SII 3.46: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Alternative title: “V.—INSCRIPTIONS AT TIRUVALLAM. No. 46.—ON A STONE BUILT INTO THE FLOOR OF THE BILVANATHESVARA TEMPLE.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: The alphabet of this inscription is Tamil and Grantha of an archaic type and resembles that of the rock inscription No. 42. It records a gift of gold for maintaining a lamp by the queen of Vāṇavidyādhara-Vāṇarāya. As will be shown below (p. 99), this king may be identified with Vikramāditya I., the sixth of the Bāṇa chiefs whose names are given in the Udayēndiram plates.¹ Nos. 47 and 48, which record grants by a queen of the same king, as well as Nos. 43 and 44, are copies of lost originals² and hence exhibit comparatively modern characters. The archaic alphabet of the subjoined inscription and the fact that it is engraved on a single stone, which does not form part of the temple itself, prove that it is an original record of the time of Vāṇavidyādhara. Evidently it owes its preservation to the accident that, when the central shrine and the maṇḍapa were rebuilt, the stone which bears it was utilised for the new pavement of the temple.

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

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

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0046.

File path: SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0046.xml.

Version: 2026-03-06 12:20 (56e9cef), last modified 2026-01-20 17:55 (aa351bf).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [||] sakalajaga⟨t⟩trayā¿p?i¿(bha)n?a¿n=t?itasurāsurā-
⟨2⟩ dh¿i?śaparameśvarapratihār¿i?kṛtam¿ā?hābalikulo-
⟨3⟩ ¿t?bhavavāṇavi¿j?ādharavāṇarāyar māteviyār teṉ(ṟa)ḷi
⟨4⟩ t¿i?kkāliperu(m)āṉaṭikaḷu⟨k⟩ku nantāviḷa⟨k⟩kukku (ti)ruva⟨l⟩lattu
⟨5⟩ sa(bhai)yār⟨k⟩kukkuṭutt¿u? cempoṉ Irupatiṉ kaḻa⟨ñ⟩cu [|] (I)ta⟨ṉ⟩ poli-
⟨6⟩ yū⟨ṭ⟩ṭu nicati Uriy ney A⟨ṭ⟩ṭuvomāṉom sabh(ai)yom [|]
⟨7⟩ (I)nney mu⟨ṭ⟩(ṭiṉa) potu(m) Ai(ṅ)kaḻañcu (po)ṉ ta(ṇ)ṭa⟨p⟩paṭuvomā-
⟨8⟩ ṉom [|] I⟨t⟩taṇṭa⟨p⟩pa⟨ṭ⟩ṭum ney mu⟨ṭ⟩ṭāte A⟨ṭ⟩ṭuvomāṉom sabhaiy(o)m [||]

Translation by Hultzsch 1899

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! The great queen of Vāṇavidyādhara-Vāṇarāya,—born from the family of Mahābali, who had been made door-keeper by the lord of gods and demons, Paramēśvara (Śiva), who is worshipped in all the three worlds,—gave to the members of the assembly of Tiruvallam twenty kaḻañju of pure gold for (maintaining) a perpetual lamp before Tīkkāli-Perumāṉaḍigaḷ, (the god of) the southern temple (Teṉṟaḷi).

(L. 5.) (As) interest on this, we, the assembly, shall have to supply (one) uri of ghee per day. Whenever (we) fail (to supply) this ghee, we shall have to pay a fine of five kaḻañju of gold. Though fined thus, we, the assembly, shall (continue) to supply the ghee without fail.

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.46 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 97–98, item 46.

Notes

1. Ep. Ind. Vol. III. p. 75.
2. See the introductory remarks to Nos. 43 and 47.

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<title>SII 3.46: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch</title>

<title type="alt">V.—INSCRIPTIONS AT TIRUVALLAM. No. 46.—ON A STONE BUILT INTO THE FLOOR OF THE BILVANATHESVARA TEMPLE.</title>

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<p>The alphabet of this inscription is Tamil and Grantha of an archaic type and resembles that of the rock inscription No. <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0042">42</ref>. It records a gift of gold for maintaining a lamp by the queen of <hi rend="bold">Vāṇavidyādhara-Vāṇarāya</hi>. As will be shown below (p. 99), this king may be identified with <hi rend="bold">Vikramāditya</hi> I., the sixth of the <hi rend="bold">Bāṇa</hi> chiefs whose names are given in the <hi rend="bold">Udayēndiram</hi> plates.<note><hi rend="italic">Ep. Ind</hi>. Vol. III. p. 75.</note> Nos. <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0047">47</ref> and <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0048">48</ref>, which record grants by a queen of the same king, as well as Nos. <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0043">43</ref> and <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0044">44</ref>, are copies of lost originals<note>See the introductory remarks to Nos. <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0043">43</ref> and <ref target="DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0047">47</ref>.</note> and hence exhibit comparatively modern characters. The archaic alphabet of the subjoined inscription and the fact that it is engraved on a single stone, which does not form part of the temple itself, prove that it is an original record of the time of Vāṇavidyādhara. Evidently it owes its preservation to the accident that, when the central shrine and the <hi rend="italic">maṇḍapa</hi> were rebuilt, the stone which bears it was utilised for the new pavement of the temple.</p>

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<p>(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! The great queen of <hi rend="bold">Vāṇavidyādhara-Vāṇarāya</hi>,—born from the family of <hi rend="bold">Mahābali</hi>, who had been made door-keeper by the lord of gods and demons, Paramēśvara (Śiva), who is worshipped in all the three worlds,—gave to the members of the assembly of <hi rend="bold">Tiruvallam</hi> twenty <hi rend="italic">kaḻañju</hi> of pure gold for (<hi rend="italic">maintaining</hi>) a perpetual lamp before <hi rend="bold">Tīkkāli-Perumāṉaḍigaḷ</hi>, (<hi rend="italic">the god of</hi>) the southern temple (<hi rend="italic">Teṉṟaḷi</hi>).</p>

<p>(L. 5.) (<hi rend="italic">As</hi>) interest on this, we, the assembly, shall have to supply (one) <hi rend="italic">uri</hi> of ghee per day. Whenever (<hi rend="italic">we</hi>) fail (<hi rend="italic">to supply</hi>) this ghee, we shall have to pay a fine of five <hi rend="italic">kaḻañju</hi> of gold. Though fined thus, we, the assembly, shall (<hi rend="italic">continue</hi>) to supply the ghee without fail.</p>

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<p>Digital edition of SII 3.46 by <bibl><ptr target="bib:Hultzsch1899_01"/></bibl> converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.</p>

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