SII 3.49: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Alternative title: “No. 49.—ON THE SOUTH WALL OF THE BILVANATHESVARA SHRINE.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: This inscription belongs to the 7th year of the reign of Rājarāja-Kēsarivarman, i.e. of the Chōḷa king Rājarāja I. It contains a date which admits of astronomical calculation, and which has been repeatedly discussed since its discovery in 1890.¹ Professor Kielhorn has shown that it corresponds to the 26th September A.D. 991.²

The inscription records a visit to the temple by a certain Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār, who caused one thousand jars of water to be poured over the god. When he had finished his worship, he observed that the offerings in the temple had been reduced to a minimum and that the temple lamps were only feebly burning. He called for the authorities of the temple and of the village and asked them for a detailed statement of the temple revenue and expenditure.

Here unfortunately the inscription is built in. But from the preserved portion it is evident that Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār, i.e. Gaṇḍarāditya, the son of Madhurāntaka, must have been a person of high standing and influence. He cannot be identical with the Chōḷa king Gaṇḍarādityavarman, because the latter had died before the reign of Ariṁjaya, the grandfather of Rājarāja I.³ Perhaps he was an (otherwise unknown) son of Madhurāntaka, the son of Gaṇḍarādityavarman and immediate predecessor of Rājarāja I.⁴

Language: Tamil (tam).

Version: 2025-09-30 18:28 (7b9d724), last modified 2025-09-19 16:11 (210f689).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [||] ko rājarājakesariva¿m?ma¿ṟkku? yā(ṇ)ṭu 7 Āvatu paṭuvūr¿k(k)o?ṭṭattu (mī)yāṟunāṭṭu t¿ikkā?livallattuttirutt¿i?kkāli Āḻvārai Ivvāṭṭe Ayppacit-
⟨2⟩ tiṅkaḷ pau¿n=na?māsiyum Irevatiyum peṟṟa viṣuv⟨att⟩il somagrahaṇattiṉāṉṟu maturān=takaṉ kaṇṭarātittaṉār Āḻvārai sahasraka(lai)camāṭṭuvikka va-
⟨3⟩ n=tu tiruvaṭi toḻutu niṟka Āḻvārk-
⟨4⟩ kukkāṭṭukiṉṟa tiruvamurtum Irunāḻiya(ri)-
⟨5⟩ cittiruvamurtāyk=kaṟiyamurtuneyAmur-
⟨6⟩ tu{m}n=tayiramurtum Iṉṟiyey non=tā-
⟨7⟩ viḷak=kum Ālasyamāyiruk=kak=kaṇṭu Itti-
⟨8⟩ (ru)k=koyil civabrāhmaṇaraiyum t¿ik=k?ālival-
⟨9⟩ lattu sabhaiyāraiyum Aḻaittu It⟨t⟩(e)⟨va⟩-
⟨10⟩ ruṭaiya Āyamum vyayamum tiruvā(ṇai)k=ku{m}n=tiru⟨vo⟩-
⟨11⟩ laik=kum Uriya vaṇṇañcollukaveṉṟu viṉa⟨va civa⟩-
⟨12⟩ brāhmaṇarum t¿i?kkālivallattu sabhaiyārum col [*****]

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ svasti • The words svasti śrī ko rāja are written on an erasure.

Translation by Hultzsch 1899

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 7th year (of the reign) of king Rājarāja-Kēsarivarman,—on the day of an eclipse of the moon at the equinox which corresponded to (the day of) Rēvatī and to the full-moon tithi of the month of Aippaśi in this very year,— Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār came in order to have one thousand jars of water poured over (the god) Tiruttīkkāli-Āḻvār at Tīkkāli-Vallam in Mīyāṟu-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Paḍuvūr-kōṭṭam, and worshipped the holy feet (of the god).

(L. 3.) While (he) stood (in the temple), (he) observed that the offerings presented to the Āḻvār were reduced to two nāḻi of rice, that the offerings of vegetables, the offerings of ghee and the offerings of curds had ceased, and that the perpetual lamps were neglected.

(L. 7.) (He) called for the Śiva-Brāhmaṇas of this sacred temple and the members of the assembly of Tīkkāli-Vallam and asked:—“State the revenue and expenditure of this temple, in accordance with the royal order and the royal letter.”

(L. 11.) The [Śiva-]Brāhmaṇas and the members of the assembly of Tīkkāli-Vallam . . . . . . . . . .

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.49 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 101–103, item 49.

Notes

1. Above, Vol. I. p. 169; Ind. Ant. Vol. XIX. p. 70 ff. and Vol. XXIII. p. 297.
2. Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 66 f.
3. See line 50 of the large Leyden grant.
4. See above, Vol. I. p. 112, and Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. p. 331.

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<title>SII 3.49: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch</title>

<title type="alt">No. 49.—ON THE SOUTH WALL OF THE BILVANATHESVARA SHRINE.</title>

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<p>This inscription belongs to the 7th year of the reign of <hi rend="bold">Rājarāja-Kēsarivarman</hi>, <hi rend="italic">i.e.</hi> of the <hi rend="bold">Chōḷa</hi> king <hi rend="bold">Rājarāja</hi> I. It contains a date which admits of astronomical calculation, and which has been repeatedly discussed since its discovery in 1890.<note>Above, Vol. I. p. 169; <hi rend="italic">Ind. Ant</hi>. Vol. XIX. p. 70 ff. and Vol. XXIII. p. 297.</note> Professor Kielhorn has shown that it corresponds to the 26th September A.D. 991.<note><hi rend="italic">Ep. Ind</hi>. Vol. IV. p. 66 f.</note> </p>

<p>The inscription records a visit to the temple by a certain <hi rend="bold">Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār</hi>, who caused one thousand jars of water to be poured over the god. When he had finished his worship, he observed that the offerings in the temple had been reduced to a minimum and that the temple lamps were only feebly burning. He called for the authorities of the temple and of the village and asked them for a detailed statement of the temple revenue and expenditure.</p>

<p>Here unfortunately the inscription is built in. But from the preserved portion it is evident that Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār, <hi rend="italic">i.e.</hi> <hi rend="bold">Gaṇḍarāditya</hi>, the son of <hi rend="bold">Madhurāntaka</hi>, must have been a person of high standing and influence. He cannot be identical with the Chōḷa king Gaṇḍarādityavarman, because the latter had died before the reign of Ariṁjaya, the grandfather of Rājarāja I.<note>See line 50 of the large Leyden grant.</note> Perhaps he was an (otherwise unknown) son of Madhurāntaka, the son of Gaṇḍarādityavarman and immediate predecessor of Rājarāja I.<note>See above, Vol. I. p. 112, and <hi rend="italic">Ep. Ind</hi>. Vol. IV. p. 331.</note></p>

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<lb n="2" break="no"/>tiṅkaḷ <hi rend="grantha">pau</hi><choice><sic>n=na</sic><corr><hi rend="grantha">rṇa</hi></corr></choice><hi rend="grantha">māsi</hi>yum Irevatiyum peṟṟa vi<hi rend="grantha">ṣu</hi>v<supplied reason="omitted">att</supplied>il <hi rend="grantha">somagraha</hi>ṇattiṉāṉṟu maturān=takaṉ kaṇṭarātittaṉār Āḻvārai <hi rend="grantha">sahasra</hi>ka<unclear>lai</unclear>camāṭṭuvikka va

<lb n="3" break="no"/>n=tu tiruvaṭi toḻutu niṟka Āḻvārk

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<p>(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 7th year (<hi rend="italic">of the reign</hi>) of king <hi rend="bold">Rājarāja-Kēsarivarman</hi>,—on the day of an eclipse of the moon at the equinox which corresponded to (the day of) <hi rend="italic">Rēvatī</hi> and to the full-moon <hi rend="italic">tithi</hi> of the month of <hi rend="italic">Aippaśi</hi> in this very year,— <hi rend="bold">Madurāntakaṉ-Kaṇḍarādittaṉār</hi> came in order to have one thousand jars of water poured over (<hi rend="italic">the god</hi>) <hi rend="bold">Tiruttīkkāli-Āḻvār</hi> at <hi rend="bold">Tīkkāli-Vallam</hi> in <hi rend="bold">Mīyāṟu-nāḍu</hi>, (<hi rend="italic">a subdivision</hi>) of <hi rend="bold">Paḍuvūr-kōṭṭam</hi>, and worshipped the holy feet (<hi rend="italic">of the god</hi>).</p>

<p>(L. 3.) While (<hi rend="italic">he</hi>) stood (<hi rend="italic">in the temple), (he</hi>) observed that the offerings presented to the <hi rend="bold">Āḻvār</hi> were reduced to two <hi rend="italic">nāḻi</hi> of rice, that the offerings of vegetables, the offerings of ghee and the offerings of curds had ceased, and that the perpetual lamps were neglected.</p>

<p>(L. 7.) (<hi rend="italic">He</hi>) called for the <hi rend="italic">Śiva-Brāhmaṇas</hi> of this sacred temple and the members of the assembly of <hi rend="bold">Tīkkāli-Vallam</hi> and asked:—“State the revenue and expenditure of this temple, in accordance with the royal order and the royal letter.”</p>

<p>(L. 11.) The <hi rend="italic">[Śiva-]Brāhmaṇas</hi> and the members of the assembly of <hi rend="bold">Tīkkāli-Vallam . . . . . . . . . .</hi></p>

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