SII 3.86: original edition by Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch

Alternative title: “IX.—INSCRIPTIONS OF KULOTTUNGA-CHOLA III. No. 86.—INSCRIPTION AT CHIDAMBARAM.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: This inscription (No. 457 of 1902) is engraved on the west wall of the second prākāra of the great Śaiva temple of Naṭarāja at Chidambaram1 in the South Arcot district. It is dated on the 88th day of the 9th year of Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷa III. and records that the king sanctioned a grant of land to the temple by a certain Kēraḷarājaṉ (ll. 6 and 10). The land granted was situated in two hamlets of Chidambaram, the first of which bore the name Kaḍavāychchēri alias Tillaināyaganallūr (l. 6). Kaḍavāchchēri is found on the map about 2 miles south of Chidambaram,2 and Tillaināyaganallūr survives as the name of a neighbouring village which has now been joined to Uśuppūr.3 The second hamlet, Śāttaṅguḍi alias Mahīpālakulakālanallūr4 (l. 7), I am unable to identify.

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

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

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0086.

File path: SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0086.xml.

Version: (56e9cef), last modified (30699ea).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī ||௳ puyal vāyttu vaḷam perukappoyyāta nāṉmaṟaiyiṉ ceyal vāyppattirumakaḷuñjayamakaḷuñciṟantu vāḻa veṇmati poṟkuṭai viḷaṅka velventaraṭi vaṇaṅka maṇmaṭantai maṉaṅkaḷippa maṉunīti taḻait-

⟨2⟩ toṅkaccakkaramuñceṅkoluntikkaṉaittuñcela naṭappakkaṟpakālam puvi kākkappoṟpamainta muṭi puṉain(tu) vikramapāṇṭiyaṉ veṇṭa viṭṭa taṇṭāl vīrapāṇṭiyaṉ makaṉ paṭa Eḻakam paṭa maṟappaṭai paṭacciṅkaḷappaṭai m¿u?kkaṟuppuṇṭu Alaikaṭal

⟨3⟩ puka vīrapāṇṭiyaṉai mutukiṭum paṭi tākki maturaiyum Aracuṅkoṇṭu jaya- staMbhanaṭṭu Ammaturaiyum Aracum nāṭum Aṭainta pāṇṭiyaṟkaḷittaruḷi meymmalarnta vīrakkoṭiyuṭaṉ tiyākakkoṭi Eṭuttuccempoṉ (vī)rasiṅ- hāsaṉattuppuvaṉamuḻutuṭai-

⟨4⟩ yāḷoṭum vīṟṟiruntaruḷiya kopparakecaripaṟmarāṉa tribhuvaṉaccakravarttikaḷ maturai koṇṭaruḷiṉa śrīkulottuṅkacoḻatevarkku yāṇṭu Oṉpatāvatu nāḷ Eṇpa(t)teṭṭiṉāl prasādañceytaruḷi vanta ceyyumpaṭippaṭi [|] Āḷuṭaiyāṟkuccāttiyaruḷattiruppaḷḷittāmat-

⟨5⟩ tirunantavaṉañceyyavum (I)ttirunantavaṉañceykiṟa tirunantavaṉakkuṭikaḷ per Iruvarkku Ilakkaikkuṅkoṟṟukkum tirunantavaṉppuṟaIṟai(yi)liyākavum rājarājavaḷanāṭṭukkīḻveṅkaināṭṭupperunallūruṭaiyāṉ tiruvekampamuṭaiyāṉ tiruvaṉant¿i?(śva)ramuṭaiyā-

⟨6⟩ ṉāṉa kera(ḷa)rājaṉ perumpaṟṟappuliyūr Uḻaiccaraṇaṉ vaṭukaṉ (ti)runaṭṭamāṭi peril Anyanāmakaraṇattāl palar pakkalum vilaikoṇṭa nilam [|] Ivvūrppiṭākai kaṭavāycceriyāṉa tillaināyakanallūril cuntaracoḻavatik(ku) meṟku Uttamacoḻavāykkālukkutteṟku mutaṟ-

⟨7⟩ kaṇṇāṟṟu Iraṇṭāñcatirattukkollainilam Orumāvum [|] piṭākai Accericcāttaṅkuṭiyāṉa mahīpālakula(k)ālanallūril kuntavaivatikku meṟku Uttamacoḻavāykkālukkutteṟku nālāṅkaṇṇāṟṟu mutaṟcatirattu mikutikkuṟaivu Uḷḷaṭaṅkattaram peṟṟa nilam Araiye m¿u?ṉṟu mā

⟨8⟩ mukkāṇi Araikkāṇi muntirikaikk¿i?ḻ mukkāle nālu mā Araikkāṇi muntirikaiyum [|] Ākakkollai (U)ṭpaṭa Ūr(p)paṭi nilam Araiye nālu mā mukkāṇi Araikkāṇi muntirikaikk¿i?ḻ mukkāle nālu mā Araikkāṇi muntirikaiyiṉāl maṭakkunilam Araikkāṇi muntirikaikk¿i?ḻ Oṉpatu mā muk-

⟨9⟩ kāṇikkīḻ mukkāle mukkāṇiyum [|] tirunantavaṉamum tirunantavaṉappuṟaIṟaiyiliyumāka Āḷuṭaiyār tevatāṉam Ivvūril pala varavaiyoṭuṅkūṭṭavum [|] Innilattukku Ivvūr taṇṭa niccayitta kācil maṭakkopātiyāl vanta kācu Ūril kaḻikkavum [|] Ippaṭikkukkoyilil tirup-

⟨10⟩ pūmaṇṭapattukku sam¿i?pattile tirumāḷikaiyile kal veṭṭavum [|] tirunantavaṉakkuṭikaḷ per Iruvaṟkuntiruntavaṉakkuṭikaḷ ceytu varuṅkuṭimai Uḷḷiṭṭaṉa koḷḷātoḻiyavu(m) [|] peṟa veṇumeṉṟu keraḷarājaṉ namakkuccoṉṉamaiyil Ippaṭi cey-

⟨11⟩ yakkaṭavatākaccolli Ippaṭi kaṇakkilum Iṭṭukkoḷḷakkaṭavarkaḷāka varikkukkūṟu ceyvārkaḷukkuñcoṉṉom [|] In(ni)lam Oṉpatāvatu mutal pala varavaiyoṭuṅkūṭṭi(tti)runantavaṉamum tirunantavaṉakkuṭikaḷ per Iruvaṟkum Ilakkaikkuṅkoṟṟukkuntirunantavaṉap-

⟨12⟩ puṟaIṟaiyiliyumāy n¿ī?ṟkavum Ippaṭikkukkoyilile kal veṭṭavum paṇṇi Ittirunantavaṉakkuṭikaḷ Aḷakkakkaṭava tiruppaḷḷittāmam per Oṉṟukku nāḷoṉṟukkukkuṟuṇi nāṉāḻiyāka vanta tiruppaḷḷittāmam tiruppūmaṇṭapat(tu)kku mutalāka Aḷakkavum Ivarkaḷaittiru-

⟨13⟩ nantavaṉakkuṭikaḷ ceytu varuṅkuṭimaiyuḷḷiṭṭaṉa koḷḷātoḻiyavum paṇṇuvatu [|] Eḻutiṉān tirumantiraOlai rājanārāyaṇam¿u?ventaveḷāṉ [|] Eḻuti viḻuppādhirājarum nuḷampādhirājarum pāṇṭiyarājarum kaḷappāḷarājarum nantiyarājarum Irājavallavap-

⟨14⟩ pallavar(ā)yarum vayirādhirājarum Eḻuttiṭṭuppukunta ceyyumpaṭippaṭi Eḻutiyatu || ௳

Apparatus

⟨2⟩ makaṉ • No. 1 of 1899 reads makkaḷ. — ⟨2⟩ Eḻakam • The same inscription reads Eḻakattār.

⟨5⟩ ti(śva)ra • Read tīśvara.

Translation by Hultzsch 1903

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! (The king) put on the beautiful crown in order to protect the earth to the end of the world, while clouds were abundant and (hence) the fertility (of his country) increased; while the conduct (prescribed) in the four true Vēdas prospered; while the goddess of Fortune and the goddess of Victory were greatly delighted (to be his wives); while (his) parasol shone like the white moon; while victorious kings bowed at (his) feet; while the goddess of the Earth rejoiced; while the rules of Manu flourished and spread; (and) while (the king's) discus and sceptre went (and) ruled every region.

(L. 2.) While, by an army despatched at the request of Vikrama-Pāṇḍya, the son of Vīra-Pāṇḍya was subdued; while Ēḻagam5 was subdued; while the Maṟa army6 was subdued; while the Śiṅgaḷa soldiers had (their) noses cut off and rushed into the rolling sea,— (he) attacked Vīra-Pāṇḍya, (forcing him) to turn (his) back, took Madurai and the throne, set up a pillar of victory, was pleased to bestow that (city of) Madurai, the throne and the country on the Pāṇḍya who had taken refuge (with him), and raised the banner of liberality, together with the banner of heroism which displayed the body (of the tiger ?).

(L. 3.) On the eighty-eighth day of the ninth year of (this) king Parakēsarivarman, who was pleased to be seated together with (his queen) Bhuvanamuḻuduḍaiyāḷ on the throne of heroes (which consisted of) pure gold, alias the emperor of the three worlds, Śrī-Kulōttuṅga-Śōḻadēva, who was pleased to take Madurai,—the following order was issued (by the king) and received.

(L. 4.) In order to lay out a flower-garden (which shall furnish) the garlands to be placed on (the image of) Āḷuḍaiyār, and in order to (provide) tax-free (land) for the maintenance7 of the flower-garden, (viz). for (supplying) clothing8 and food9 to the two attendants who work in this flower-garden,—Tiruvēgambam-uḍaiyāṉ10 Tiruvanatīśvaram-uḍaiyāṉ alias Kēraḷarājaṉ, a native of Perunallūr in Kīḻ-Vēṅgai-nāḍu, (a subdivision) of Rājarāja-vaḷanāḍu,11 purchased (the following) land from several persons in the name of another, (viz.) in the name of Uḻaichcharaṇaṉ Vaḍugaṉ Tirunaṭṭamāḍi12 of Perumbaṟṟappuliyūr.13

(L. 6.) In Kaḍavāychchēri alias Tillaināyaganallūr, a hamlet of this village, one twentieth (vēli) of dry land in the second square of the first kaṇṇāṟu to the west of the road of Sundara-Śōḻa (and) to the south of the channel of Uttama-Śōḻa; and in Śāttaṅguḍi alias Mahīpālakulakālanallūr (near) that śēri (i.e. Kaḍavāychchēri), a hamlet (of this village), one half (vēli), three twentieths, three eightieths, one hundred-and-sixtieth and one three-hundred-and-twentieth; and 1/320 of14 three quarters, four twentieths, one hundred-andsixtieth and one three-hundred-and-twentieth—more or less—of classified land15 in the first square of the fourth kaṇṇāṟu to the west of the road of Kundavai (and) to the south of the channel of Uttama-Śōḻa,—altogether, including the dry land, according to the village (accounts), one half (vēli), four twentieths, three eightieths, one hundred-and-sixtieth and one three-hundred-and-twentieth; and 1/320 of three quarters, four twentieths, one hundredand-sixtieth and one three-hundred-and-twentieth of land.

(L. 8.) Of (this), one hundred-and-sixtieth (vēli) and one three-hundred-and-twentieth; 1/320 of nine twentieths and three eightieths; and 1/320 of three quarters and three eightieths (is) second-crop land.

(L. 9.) (This land) has to be added to the various plots in this village (which are) the temple property of (the god) Āḷuḍaiyār, as a flower-garden, and as tax-free (land) for the maintenance of the flower-garden. Out of the money which this village has decided to levy from this land, the money which accrues, from the second-crop assessment (?) has to be deducted from (the amount due by) the village. This has to be engraved (on) stone on the wall near the Tiruppūmaṇḍapam16 in the temple. The services etc. which have to be rendered by the attendants of (other) flower-gardens shall not be demanded from the two attendants of (this) flower-garden.

(L. 10.)17 “Kēraḷarājaṉ having submitted to us that (the above request) might be sanctioned, we ordered that it should be done thus, and directed the revenue officers18 to enter (that land) as such in the account (book).”

(L. 11.)19 “From the ninth (year of the king's reign) forward, this land has to be added to the various (other) plots (of this village) and has to be considered as a flower-garden and as tax-free (land) for the maintenance of the flower-garden, (viz). for (supplying) clothing and food to the two attendants of the flower-garden. This has to be engraved (on) stone in the temple. The garlands to be supplied by the attendants of this flower-garden, (and) amounting to one kuṟuṇi and four nāḻi (of flowers) per day for each person, have to be supplied in advance to the Tiruppūmaṇḍapam. The services etc. which have to be rendered by the attendants of (other) flower-gardens shall not be demanded from these (attendants).” Written by the royal secretary, Rājanārāyaṇa-Mūvēndavēḷāṉ.

(L. 13.) (The above) was copied from the order received, which was written (by the royal secretary) and signed by Viḻuppādhirājar, Nuḷambādhirājar, Pāṇḍiyarājar, Kaḷappāḷarājar, Nandiyarājar, Rājavallabha-Pallavarāyar and Vayirādhirājar.

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.86 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 210–213, item 86.

Notes

  1. 1. Two inscriptions from the same temple have been published in Ep. Ind. Vol. V. pp. 103 f. and 105 f.

  2. 2. No. 108 on the Madras Survey Map of the Chidambaram tāluka.

  3. 3. No. 107 on the same map.

  4. 4. This surname seems to be derived from one of the titles of Rājēndra-Chōḷa I., who is stated to have defeated a certain Mahipāla; see above, Vol. II. p. 109.

  5. 5. This place is probably identical with Tiruvēḍagam near Koḍimaṅgalam in the Madura tāluka, which is referred to as ‘Ēḍagam’ by Tiruñāṉasambandar.

  6. 6. I.e., perhaps, the army of the Maṟavas.

  7. 7. On puṟam see above, p. 6, note 9.

  8. 8. With ilakkai compare ilakkar in the Tamil dictionaries, and its synonym puḍavai in No. 68 above, text line 4.

  9. 9. On p. 141 above, note 13, koṟṟu was unnecessarily corrected into kottu. According to Dr. Gundert's Malayāḷam Dictionary it means ‘food, victuals, rice.’

  10. 10. This name is derived from the Tamil designation of the Ekāmranātha temple at Conjeeveram.

  11. 11. See page 209 above.

  12. 12. This is a Tamil synonym of Naṭarāja, the name of the god of the Chidambaram temple.

  13. 13. This is one of the Tamil names of Chidambaram; see page 214 below.

  14. 14. Here and in the next paragraph, 1/320 is substituted for the arithmetical term kīḻ, and 1/320 for the second kīḻ. Compare above, Vol. II. p. 48, notes 2 and 3.

  15. 15. I.e. land assessed according to the quality of the soil.

  16. 16. I.e. the building in which the flowers for the use of the temple were kept.

  17. 17. The following passage contains the order of the king on Kēraḷarājaṉ's request.

  18. 18. Compare above, p. 44, note 10 [[varikku kūṟu ceyvārkaḷ (which occurs also in Vol. II. No. 21, second section, l. 4) corresponds to variyilār in No. 20, l. 21.]].

  19. 19. The following passage is an endorsement of the royal secretary. I have omitted the two words paṇṇi, ‘having caused’ (l. 12), and paṇṇuvadu, ‘it shall be caused’ (l. 13), which would make the translation unintelligible.