SII 3.23: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Alternative title: “III.—INSCRIPTIONS IN THE PASUPATISVARA TEMPLE AT KARUVUR. No. 23.—ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SECOND PRAKARA, RIGHT OF ENTRANCE.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: This inscription is dated in the 23rd year of the reign of Tribhuvanachakravartin Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva, who claims to have conquered Īḻam (Ceylon), Madurai (Madhurā) and Karuvūr and to have cut off the head of the Pāṇḍya king. The time of this Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷa is settled by an inscription in the Raṅganāyaka temple at Nellūr (Nellore), which couples Śaka-Saṁvat 1119 with the 19th year of his reign.¹ On the basis of this inscription and of some others which contain elements for astronomical calculation, Professor Kielhorn has shown that the king’s reign commenced between the 5th June and 8th July, A.D. 1178.² Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva I. ascended the throne in A.D. 1070,³ and Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva II. issued the Chellūr plates in A.D. 1132.⁴ Consequently, the king, to whose reign the present inscription belongs, has to be designated Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva III. In other inscriptions he bears the names Parakēsarivarman, Vīrarājēndradēva (II.) and Tribhuvanavīradēva. His latest date is the 39th year in an unpublished inscription at Chidambaram. Accordingly, he must have been the immediate predecessor of Tribhuvanachakravartin Rājarājadēva, who ascended the throne about A.D. 1216.⁵

The immediate purpose of the subjoined inscription is to record that the king granted to the Karuvūr temple the village of Maṉṉaṟai and a portion of Kēraḷapaḷḷi⁶ in Taṭṭaiyūr-nāḍu.

Language: Tamil (tam) [Grantha (grantha), Tamil (tamil)].

Repository: South Indian Inscriptions (Original Edition) (south-indian-inscriptions).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0023.

File path: SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0023.xml.

Version: 2026-04-17 20:51 (91a7006), last modified 2026-04-08 19:19 (ee1002a).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [∥] tiripuvaṉaccakkaravarttikaḷ Īḻamum maturaiyum pāṇṭiyaṉ muṭittalaiyuṅkaruvūrum koṇṭaruḷiṉa śrīkulottuṅkaco(ḻa)tevarkku yāṇṭu Irupattum¿u?ṉṟāvatu tiripuvaṉaccakkaravartti koneri-
⟨2⟩ ⟨ṉ⟩(mai)koṇṭāṉ koṅkāṉa co(ḻa)keraḷamaṇṭalat(tu) veṅkālanāṭṭu(k)karuvūrāṉa muṭivaḻa(ṅ)kucoḻapurattu tiruvānilai māte(va)r koyilil tevar kaṉmikkum śrīmāheśvarakaṅkāṇi ceyva-
⟨3⟩ ⟨ār⟩kaḷukkum śrīkāri(ya)ñceyvāṉukkum [|] Ittevarkku v(e)ṇṭum nivantaṅkaḷukku veṇṭuvatāka Iṉṉāṭṭuttaṭṭaiyūrnāṭṭukkera(ḷa)paḷḷiyilum maṉṉaṟaiyilumāka Aimpatiṟṟu veli nila{m}-
⟨4⟩ (mum centa) maṉṉaṟai tirunāma¿ṟ?tu(kk)ā(ṇi)yā(ka ti)ruvā(nilai) ma(hā)te(va)ṟ(ku) kuṭuttom [|] Ivv¿uṟk?u p(e)runā⟨ṉkel⟩(lai)kkuṭpaṭṭa nilamum kaṟṟup(pu)ṟperakaramuṟ(ṟū)ṭ(ṭu)m (I)¿(ṉ)?(āya)ṉār⟨k⟩(ku)
⟨5⟩ Irupattum¿u?ṉṟāvatu mutal tevatāṉam Iṟai(yi)liyāka Iṭakkaṭavatākaccol(li) Ippaṭi kaṇakkilum Iṭṭukkoḷ(ḷa)kkaṭava(r)kaḷ(ā)ka varikkukūṟu ceyvārkaḷukkum coṉṉo(m) [|]
⟨6⟩ Iṉṉilaṅkaik(k)oḷ(ḷu)m Iṭattuṅkeraḷaṉ nicca(yi)tta (pa)ṭiye Ivvūrkaḷile (I)rupattum¿u?ṉṟāvatu (mu)ta(l) tevatā(ṉa)Iṟaiyiliyākakkaikkoṇṭu nivantañcelut(ta)ppaṇṇuka [|]
⟨7⟩ Eḻutiṉāṉ tirumantiraOlai mīṉavaṉm¿u?ventaveḷāṉ [|] Ivai toṇṭaimāṉ Eḻuttu [|] Ivai viḻiñattarayaṉ Eḻut(tu) [|] Ivai varakuṇarājaṉe⟨⟨(ḻu)⟩⟩ttu [|] Ivai paṅkaḷattarayaṉ Eḻuttu [|] Ivai vāḷuva-
⟨8⟩ rājaṉeḻuttu [∥]

Translation by Hultzsch 1899

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the twenty-third year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, Śrī-Kulōttuṅga-Śōḻadēva, who was pleased to take Īḻam, Madurai, the crowned head of the Pāṇḍya, and Karuvūr,—the emperor of the three worlds, Kōnēri[ṉmai] koṇḍāṉ,⁷ (addresses the following order) to the Pūjāri (dēvarkaṉmi), to the overseers of the Śrī-Māhēśvaras, and to the manager of the temple of Tiruvānilai-Mahādēva at Karuvūr, alias Muḍivaḻaṅgu-Śōḻapuram, (a city) in Veṅgālanāḍu, (a district) of Koṅgu, alias Śōḻa-Kēraḷa-maṇḍalam.

(L. 3.) “We have given as temple land to (the god) Mahādēva of the Tiruvānilai (temple) for the expenses required by this god (the village of) Maṉṉaṟai, containing fifty vēli of land in Kēra[ḷa]paḷḷi and in Maṉṉaṟai in Taṭṭaiyūr-nāḍu, (a district) of the same nāḍu.⁸

(L. 4.) “Having declared that the land enclosed within the four great boundaries of this village, (including) the grass for the calves, and (the land) enjoyed in full by the great village, should be given to this god as tax-free temple land from the twenty-third (year of our reign), we have ordered (our) revenue officers⁹ to enter (it) as such in the account (book).”

(L. 6.) “If this land is (actually) taken possession of, you shall permit (the temple authorities) to take possession (of it) as tax-free temple land and to defray the expenses (of the temple) from (the produce of) these villages from the twenty-third (year of our reign), as determined by Kēraḷaṉ.”¹⁰

(L. 7.) Written by the royal secretary, Mīṉavaṉ-Mūvēndavēḷāṉ. This (is) the writing of Toṇḍaimāṉ. This (is) the writing of Viḻiñattarayaṉ. This (is) the writing of Varaguṇarājaṉ. This (is) the writing of Paṅgaḷattarayaṉ. This (is) the writing of Vāḷuvarājaṉ.

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.23 by Hultzsch 1899 converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SII] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1899. South-Indian inscriptions. Volume III: Miscellaneous inscriptions from the Tamil country. Part I: Inscriptions at Ukkal, Melpadi, Karuvur, Manimangalam and Tiruvallam. South Indian Inscriptions 3.1. Madras: Government Press. Pages 43–45, item 23.

Notes

1. No. 197 of 1894; Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 219.
2. Ibid. p. 266.
3. See Professor Kielhorn’s calculations, l.c.
4. Ind. Ant. Vol. XX. p. 285.
5. See Vol. I. p. 86. An inscription of the 2nd year of Tribhuvanachakravartin Rājarājadēva at Tiruviḍaimarudūr (No. 143 of 1895) mentions an image which had been set up in the 37th year of “the great king (periya-dēvar) Tribhuvanavīradēva.”
6. The same village is mentioned in a short inscription (No. 68 of 1890) of the 34th year of Parāntaka I. at Sōmūr near Karavūr.
7. Regarding this title see Vol. II. pp. 110 and 246.
8. This refers apparently to Veṅgāla-nāḍu in l. 2. But No. 24, l. 3, shows that both Veṅgāla-nāḍu and Taṭṭaiyūr-nāḍu were independent districts of Śōḻa-Kēraḷa-maṇḍalam.
9. varikku kūṟu ceyvārkaḷ (which occurs also in Vol. II. No. 21, second section, l. 4) corresponds to variyilār in No. 20, l. 21.
10. This is perhaps the name of the person at whose instance the king made the grant.

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<title type="alt">III.—INSCRIPTIONS IN THE PASUPATISVARA TEMPLE AT KARUVUR. No. 23.—ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SECOND PRAKARA, RIGHT OF ENTRANCE.</title>

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<p>This inscription is dated in the 23rd year of the reign of <hi rend="italic">Tribhuvanachakravartin</hi> <hi rend="bold">Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva</hi>, who claims to have conquered <hi rend="bold">Īḻam</hi> (Ceylon), <hi rend="bold">Madurai</hi> (Madhurā) and <hi rend="bold">Karuvūr</hi> and to have cut off the head of the <hi rend="bold">Pāṇḍya</hi> king. The time of this <hi rend="bold">Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷa</hi> is settled by an inscription in the Raṅganāyaka temple at <hi rend="bold">Nellūr</hi> (Nellore), which couples Śaka-Saṁvat 1119 with the 19th year of his reign.<note>No. 197 of 1894; <hi rend="italic">Ep. Ind</hi>. Vol. IV. p. 219.</note> On the basis of this inscription and of some others which contain elements for astronomical calculation, Professor Kielhorn has shown that the king's reign commenced between the 5th June and 8th July, A.D. 1178.<note><hi rend="italic">Ibid.</hi> p. 266.</note> Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva I. ascended the throne in A.D. 1070,<note>See Professor Kielhorn's calculations, <hi rend="italic">l.c</hi>.</note> and Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva II. issued the Chellūr plates in A.D. 1132.<note><hi rend="italic">Ind. Ant</hi>. Vol. XX. p. 285.</note> Consequently, the king, to whose reign the present inscription belongs, has to be designated <hi rend="bold">Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷadēva</hi> III. In other inscriptions he bears the names <hi rend="bold">Parakēsarivarman, Vīrarājēndradēva</hi> (II.) and <hi rend="bold">Tribhuvanavīradēva</hi>. His latest date is the 39th year in an unpublished inscription at Chidambaram. Accordingly, he must have been the immediate predecessor of <hi rend="italic">Tribhuvanachakravartin</hi> <hi rend="bold">Rājarājadēva</hi>, who ascended the throne about A.D. 1216.<note>See Vol. I. p. 86. An inscription of the 2nd year of <hi rend="italic">Tribhuvanachakravartin</hi> Rājarājadēva at Tiruviḍaimarudūr (No. 143 of 1895) mentions an image which had been set up in the 37th year of “the great king (<hi rend="italic">periya-dēvar</hi>) Tribhuvanavīradēva.”</note> </p>

<p>The immediate purpose of the subjoined inscription is to record that the king granted to the Karuvūr temple the village of <hi rend="bold">Maṉṉaṟai</hi> and a portion of <hi rend="bold">Kēraḷapaḷḷi</hi><note>The same village is mentioned in a short inscription (No. 68 of 1890) of the 34th year of Parāntaka I. at Sōmūr near Karavūr.</note> in <hi rend="bold">Taṭṭaiyūr-nāḍu</hi>.</p>

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<lb n="1"/><hi rend="grantha">svasti śrī <supplied reason="undefined"><g type="ddanda">.</g></supplied></hi> tiripuvaṉaccakkaravarttikaḷ Īḻamum maturaiyum pāṇṭiyaṉ muṭittalaiyuṅkaruvūrum koṇṭaruḷiṉa <hi rend="grantha">śrī</hi>kulottuṅkaco<unclear>ḻa</unclear>tevarkku yāṇṭu Irupattum<choice><sic>u</sic><corr>ū</corr></choice>ṉṟāvatu tiripuvaṉaccakkaravartti koneri

<lb n="2" break="no"/><supplied reason="omitted">ṉ</supplied><unclear>mai</unclear>koṇṭāṉ koṅkāṉa co<unclear>ḻa</unclear>keraḷamaṇṭalat<unclear>tu</unclear> veṅkālanāṭṭu<unclear>k</unclear>karuvūrāṉa muṭivaḻa<unclear>ṅ</unclear>kucoḻapurattu tiruvānilai māte<unclear>va</unclear>r koyilil tevar kaṉmikkum <hi rend="grantha">śrī</hi>mā<hi rend="grantha">heśvara</hi>kaṅkāṇi ceyva

<lb n="3" break="no"/><supplied reason="omitted">ār</supplied>kaḷukkum <hi rend="grantha">śrī</hi>kāri<unclear>ya</unclear>ñceyvāṉukkum <supplied reason="undefined"><g type="danda">.</g></supplied> Ittevarkku v<unclear>e</unclear>ṇṭum nivantaṅkaḷukku veṇṭuvatāka Iṉṉāṭṭuttaṭṭaiyūrnāṭṭukkera<unclear>ḷa</unclear>paḷḷiyilum maṉṉaṟaiyilumāka Aimpatiṟṟu veli nila<surplus>m</surplus>

<lb n="4" break="no"/><unclear>mum centa</unclear> maṉṉaṟai tirunāma<choice><sic>ṟ</sic><corr>t</corr></choice>tu<unclear>kk</unclear>ā<unclear>ṇi</unclear>yā<unclear>ka ti</unclear>ruvā<unclear>nilai</unclear> ma<hi rend="grantha"><unclear>hā</unclear></hi>te<unclear>va</unclear>ṟ<unclear>ku</unclear> kuṭuttom <supplied reason="undefined"><g type="danda">.</g></supplied> Ivv<choice><sic>uṟk</sic><corr>ūrkk</corr></choice>u p<unclear>e</unclear>runā<supplied reason="omitted">ṉkel</supplied><unclear>lai</unclear>kkuṭpaṭṭa nilamum kaṟṟup<unclear>pu</unclear>ṟperakaramuṟ<unclear>ṟū</unclear>ṭ<unclear>ṭu</unclear>m <unclear>I</unclear><choice><sic><unclear>ṉ</unclear></sic><corr>nn</corr></choice><unclear>āya</unclear>ṉār<supplied reason="omitted">k</supplied><unclear>ku</unclear>

<lb n="5"/>Irupattum<choice><sic>u</sic><corr>ū</corr></choice>ṉṟāvatu mutal tevatāṉam Iṟai<unclear>yi</unclear>liyāka Iṭakkaṭavatākaccol<unclear>li</unclear> Ippaṭi kaṇakkilum Iṭṭukkoḷ<unclear>ḷa</unclear>kkaṭava<unclear>r</unclear>kaḷ<unclear>ā</unclear>ka varikkukūṟu ceyvārkaḷukkum coṉṉo<unclear>m</unclear> <supplied reason="undefined"><g type="danda">.</g></supplied>

<lb n="6"/>Iṉṉilaṅkaik<unclear>k</unclear>oḷ<unclear>ḷu</unclear>m Iṭattuṅkeraḷaṉ nicca<unclear>yi</unclear>tta <unclear>pa</unclear>ṭiye Ivvūrkaḷile <unclear>I</unclear>rupattum<choice><sic>u</sic><corr>ū</corr></choice>ṉṟāvatu <unclear>mu</unclear>ta<unclear>l</unclear> tevatā<unclear>ṉa</unclear>Iṟaiyiliyākakkaikkoṇṭu nivantañcelut<unclear>ta</unclear>ppaṇṇuka <supplied reason="undefined"><g type="danda">.</g></supplied>

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<lb n="8" break="no"/>rā<hi rend="grantha">ja</hi>ṉeḻuttu <supplied reason="undefined"><g type="ddanda">.</g></supplied>

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<p>(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the twenty-third year (<hi rend="italic">of the reign</hi>) of the emperor of the three worlds, <hi rend="bold">Śrī-Kulōttuṅga-Śōḻadēva</hi>, who was pleased to take <hi rend="bold">Īḻam, Madurai</hi>, the crowned head of the <hi rend="bold">Pāṇḍya</hi>, and <hi rend="bold">Karuvūr</hi>,—the emperor of the three worlds, <hi rend="bold">Kōnēri[ṉmai] koṇḍāṉ</hi>,<note>Regarding this title see Vol. II. pp. 110 and 246.</note> (<hi rend="italic">addresses the following order</hi>) to the Pūjāri (<hi rend="italic">dēvarkaṉmi</hi>), to the overseers of the <hi rend="italic">Śrī-Māhēśvaras</hi>, and to the manager of the temple of <hi rend="bold">Tiruvānilai-Mahādēva</hi> at <hi rend="bold">Karuvūr</hi>, <hi rend="italic">alias</hi> <hi rend="bold">Muḍivaḻaṅgu-Śōḻapuram</hi>, (<hi rend="italic">a city</hi>) in <hi rend="bold">Veṅgālanāḍu</hi>, (<hi rend="italic">a district</hi>) of <hi rend="bold">Koṅgu</hi>, <hi rend="italic">alias</hi> <hi rend="bold">Śōḻa-Kēraḷa-maṇḍalam</hi>.</p>

<p>(L. 3.) “We have given as temple land to (<hi rend="italic">the god</hi>) <hi rend="bold">Mahādēva</hi> of the <hi rend="bold">Tiruvānilai</hi> (<hi rend="italic">temple</hi>) for the expenses required by this god (<hi rend="italic">the village of</hi>) <hi rend="bold">Maṉṉaṟai</hi>, containing fifty <hi rend="italic">vēli</hi> of land in <hi rend="bold">Kēra[ḷa]paḷḷi</hi> and in <hi rend="bold">Maṉṉaṟai</hi> in <hi rend="bold">Taṭṭaiyūr-nāḍu</hi>, (<hi rend="italic">a district</hi>) of the same <hi rend="italic">nāḍu</hi>.<note>This refers apparently to Veṅgāla-nāḍu in l. 2. But No. <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0024">24</ref>, l. 3, shows that both Veṅgāla-nāḍu and Taṭṭaiyūr-nāḍu were independent districts of Śōḻa-Kēraḷa-maṇḍalam.</note> </p>

<p>(L. 4.) “Having declared that the land enclosed within the four great boundaries of this village, (<hi rend="italic">including</hi>) the grass for the calves, and (<hi rend="italic">the land</hi>) enjoyed in full by the great village, should be given to this god as tax-free temple land from the twenty-third (<hi rend="italic">year of our reign</hi>), we have ordered (<hi rend="italic">our</hi>) revenue officers<note><foreign>varikku kūṟu ceyvārkaḷ</foreign> (which occurs also in Vol. II. No. <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv02p0i0021">21</ref>, second section, l. 4) corresponds to <foreign>variyilār</foreign> in No. <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0020">20</ref>, l. 21.</note> to enter (<hi rend="italic">it</hi>) as such in the account (<hi rend="italic">book</hi>).”</p>

<p>(L. 6.) “If this land is (<hi rend="italic">actually</hi>) taken possession of, you shall permit (<hi rend="italic">the temple authorities</hi>) to take possession (<hi rend="italic">of it</hi>) as tax-free temple land and to defray the expenses (<hi rend="italic">of the temple</hi>) from (<hi rend="italic">the produce of</hi>) these villages from the twenty-third (<hi rend="italic">year of our reign</hi>), as determined by <hi rend="bold">Kēraḷaṉ.”</hi><note>This is perhaps the name of the person at whose instance the king made the grant.</note> </p>

<p>(L. 7.) Written by the royal secretary, <hi rend="bold">Mīṉavaṉ-Mūvēndavēḷāṉ</hi>. This (<hi rend="italic">is</hi>) the writing of <hi rend="bold">Toṇḍaimāṉ</hi>. This (<hi rend="italic">is</hi>) the writing of <hi rend="bold">Viḻiñattarayaṉ</hi>. This (<hi rend="italic">is</hi>) the writing of <hi rend="bold">Varaguṇarājaṉ</hi>. This (<hi rend="italic">is</hi>) the writing of <hi rend="bold">Paṅgaḷattarayaṉ</hi>. This (<hi rend="italic">is</hi>) the writing of <hi rend="bold">Vāḷuvarājaṉ</hi>.</p>

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