Rājendra, fought a battle at Chevūr.10 [C1]8. Āditya II., alias Karikāla, fought in his youth with Vīra- Pāṇḍya. [C1]9. Madhurāntaka I. [C1]Kundavai, married to the Pallava king Vandyadeva.11 [C3]10. Rājarāja, alias Rājāśraya or Rājakesarivarman, made certain gifts in Śaka 92612 and conquered the Western Chālukya king Satyāśraya II. (Śaka 919 to about 930). [C1]11. Rājendra-Choḷa, alias Madhurāntaka II. or Parakesarivarman, fought with the Western Chālukya king Jayasiṁha III. (about Śaka 940 to about 964). [C1]Kūndavā, married to the Eastern Chalukya king Vimalāditya (Śaka 937 (?) to 944). [C1]Ammaṅga-devī, married to the Eastern Chalukya king Rājarāja I. (Śaka 944 to 985).

On Rājendra-deva, the probable successor of (II) Rājendra-Choḷa, see the remarks on No. 127, below. In the introduction of No. 67, I might have added that the Miraj grant of the Western Chālukya king Jayasiṁha III.13 calls (Rājendra-) Choḷa Pañcha-Dramilādhipati (read thus instead of yaṁ Chaṁdramilādhipati14), “the lord of the five Draviḍa (nations).15” The village, which was the object of the Miraj grant, belonged to “the Eḍadore (read thus instead of Paḍadore) Two-thousand.” Accordingly, the country of Eḍatore in Maisūr must have been in the possession of Jayasiṁha III. in Śaka 946 (expired). The same country of Eḍatore (Iḍaituṟai-nāḍu) occupies the first place in the list of the conquests of Rājendra-Choḷa-deva.16

The subjoined inscription records that a certain Chaṇḍaparākrama-vīra gave to the god of “the holy stone-temple” (i.e., the Rājasiṁhavarmeśvara Temple17) at Kachchippeḍu (i.e., Kāñchīpuram) 270 sheep, from the milk of which three lamps had to be supplied with ghee. A certain Chaṇḍaparākrama-maṉṟāḍi, who seems to be distinct from the donor, pledged himself, that he and his descendants would supply the ghee daily or otherwise incur certain fixed fines.

It is worthy of note, that in this very archaic inscription the puḷḷi or the dot above consonants, which corresponds to the Nāgarī virāma, occurs five times.18 It is represented by a short vertical stroke. The same sign is found in the Tamil portion of the Kūram plates of the Pallava king Parameśvaravarman I. (No. 151, below.)

Language: Tamil (tam).

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

Edition

⟨1⟩ || svasti śrī || matirai (ko)-

⟨2⟩ ṇṭa kopparakecaripaṉmak(ku)

⟨3⟩ yāṇṭu patinañcāvatu ka(cci)-

⟨4⟩ ppeṭṭupperiya (tiru)-

⟨5⟩ kkaṟṟaḷi mahādevar(ku)

⟨6⟩ caṇ⟨ṭa⟩parākkirama⟨ma⟩nṟāṭiyen (E)-

⟨7⟩ ḻuttu [||] tirukaṟtaḷi tevarku mū(n)-

⟨8⟩ ṟu nond(ā)viḷakku candrādityar Uḷa-

⟨9⟩ ḷavum caṇṭaparākkiramavira v¿a?tta

⟨10⟩ cāvā mūvā perāṭu Irunūṟṟu-

⟨11⟩ Eḻupatu [|] Ivvāṭṭā⟨l⟩ nicati mū(ḻa)-

⟨12⟩ kku ney koṇṭu ceṉṟu U(ṇ)-

⟨13⟩ ṇāḻi(kai) Uṭaiyarkaḷ kai(yi)-

⟨14⟩ l ṉāluḻakku vaḻuvā(ta) nāḻi-

⟨15⟩ yāl En makkaḷ makkaḷ (va)-

⟨16⟩ ḻi vaḻi (Eṉṟum A)ṭṭuven [|] Aṭ(ṭe)-

⟨17⟩ ṉāyil dharmmā(sa)(na)ttil nica(ti)

⟨18⟩ nālekāl (taṇṭapaṭuve)ṉā(ṉ)e-

⟨19⟩ ṉ [|] Ittaṇ(ṭapaṭṭum Iṉe)y mu(ṭ)-

⟨20⟩ ṭāme Aṭṭuve(ṉāneṉ) [|] (mu)ṭṭil A-

⟨21⟩ ṉṟāḷ ko(vukku nicati ma)ñcāṭi

⟨22⟩ poṉ manṟa (Oṭṭi kuṭutteṉ)

⟨23⟩ [*****] (vi)rama [*****]

⟨24⟩ (I)ddharmmam (ca)ndrā(ditya) [****]

⟨25⟩ [**********]

Translation by Hultzsch 1890

Hail! Prosperity! In the fifteenth year of (the reign of) Madirai-koṇḍa Ko-Parakesarivarman, (the following) written agreement (was made) with Mahādeva of the large holy stone-temple at Kachchippeḍu by me, Chaṇḍaparākrama-maṉṟāḍi. Chaṇḍaparākrama-vīra gave two hundred and seventy undying and unending19 big sheep to the god of the holy stone-temple, (in order to keep) three nondā lamps20 (burning) as long as the moon and the sun exist. From (the milk of) these sheep,—myself, my sons and my further descendants shall take three uṛakkus of ghee daily21 and shall, for ever, pour them out into the hands of those, who are in charge of the nāṛigai (measure) within (the temple), with a nāṛi (measure) which is equal to four uṛakkus.22 If I do not pour them out, I shall be liable to a fine of four and a quarter (uṛakkus) daily in court. Although I am fined thus, I shall pour out this ghee without resistance. If I resist, I solemnly agree to pay one mañjāḍi23 of gold daily to the king who is then ruling. . . . . . . . . . . This meritorious gift [shall last as long as] the moon and the sun.

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 1.82 by Hultzsch 1890 converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SII] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1890. South-Indian inscriptions, Tamil and Sanskrit, from stone and copper-plate edicts at Mamallapuram, Kanchipuram, in the North Arcot district, and other parts of the Madras Presidency, chiefly collected in 1886-87. Volume I. South Indian Inscriptions 1. Madras: Government Press. Pages 111–114, item 82.

Notes

  1. 1. Salem Manual, Vol. II, pp. 369 ff.

  2. 2. Dr. Burgess’ Archaeological Survey of Southern India, Vol. IV, pp. 204 ff. Madhurāntaka, and not Mathurāntaka, is the reading in lines 48, 62 and 87 of the original, an impression of which I owe to Dr. Burgess.

  3. 3. See page 96, note 8.

  4. 4. Salem Manual, Vol. II, pp. 369 ff., verses 4 to 11, 24 and 25.

  5. 5. As discovered by my assistant, V. Venkayya, M.A., Vyāghrāgrahāra is the Sanskrit equivalent of Puliyūr, “the tiger-village,” one of the names of Chidambaram. The report of the Leyden grant is confirmed by the Koṅgu Chronicle, which says twice, that Parāntaka I. “built the Kanaka-sabhā or Golden Hall” at Chidambaram; Salem Manual, Vol. I, p. 40.

  6. 6. Compare “the Vaidondai race” and “Vaidumba-raya” in the Rev. Taylor’s translation of the Koṅgu Chronicle, Madras Journal, Vol. XIV, Part I, pp. 15 and 16, and V[ai]dumba in No. 144, below.

  7. 7. See note 1.

  8. 8. This seems to have been the Rāshṭrakūṭa king Kṛishṇa IV., whose grants range between Śaka 868 and 879. The Amoghavarsha, who is mentioned in Mr. Foulkes’ grant (verse 16) is probably identical with the Rāshṭrakūṭa king Śarva Amoghavarsha I. (Śaka 737 to at least 800).

  9. 9. In Sewell’s Lists of Antiquities, Vol. I, p. 265, a village called Kaṇḍarādityam in the Trichinopoly District is mentioned.

  10. 10. Mr. Sewell, u.s., pp. 168 and 207, mentions two villages of this name in the North and South Arcot Districts.

  11. 11. See page 97, note 9.

  12. 12. See page 64, note 1.

  13. 13. Ind. Ant. Vol. VIII, p. 18.

  14. 14. This correction was suggested by my assistant, V. Venkayya, M.A.

  15. 15. The “five Draviḍas,” as opposed to the “five Gauḍas,” are the chief tribes or languages on the south of the Vindhya:—Draviḍa proper (Tamil), Āndhra (Telugu), Karṇāṭa (Kanarese), Mahārāshṭra and Gurjara; see Böhtlingk and Roth’s Sanskrit Dictionary, s.v. draviḍa, and Winslow, s.v. tiraviṭam.

  16. 16. See pages 96 and 99, above.

  17. 17. See page 118, below.

  18. 18. Line 2: ṇ of koṇṭa; ṉ and k of paṉmakku. Line 3: ṇ of yāṇṭu. Line 12: ṇ of koṇṭu.

  19. 19. This seems to mean, that the sheep, if dead, had to be replaced by fresh ones.

  20. 20. In other inscriptions, we find the spelling nantāviḷakku for nontāviḷakku, which occurs also in No. 83, line 8, and in No. 147, line 5.

  21. 21. nicati seems to be connected with niccam, nitam, nittam or nittiyam (Sanskrit nityam).

  22. 22. According to the Tamil dictionaries, 1 nāṛi or paḍi consists of 4 uṛakkus.

  23. 23. 1 manjāḍi weighs 4 grains.