SII 3.70: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Alternative title: “VI.—INSCRIPTIONS OF KULOTTUNGA-CHOLA I. No. 70.—INSCRIPTION AT SRIRANGAM.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: This inscription (No. 62 of 1892) is engraved on the east wall of the third prākāra of the Raṅganātha temple1 on the island of Śrīraṅgam near Trichinopoly. It mentions Śrīraṅgam as Tiruvaraṅgam (l. 16) and the temple as Tiruvaraṅgadēvar (l. 10).

The date is the 18th year of the reign of Kulōttuṅga I. The historical introduction does not add any fresh details to those narrated at the beginning of the inscriptions of the 14th and 15th years2. The inscription records that a certain Kāliṅgarāyar granted to the temple 6 1/4 kāśu with the condition that the interest should be applied to defraying the cost of offerings on two festival days.

As discovered by Mr. Venkayya,3 the subjoined inscription fixes the time before which two of the twelve Vaishṇava Āḻvārs, who were the authors of the Nālāyiraprabandham, must have lived. For, (1) it refers to the recital of the text beginning with Tēṭṭarundiṟal (l. 13), which is the 2nd chapter of the sacred hymns of Kulaśēkhara; and (2) the names of three of the temple officials who are mentioned in the inscription prove that the Vaishṇava saint Śaṭhagōpa or Nammāḻvār was already at that time well known and highly venerated.4 As noticed before, his work, the Tiruvāymoḻi, is presupposed already in an inscription of Rājarāja I.5 These epigraphical evidences are fatal to the theory of Dr. Caldwell, who placed the Āḻvārs in the 12th or 13th century.6

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

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

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0070.

File path: SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0070.xml.

Version: (aa17590), last modified (d39e007).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī (∥) pu(ka)ḻ cūḻn=ta puṇari (A)kaḻ cūḻnta (pu)[viyil] p(oṉ)ne(mi)ya(ḷavun=tan) nemi naṭappa vi(ḷa)ṅku jayamakaḷai Iḷaṅkopparuvattu ca(k)karakoṭṭat(tu vi)k(ki)ramatto(ḻa)lāl putumaṇam puṇar⟨n⟩tu ma¿(tu)?var(aiyī)ṭṭam vayirā(karat)tu vāri Ayirmu(ṉai)kko(n)taḷavaracar tan taḷamiri(ya v)āḷuṟai kaḻittuttoḷ vali kāṭ(ṭi)ppo(rp)pari naṭāttik¿(ki)?r(t)tiyai

⟨2⟩ (ni)ṟutti vaṭaticai vākai cūṭitte[ṉṟicaitte]ma(ruka)ma(la)ppūmakaḷ potumaiyum ponniyāṭai na(ṉ)nilappāvai tanimaiyuntavira vantu pu¿n?ita¿ṟ?tirumaṇimakuṭam U(ri)maiyiṟcūṭitta(ṉ)naṭi Iraṇṭum taṭamuṭiyākattonnilaventar (cū)ṭa munṉai (ma)nu(v)āṟu peruka kaliyā-

⟨3⟩ ṟu vaṟu(ppa)cceṅkol ticait(o)ṟu(ñ)[cella veṇ](ku)ṭai (I)ru(ni)lavaḷākam Eṅkaṇu(n=ta)nātu tiruniḻal (v)eṇṇilāttikaḻa Orutani meruviṟpuli vi(ḷai)yā(ṭa) vārkaṭaṟṟ¿i?vān=tarattuppūpālar tiṟai viṭutan=ta kalañcori kaḷiṟu muṟai ni(ṟ)pa vilaṅki(ya) t(e)n(nava)n karu(n=ta)lai paru(n=ta)lai-

⟨4⟩ ttiṭattan ponna(kar) puṟattiṭai(k)ki(ṭappa In)[nāḷ pi](ṟ)ku(lap)piṟai pol ni(ṟ)pi(ḻ)aiyennuñcolletir koṭiṟṟallatu tan kai villetir koṭā vikkalan tānaṅkili (tu)ṭaṅki ma(ṇa)lūr naṭu(v)enattuṅkapattirai(ya)ḷa(vu)ntura(t)ti ¿ve?ṅkaṇum

⟨5⟩ paṭṭa veṅkaḷiṟum viṭ(ṭa) tan mā(na)muṅ(kūṟi)na v¿i?ramuṅ(ki)ṭa(ppa) E(ṟi)na malaikaḷumutuku ne(ḷi)ppa Iḻin=ta nati(ka)ḷu[m cuḻa]nṟuṭaintoṭa (vi)ḻunta kaṭalkaḷuntalaivirittalamara(k)kuṭaticaitta(nnā)ḷu(ka)n=tu tānu(m) t(āṉaiyum) pannāḷiṭṭa pa(la)pala mu(tu)ku pa(ya)tte(ti)r māṟ¿a? ja-

⟨6⟩ yapperuntiruvum (pa)ḻiyukan=tu kuṭutta pukaḻin celviyum vāḷār(oṇ)kaṇ maṭan=t¿a?yar¿i?ṭṭamu¿(mi)?ḷātu viṭṭa veṅ(kari) niraiyum kaṅkamaṇṭalamum ciṅkaṇamennum pāṇi Iraṇṭum Oru(vicai)kkai(k)koṇṭ¿i?ṇṭiya pukaḻoṭu pā[ṇṭimaṇṭalamum] k(o)ḷḷattiruvu-

⟨7⟩ ḷḷattaṭait(tu) veḷḷa(va)ruparittaraṅka¿ḷ?um poru[kari]kk¿u?laṅka[ḷum] tan=tiravāriyum Uṭaittāy van=tu vaṭakaṭal tenkaṭal paṭa(r)vatu polattan peruñceṉai Evippañcavar Aiyvarum (po)ruta moykkaḷattañci veru n¿o?ḷitto[ṭi Araṇeṉappukka kāṭaṟa]ttu-

⟨8⟩ ṭaittu nā¿na?ṭippa(ṭu)ttu maṟṟavartammai vanacarar tiriyum poṟṟ¿a? (ve)ñcurameṟṟikakoṟṟavijaiyasta(mpa)m ticai(to)[ṟuniṟu] mutti(na) calāpamumuttamiṭpotiyilumattaveṅ(kari) pa(ṭu)maiyyaccayyamuṅkanni(yu)ṅkaikko(ṇ) [**********]

⟨9⟩ ¿kaṭal?malai(n)ā(ṭ)ṭu(ḷ)ḷa cāveṟe(l)lām tani (vi)cum(p)eṟa māveṟiya (ta)n va¿(rukaniṟ)?¿ṟ?alai(var)ai [kuru]kalar kulaiyakkoṭṭāṟuṭpaṭa ne(ṟi)toṟu- (ni)laika(ḷi)ṭṭaru(ḷi)t(ti)ṟai koḷ (vī)rasiṁhā(sa)kan=tiriya viṭṭaruḷip(poṅ)ko(ḷi)yāramun=ti(ru)p(pu)ya(tta)¿r?aṅka¿(ḷu)?m poliya (vī)ramu(n=tiyā)kamum (vi)ḷaṅkappārmicai mevalar va[ṇaṅka] (vī)ṟ(ṟi)run=taru(ḷi)ya

⟨10⟩ kovirājakesaripanmarāna (ca)kravattika(ḷ) śrīkolottuṅkaco(ḻa)devaṟku yā(ṇ)[ṭu pati]ṉ[e]ṭṭāvatu (௳) Āḻvār (ti)ruvaraṅkatevarkku śrīkāriyañceykiṟa Ati(kā)rikaḷ niṣa(ta)rājar Eval paṭiyum śrīva(yi)ṣṇa⟨va⟩vāriyam (ti)ruveḻu(ti)nāṭudāsa(ru)m vaṭamaturappiṟan=tānampiyum Irāyūrā(ḷi)na(m)piyum [***] (r) nārā(ya)ṇanampi-

⟨11⟩ yum perum(pa)ṟṟappuliyūr śrīcaṭakopadāsarum mārkkamaṅkalattu Ariku(la)vāraṇana(mpiyu)m śrī(pa)ṇṭāravāriyam Āritan kurukaikāvalan Ārāvamutum Āri(ta)n (ti)ruvāykkulamuṭaiyān c¿i?rākavanu(m) Ā(ri)tan kecuva(n ta)niIḷa(ñ)ciṅkamum pāratāyan kecuvan Aṟivariyānu(m) pāratāya(n tiru)va(raṅ)kanārāyaṇa-

⟨12⟩ n śrī(kṛ)ṣṇanum pāritan (Ā)rāva(mu)tu c¿i?rāmanum sabhaikkaṇak(ku) Arayan Ampala [********] ṟṟuvappiriyanum śrīvayiṣṇavakkaṇakku tiruveṅkaṭavan comanāna (pa)tineṭṭunāṭukiḻavanum Uḷḷiṭṭa Āḻ(v)[ār ka]¿n?mikaḷom (A)ra(ya)n (garu)ḍa(v)āhanāna kāliṅkarāyarkku nāṅkaḷ samma(ti)ttutt¿i?ṭṭukku[ṭutta] pari(c)āvatu [|]

⟨13⟩ (A)p(pi)kai (t)erttirunā(ḷilu)m paṅkū(ni)t(ti)runā(ḷi)lum (tī)rttam pira(s)ātittaru(ḷi)na (A)n(ṟi)rā (ti)ruppunn(ai)kk¿i?ḻ Eḻuntaruḷi Iruntu teṭṭarun=tiṟal keṭṭa(ruḷu)m p(o)tu (Iṟṟ)ai nāḷāl tirunāḷ Onṟukku Amuti ceytaruḷum Appamutu nūṟu(k)ku veṇ(ṭu)m paḻavarici patakkum paruppu mun=nāḻiyum ney munnā(ḻi)yu(m) caṟka-

⟨14⟩ (r)ai (nū)ṟṟu(p)palamum miḷaku muḻākkum c¿i?(ra)kam Uḻ(āk)kum Uppu muḻākkum vāḻai(p)paḻam (Ai)mpatum teṅkāy Aiñcum Iḷan¿i?ramutu pattuma Aṭaikkāyamutu nūṟṟirupatum kaṟpūrata¿p?ilam Oruceviṭaraiyum teriI(lai)ppaṟṟu pan=ni(raṇ)ṭum kaṟ(pū)ra(m) Iraṇ(ṭu) mañcāṭiyum Appamutukku māviṭippārkkun¿i?raṭṭuvār-

⟨15⟩ k(kum vi)ṟaki(ṭu)vār(k)kum Appamutu cu(ṭu)vā(r)kkum ku[cak](ka)lattukkum Uḷḷiṭṭu maṟṟum veṇṭu(va)navaiyiṟṟukku[ñ ca]n=tirāti(t)taval cella Ivar Oṭukkina kācu Āṟe kāl [|] Ikkācu Āṟe kāluṅkoṇṭu policaiyāl Ira(ṇ)ṭu ti(ru)nā(ḷilu)m Ippaṭiyey can=tirātittaval Amuti ce(y)vikkakkaṭavomāka-

⟨16⟩ vum [|] Ippaṭi kal veṭṭi(vi)ttukko(ḷḷa)ppe [*****] (vu)m [|] Ip(paṭi I)cain=tu sammātatt¿i?(ṭ)ṭukkuṭut(to)m (Ā)ḻvār kanmikaḷom [|] Itu can=tirātittaval c(elu)ttu(vi)kka (ka)ṭa¿p?omā¿n?om tiruvaraṅkat(tu) mahāsa(bhai)yom [|] Itu śrīvayiṣṇavarakṣai (∥⁓)

Apparatus

⟨11⟩ Ariku(la) • An erased ā seems to stand after Ari.

⟨12⟩ śrī(kṛ)ṣṇanum • A few indistinct letters are here entered below the line. — ⟨12⟩ pāritan • This is perhaps a mistake for Āritaṉ or hāritaṉ.

Translation by Hultzsch 1903

(Line 10.) In the [eighteenth] year (of the reign) of king Rājakēsarivarman, alias the emperor Śrī-Kulōttuṅga-Śōḻadēva, who etc.7 —by order of the magistrate (adhikārin) Nisha[dha]rājar, the manager of the temple of the god Tiruvaraṅgadēvar, the following was agreed on and given in writing to Arayaṉ[Garu]ḍa[v]āhaṉ, alias Kāliṅgarāyar, by us, the Pūjāris (kaṉmi) of the god, such as (1) the members of the committee8 of the Śrī-Vaishṇavas: Tiruveḻu[di]nāḍu-Dāsar,9 Vaḍamadurappiṟandā[ṉ]-10 Nambi, Irāyūrā[ḷi]-Nambi, . . . . . r Nārāyaṇa-Nambi, Śrīśaḍagōpa-Dāsar11 of Perum[ba]ṟṟappuliyūr, and Arikulavāraṇa-Nambi of Mārkkamaṅgalam; (2) the members of the committee of the temple treasury: Kurugaikāvalaṉ12 Ārāvamudu of the Hārita (gōtra), Tiruvāykkulam-Uḍaiyāṉ13 Śrīrāghavaṉ of the Hārita (gōtra), Kēśuvaṉ (Kēśava) [Ta]ni-Iḷa[ñ]jiṅgam of the Hārita (gōtra), Kēśuvaṉ Aṟivariyāṉ of the Bhāradvāja (gōtra), [Tiru]va[raṅ]ga-Nārāyaṇaṉ Śrīkṛishṇaṉ of the Bhāradvāja (gōtra), and Ārāvamudu Śrīrāmaṉ of the [H]ārita (gōtra); (3) the accountants of the assembly: Arayaṉ Ambala . . . . . and . . . . . āṟṟuvappiriyaṉ; and (4) the accountant of the Śrī-Vaishṇavas: Tiruvēṅgaḍavaṉ14 Sōmaṉ, alias Padineṭṭunāḍu-Kiḻavaṉ.15

(L. 13.) During the car festival in (the month of) Appigai (Aippaśi) and during the festival in Paṅgūni (Paṅguṉi), on the night of that day on which the bathing-water (of the idol) is distributed, at the time when (the idol) has been placed under the sacred puṉṉai (tree) and is listening to (the recital of the hymn) Tēṭṭarundiṟal, (the following requirements have to be supplied) on this day of either festival:—For one hundred cakes to be offered (to the god) are required one padakku of old rice, three nāḻi of pulse (paruppu), three nāḻi of ghee, one hundred palam of sugar, three uḻākku of pepper, one uḻākku of cumin, three uḻākku of salt, fifty plantains, five cocoa-nuts, ten young cocoa-nuts, one hundred and twenty arecanuts, one śeviḍu and a half of camphor-oil, twelve bundles of teri16 leaves, and two mañjāḍi of camphor. (For all this), for those who pound (the rice into) flour for the cakes, for those who carry water, for those who fetch firewood, for those who fry the cakes, for pots, and for other requirements, he17 deposited six and a quarter kāśu, to continue as long as the moon and the sun.

(L. 15.) Having received these six and a quarter kāśu, we shall be bound to supply the offerings in this way at both festivals out of the interest for as long as the moon and the sun shall exist. Thus [it should be] caused to be engraved on stone. Having agreed thus, we, the Pūjāris of the god, gave a written agreement.

(L. 16.) We, the great assembly of Tiruvaraṅgam, shall be bound to continue this as long as the moon and the sun exist. This (is placed under) the protection of the Śrī-Vaishṇavas.

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.70 by Hultzsch 1903 converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SII] Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1903. South-Indian inscriptions. Volume III: Miscellaneous inscriptions from the Tamil country. Part II: Inscriptions of Virarajendra I., Kulottunga-chola I., Vikrama-chola and Kulottunga III. South Indian Inscriptions 3.2. Madras: Government Press. Pages 148–152, item 70.

Notes

  1. 1. Regarding a few other inscriptions in the same temple see Ind. Ant. Vol. XXI. p. 344; Ep. Ind. Vol. III. pp. 7 and 117, and Vol. IV. p. 148.

  2. 2. See below, p. 151, note 1.

  3. 3. See above, Vol. II. p. 252, note 7.

  4. 4. See below, p. 151, notes 3, 5 and 6.

  5. 5. See page 2 above.

  6. 6. Comparative Grammar, p. 143 of the Introduction.

  7. 7. The historical introduction of this inscription is the same as in No. 69 and in the Tanjore inscription of the 15th year (above, Vol. II. No. 58).

  8. 8. Vāriyam is probably connected with vāra, on which see Professor Kielhorn’s remarks in Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 138, note 7. It occurs also in the Ukkal inscriptions, where I have translated it by ‘elected for’ or ‘in charge of’; see p. 2 above.

  9. 9. This person was named after the Vaishṇava saint Śaṭhagōpa, who, according to the Nālāyiraprabandham, came from Tiruvaḻudi-nāḍu.

  10. 10. I.e. ‘he who was born in the northern Mathurā,’ viz. Kṛishṇa.

  11. 11. See note 3 above.

  12. 12. I.e. ‘the protector of Kurugai.’ The saint Śaṭhagōpa was the son of Kāri, the adhikārin of the city of Kurugai.

  13. 13. This title is perhaps derived from Tiruvāykkulam, one of the names of the Rājagōpāla-Perumāḷ temple at Maṇimaṅgalam; see p. 49 above, and Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 72.

  14. 14. This person was called after the god of Tirupati.

  15. 15. I.e. ‘the chief of eighteen districts.’

  16. 16. This word is not found in the dictionary. Probably betel-leaves are meant.

  17. 17. This refers to Kāliṅgarāyar (l. 12).