SII 3.78: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Alternative title: “VI.—INSCRIPTIONS OF KULOTTUNGA-CHOLA I. No. 78.—INSCRIPTION AT PERUMBER.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: This inscription (No. 264 of 1901) is engraved on the west wall of a maṇḍapa in front of the Tāndōṉṟīśvara temple at Perumbēr in the Madurāntakam tāluka of the Chingleput district. The ancient name of the temple was Śrīkaraṇīśvara (l. 22), and that of the village was Perumbēṟūr (ll. 22 and 23). From this and other inscriptions we learn that Śrī-Madurāntaka-chaturvēdimaṅgalam, which is the modern Madurāntakam, formed a separate division of the district of Kaḷattūr-kōṭṭam1 (l. 21); that Achcharapākkam (9 miles south-south-west of Madurāntakam) was a quarter of it; and that Perumbēṟūr (3 miles south-west of Achcharapākkam) was a hamlet on the south of it (l. 22).

The date is the 11th year of the reign of Kulōttuṅga I. (l. 20 f.). As stated in the introductory remarks to this chapter (p. 129 f.), the inscription carries the account of the king’s achievements as far as the defeat of Vikkalaṉ and the conquest of Gaṅgamaṇḍalam and Śiṅgaṇam. It records that the assembly of Madurāntakam remitted the taxes on certain land at Perumbēṟūr in favour of the temple, and breaks off with the signatures of a number of citizens in charge of different portions (śēri) of the city, which were named after Chōḷa kings.

To the list of inscriptions opening with pukaḻ cūḻnta puṇari on p. 125 f. the following one, which I had overlooked, must be added:—

16. 15th year: Kaḍappēri near Madurāntakam, No. 138 of 1896.

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

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

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0078.

File path: SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0078.xml.

Version: (aa17590), last modified (c311b30).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [∥] pukaḻ cūḻn=ta (pu)ṇa(ri) Akaḻ (cū)ḻn=ta puviyilp(poṉ)ne(mi)-

⟨2⟩ yaḷavum tan nemi naṭappa viḷa(ṅ)ku jayamakaḷai I(ḷaṅ)k(op)paruvat(tu)-

⟨3⟩ ccakkarakoṭṭattu vikkiramattoḻilālpputumaṇam puṇarn=tu (ma)t¿u?va-

⟨4⟩ r(ai)y¿i?ṭ=ṭa(m) vayirākarat=tu vāri Ayilmu(ṉaik)kun=taḷava(r)aicar tan=taḷamiriya vāḷuṟai kaḻi(t=tu)

⟨5⟩ toḷ va(li) kāṭ=ṭikk¿i?(r)t=tiyai niṟut=tipporppari naṭāt=ti vaṭati(cai) vākai cūṭitte(ṉ)-

⟨6⟩ ṟicaittemarukamala(p)pūmakaḷ potum(ai)yum po(ṉṉi)yāṭai (naṉṉilappā)v(ai) ta(ṉimai)-

⟨7⟩ yun=tavira van=tu pu(ṉi)ta¿ru?tiru maṇimakuṭa(mu)rim(ai)yiṟ(cū)ṭi (taṉṉa)ṭiyiraṇṭun=taṭamu(ṭiyā)kat(to)-

⟨8⟩ (ṉṉi)laven=tar cūṭa (mu)ṉ(ṉai maṉu)vāṟu peru¿k=ka? kaliyāṟu vaṟuppa ce(ṅko)l tic(ai)-

⟨9⟩ t(o)ṟuñcella veṇkuṭai Irunilavaḷākameṅka(ṇun=taṉā)tu tirunilav(e)ṇṇi-

⟨10⟩ (l)ā(t=ti)kaḻa Oruta(ṉi) meruviṟpuli viḷaiyāṭa vārkaṭal t¿i?vān=tarat=tuppūpatiyar (vi)ṭu¿n=ta? kalañc¿e?-

⟨11⟩ ri kaḷiṟu (mu)ṟ(ai) ni(ṟ)pa (vi)la(ṅ)kiya t(e)ṉṉavaṉ karun=ta(lai) pa(ru)n=talait=tiṭa taṉ poṉṉaka(r)p(pu)ṟat=tiṭaik=kiṭa(ppa)-

⟨12⟩ viṉṉāḷppiṟ¿(cū)?lappiṟai pol niṟpiḻaiye¿ṉe?ṉu(ñ)colletir k(oṭi)ṟṟallatu taṉ (k)ai

⟨13⟩ (vi){(cca)}(lle)tir koṭā vikkalaṉ ka(l)la¿n?ar naṅkili (tu)ṭa(ṅ)ki maṇa¿(ṉū)?r naṭuveṉa(t=tuṅka)pa(t=ti)r(ai)ya(ḷa)-

⟨14⟩ (vum) Eṅkaṇum paṭ=ṭa veṅkaḷ¿a?ṟum viṭ=ṭa (ta)ṉ (m)āṉa(mu)ṅkūṟiya v¿i?ramuṅkiṭappa (E)ṟiṉa ma(lai)kaḷu(mu)-

⟨15⟩ (tu)ku neḷip(pavi)ḻin=ta natika(ḷu)ñcuḻaṉṟu(ṭ)ain=toṭa viḻun=ta kaṭalun=talaiviri(t=ta)lamarakkuṭati(c)ai-

⟨16⟩ t=taṉṉā(ḷu)ka(n=tu t)ā(ṉu)n=tā(ṉai)yum pa(ṉ)ṉāḷiṭ=ṭa (pa)lapala mutuku¿pp?ayatt(eti)r māṟiya jaya(p)-

⟨17⟩ perun=ti(ru)vu(m) paḻi(yu)kan=tu kuṭut=ta pukaḻi(ṉ) ce(l)viyum vā(ḷ)ā¿miṭ=ṭa? maṭan=taiyar¿i?ṭ=ṭamum¿i?ḷā(tu) ku(ṭu)-

⟨18⟩ t=ta ve(ṅkari ni)r(ai)yu(ṅ)kaṅkamaṇṭalamuñciṅka(ṇa)¿(ṉv)?eṉ(ṉu)m pāṇiyiraṇṭu(m Oruvi)c(ai) kai(k)-

⟨19⟩ koṇ(ṭā)ra(mun=ti)ruppuyat=talaṅka(lu)m pol v¿i?ramun=tiyākamum viḷaṅkappār(mi)c(ai) mevala(r va)-

⟨20⟩ (ṇa)ṅka (v)¿(i)?(ṟṟi)run=ta(ru)ḷiya kovirājakecaripanmarā(na) Uṭ(ai)yār śrīku(l)ot=tuṅkacoḻadevaṟku (y)āṇṭu patinoṉṟā-

⟨21⟩ vatu ∥⁓ jayaṃkoṇṭacoḻamaṇṭalattu ka(ḷa)ttūrkkoṭṭattu taniy¿u?r śrīmaturān=taka(ca)tu(r)vvetimaṅka(la)t=tu ⟨p⟩e-

⟨22⟩ ruṅkuṟisabh(ai)yom Eḻuttu [|] na¿mu?rttenpiṭākai (p)erumpeṟūril śrīkara¿(ṇi)?śvaramuṭai(ya) mahādevar kā(ṇi)y⟨āṉa⟩

⟨23⟩ (I)ṟ(aini)lam perumpe(ṟūr śrīkṛṣṇapuravāyk=kāluk=ku va)ṭa(k=ku) muta(ṟkaṇā)ṟṟu maturān=taka(va)tik=ku kiḻak=ku ¿(mu)?ṉṟām (ca)tiram p(ā)ṭa(ka)⟨m E⟩-

⟨24⟩ (ṭ)ṭum nālāñca(ti)ra(t=tu) ka [*] (ḻa) [**] (m) [|] Iraṇṭāṅka(ṇā)ṟṟu (Ivvatik=ku kiḻak=ku) ¿(mu)?(ṉṟāñcatiram) pāṭakam Eṭṭum nālāñcatiram pāṭakam Eḻu(m)

⟨25⟩ (Ai)ñcāñcatira(m) pāṭakamelainālil vaṭak=kaṭ(ai)y pāṭakam¿u?ṉṟum [|] m¿u?ṉṟāṅkaṇā(ṟ)ṟu Iv(vati)k=ku kiḻak=ku nālāñcatirattu vaṭak=ka(ṭ)aiyppā(ṭa)-

⟨26⟩ (ka)m Iraṇṭe kālum [|] Ākappāṭakam muppattiraṇṭe k(ā)lināṟpo(ṉ) patinorukaḻañce mu(k=k)āle mañcāṭiyumiraṇṭu (m)āvum [|] koyilil ¿(t)e?-

⟨27⟩ (ṟ)ku Eḻumāvar(ai) E(ṟṟi) pon pa(ṉṉi)ruka(ḻa)ñcu(m) I⟨t⟩devaṟku I(ṟ)ai(yi)liyāka cantrātittava(r)ai I(ṟ)ai(yiliy)ākak=ka(l)li(lum) cempi(lu)m veṭṭuvit(tu ⌈)-

⟨28⟩ k(o)ḷak=kaṭavarkaḷā(ka)vu⟨m⟩ An=tarāyamakaṇmai koḷātomākavum kuṭuttom peruṅkuṟisabh(ai)(y)o(m) [|] pa(ṇi)ttār śrīmaturān=takacceri Ira-

⟨29⟩ (ā)yūr coṭṭai kovin=tapaṭṭarum c¿i?(pa)rān=takacceri Uṟuppuṭṭ¿uru? kunṟakā(ḷi) ¿somai?yājiyārum śrīIrumuṭic(o)ḻacceri nampūr kāṭṭukai nārāya(ṇa)kramavi-

⟨30⟩ (ttaru)m śrīciṅkaḷān=ta(ka)cceri Araṇaippuṟattu śrīkṛṣṇapaṭṭarum śrīv¿i?racoḻacceri pippirai nār(ā)ya(ṇa)paṭṭasarvva(kratu)vājape⟨y⟩yājiyārum śrīko(ta) [**********]

Apparatus

⟨24⟩ ka [1+] (ḻa) [2+] (m) • Read kīḻainālum (?).

Translation by Hultzsch 1903

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! While the wheel of his (authority) went as far as the golden circle (i.e. Mount Mēru) on the earth, which was surrounded by the moat of the sea, that was (again) surrounded by (his) fame, (the king) newly wedded, in the time (when he was still) heir-apparent, the brilliant goddess of Victory at Śakkarakōṭṭam by deeds of valour and seized a herd of mountains of rut (i.e). rutting elephants) at Vayirāgaram.

(L. 4.) (He) unsheathed (his) sword, showed the strength of (his) arm, established (his) fame, and spurred (his) war-steed, so that the army of the king of Kuntaḷa, (whose spear had) a sharp point, retreated.

(L. 5.) Having put on the garland of (the victory over) the Northern region, (he) came to put a stop to the prostitution of the goddess with the sweet and excellent lotus-flower (i.e. Lakshmī) of the Southern region and to the loneliness of the goddess of the good country whose garment is the Poṉṉi, and put on by right (of inheritance) the pure royal crown of jewels, while the kings of the old earth bore his two feet (on their heads) as a large crown.

(L. 8.) The river (of the rules) of the ancient king Manu swelled, (and) the river (of the sins) of the Kali (age) dried up. (His) sceptre swayed over every region; the heavenly white light of (his) white parasol shone everywhere (on) the circle of the great earth; (and his) tiger(-banner) fluttered unrivalled on the Mēru (mountain).

(L. 10.) (Before him) stood a row of elephants showering jewels, which were presented by the kings of remote islands whose girdle is the sea.

(L. 11.) The excellent head of the refractory king of the South (i.e. the Pāṇḍya) lay outside his (viz). Kulōttuṅga’s) beautiful city, being pecked by kites.

(L. 12.) Not only did the speech (of Vikkalaṉ):—“After this day a permanent blemish (will attach to Kulōttuṅga), as (to) the crescent (which is the origin) of (his) family,”2 — turn out wrong, but the bow (in) the hand of Vikkalaṉ was not (even) bent against (the enemy).

(L. 13.) Everywhere from Naṅgili of rocky roads—with Maṇalūr in the middle— to the Tuṅgabhadrā, there were lying low the dead (bodies of his) furious elephants, his lost pride and (his) boasted valour.

(L. 14.) The very mountains which (he) ascended bent their backs; the very rivers into which (he) descended eddied and breached (the banks) in their course; (and) the very sea into which (he) plunged became troubled and agitated.

(L. 15.) (The Chōḷa king) seized simultaneously the two countries called Gaṅgamaṇḍalam and Śiṅgaṇam, troops of furious elephants which had been irretrievably abandoned (by the enemy), crowds of women, (the angles of) whose beautiful eyes were as pointed as daggers, the goddess of Fame, who gladly brought disgrace (on Vikkalaṉ), and the great goddess of Victory, who changed to the opposite (side) and caused (Vikkalaṉ) himself, who was desirous of the rule over the Western region, and (his) army to turn their backs again and again on many days.

(L. 19.) (He) was pleased to be seated (on the throne), while (his) valour and liberality shone like (his) necklace and (like) the flower-garland on (his) royal shoulders, (and) while (all his) enemies prostrated themselves on the ground.

(L. 20.) In the eleventh year (of the reign) of this king Rājakēsarivarman, alias the lord Śrī-Kulōttuṅga-Śōḻadēva.

(L. 21.) The writing of us, the great assembly3 of Śrī-Madurāntaka-chaturvēdimaṅgalam, an independent village4 in Kaḷattūr-kōṭṭam, (a district) of Jayaṅgoṇḍa-Śōḻa-maṇḍalam.

(L. 22.) We, the great assembly, have granted that (the following) tax-paying land, which is the property (kāṇi) of (the god) Mahādēva of the Śrīkaraṇīśvara (temple) in Perumbēṟūr, a hamlet in the south of our village, shall be caused to be engraved on stone and on copper (as belonging) to this god (and) as free from taxes as long as the moon and the sun shall last, and that we shall not levy (on it the taxes called) antarāya5 (and) magaṇmai:6 —Eight pāḍagam7 (of) the third square to the east of the Madurāntaka road in the first kaṇāṟu8 to the north [of the Śrīkṛishṇapura channel] (at) Perumbēṟūr, [and four (pāḍagam) on the east] of the fourth square. Eight pāḍagam (of) [the third square to the east of the same road] in the second kaṇāṟu, seven pāḍagam (of) the fourth square, and three pāḍagam on the northern side of the four pāḍagam on the west (of) the fifth square. Two and a quarter pāḍagam) on the northern side of the fourth square to the east of the same road in the third kaṇāṟu. Altogether, thirty-two and a quarter pāḍagam (The tax due) on (this land is) eleven and three quarters kaḻañju and one and two tenths9 mañjāḍi of gold.10 Having added to this (sum) from the temple (funds) seven tenths and one twentieth (mañjāḍi), (the total is) twelve kaḻañju) of gold.11

(L. 28.) (The above) was ordered by Śoṭṭai12 Gōvindabhaṭṭar of Irāyūr,13 (in charge of) Śrī-Madurāntakachchēri; Kuṉṟakāḷi Sōmayājiyār of Uṟuppuṭṭūr,14 (in charge of) Śrī-Parāntakachchēri; Kāṭṭugai Nārāyaṇa-Kramavittar of Nambūr, (in charge of) Śrī-Irumuḍi-Sōḻachchēri; Śrīkṛishṇabhaṭṭar of Araṇaippuṟam,15 (in charge of) Śrī-Siṁhaḷāntakachchēri; Nārāyaṇabhaṭṭa-Sarvakratuvājapē[ya]yājiyār of Pippirai, (in charge of) Śrī-Vīra-Śōḻachchēri . . . . . . . . . .

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.78 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 173–177, item 78.

Notes

  1. 1. See above, p. 143 and note 13.

  2. 2. See above, p. 147, notes 1 and 2.

  3. 3. The two terms kuṟi and sabhai appear to be synonymous; see above, p. 17, note 3.

  4. 4. On taniyūr see above, p. 3, note 7.

  5. 5. See above, p. 162, note 7.

  6. 6. With magaṇmai, ‘the daughtership,’ compare the similar term magaṉmai, ‘the sonship,’ in No. 57 above, text line 9.

  7. 7. This is evidently the name of a land measure.

  8. 8. For śadiram, ‘a square,’ and kaṇṇāṟu or kaṇāṟu see above, p. 154 and note 7.

  9. 9. See above, Vol. II. p. 36, note 1.

  10. 10. This sum must have been paid to the assembly by a person whose name does not occur in the preserved portion of the inscription.

  11. 11. This total is wrong and seems to have been arrived at by adding further 3 1/20 mañjāḍi for rounding.

  12. 12. According to the Guruparamparāprabhāva this was the name of the family of the Vaishṇava āchārya Nādamuṉi.

  13. 13. The same place is mentioned in Nos. 29, 31, 32, 35 and 38 above.

  14. 14. See above, p. 168 and note 4.

  15. 15. The same place is mentioned in Nos. 30, 31, 32, 35 and 36 above.