SII 3.106: original edition by H. Krishna Sastri

Alternative title: “XI.—INSCRIPTIONS OF PARAKESARIVARMAN PARANTAKA I. No. 106.—ON THE ROCK AT THE ENTRANCE INTO THE CENTRAL SHRINE OF THE NARASINGAPPERUMAL TEMPLE AT ANAIMALAI. No. 63 of 1905.”

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: This record which is written in the Vaṭṭeḻuttu character is the only inscription of Parāntaka's reign hitherto found in the vicinity of Madura. It is dated in his 33rd year and records a gift by Marudūruḍaiyāṉ Aruṇidi Kaliyaṉ, an officer of Śōḻa-Perumāṉaḍigaḷ (Parāntaka I.) to the temple of Naraśiṅgapperumāṉaḍigaḷ of the sacred Āṉaimalai (hill). The temple had to pay 18 īḻakkāśu every year to the assembly and it had only arranged for the payment of six īḻakkāśu. Aruṇidi Kaliyaṉ apparently agreed to pay the rest himself taking possession of the tank Kaliyaṉēri which must have belonged to the temple. He also provided for offerings to the god and the feeding of five Brāhmaṇas, by purchasing two vēlis of wet land under the tank Kaliyaṉēri. It was stipulated that the feeding of the Brāhmaṇas was to commence from Friday in the month of Karkaṭaka (of this year) when there was an eclipse of the sun and the nakshatra was Āślēsha. This incidental mention of the astronomical details helps us to confirm the initial date of Parāntaka I. (viz., 907 A.D.) already arrived at by Professor Kielhorn from other inscriptions. According to Mr. L.D. Swamikkannu Pillai's Ephemeris, A. D. 939, July 19, was a Friday on which the nakshatra Āślēsha ended at 80 after mean sunrise. There was also on this day an eclipse of the sun a 7 hours, 57 minutes after sunrise according to Dr. Robert Schram's “Eclipses of the Sun in India.” It was a total eclipse of great importance. We learn again from the record that 1/4 puttakkam was the interest charged on 1 īḻakkāśu for one month and that each īḻakkāśu was equal to 7 1/2 puttakkam.1

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

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

Identifier: DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0106.

File path: SII03/DHARMA_INSSIIv03p0i0106.xml.

Version: (56e9cef), last modified (0b228f8).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī [||] matiraikoṇṭa kopparakecaripaṉmaṟku yāṇṭu muppattumuṉṟāvatu Ivvāṇṭu (te)va(tā)ṉaṅ kiḻiraṇiyamuṭ(ṭat)tuppaṭum (pi)-

⟨2⟩ rammateya⟨m⟩ (na)raciṅkamaṅkalattuc cavaiyo{m}ñ coḻapperumāṉaṭikaḷatikārikaḷ coḻanāṭṭup puṟaṅkarampaiṉāṭ-

⟨3⟩ ṭu marutūr marutūruṭaiyāṉaruṇitikaliyaṉukku Oṭṭikkuṭ¿a?(t)ta paricāvatu [|] Eṅkaḷūrt tiruvā(ṉai)malai naraciṅkapperumāṉaṭikaḷ (ta)-

⟨4⟩ muṭaiya nilattālc cavaiyomukku (Ā)ṇṭeṭuttu Iṭakkaṭava Īḻakkācu patiṉeṭṭu [|] (I)kkācu pat¿a?ṉeṭṭilum muṉṟatt¿e?ṉ(ṟu) Ī-

⟨5⟩ ḻakkācu Āṟu [|] Ivvāṟu Īḻakkācukkum palicaiyākac cavaiyār kaiyvaḻi kuṭutta Īḻakkācu patiṉaiṉtu [|] ⟨pa⟩tiṉaiñciṉālum vanta pali-

⟨6⟩ caiyāvatu Īḻakkāciṉvā⟨y⟩t tiṅkaḷ kāṟ putta⟨kka⟩māka Oro tiṅkaḷā⟨l⟩ vanta puttakkamuṉṟemukkāl muṉṟemukkālu Orāṇṭu panniraṇṭu ti-

⟨7⟩ ¿ñ?kaḷāl vanta puttakkam nāṟpa⟨t⟩taiñcu nāṟpattaiñciṉāloru Īḻakkācukkup puttakkam Eḻarai Āka (Ī)ḻakkācu (Ā)ṟu Ivvāṟu (Ī)ḻa-

⟨8⟩ kkācum Iṟai nīkkit tevar cavaiyārkku Iṭakkaṭava kācu 10 2 paṉṉiraṇṭum nīkki Atikā(ri)kaḷ marutūruṭaiyāṉ Aruṇitikaliyaṉ Iṟaikāvalā⟨ka⟩ kātta

⟨9⟩ kāci(ṉā)l vanta nilaṉ Ūruṭaiyāṉ(ku)ḷamāṉa kaliyaṉe(ri)yum Ikkuḷantā⟨ṉ⟩¿(me)?ṇṭumāṟu kallik karai nīḷam Aṭṭappeṟuvatākavum (I)-

⟨10⟩ kkuḷaṅkarai Ucara Aṭṭappeṟuvatākavum Ikkuḷatti ṉīr (tā)ṉ veṇṭu Aḷavuṅ kokkappeṟuvatākavumikkuḷam Itiṉkiḻ nīrnilaṉiruvē-

⟨11⟩ liyu marutūruṭaiyāṉaruṇitikaliyaṉ vilaikkukkoṇṭu Ikkuḷattiṉ kiḻ nīrnilaṉiruvēliyi(ṉā)l vanta pokam Aññāḻikkālāl nel(lu) 3 100 kalam

⟨12⟩ Ivaiyiṟṟiṉ pāti 100 5 10 nelluṅkoṇ(ṭu I)varkku muṉṟu cantiyuntiruvamirtu cevatākavum niṉṟa 100 (5 10) nelluṅkoṇṭu tiruvamirtu U-

⟨13⟩ ttama Akkiramākat tevar Amituceyyumpoḻutu vetappirāmaṇar nicatam Ayvar Amitu ceyvatākavum vacca(pa)ṭi patteṭṭukkuttal Oruvaṉu-

⟨14⟩ kku Arici (Iru)nāḻiyuṅ kaṟi mu(ṉṟu)m tayir nā⟨ḻi⟩yum neyiruceviṭum kāyyilai Iraṇṭum tālamañcum vaṭṭilaiñcum Oṭṭuṭṭi Oṉṟu-

⟨15⟩ (m) caṭṭuvam Oṉṟu Aṭuvā{ṉ}ṉoruva(ṉu)⟨k⟩ku nicati ne⟨l⟩lu Aññāḻi Aṟutiṅka(ḷo)ru puṭavai vaiccu Ipparicu Ikkalamuṭṭuvatāka Iv-

⟨16⟩ vāṭṭai kaṟkaṭakanāyiṟṟu veḷḷikkiḻamai peṟṟa Āyile(ya)ttiṉāṉṟu cū{ṟ}ṟiyakkiraṇavelaik(kurai)kirāṇam paṟṟiṉa Aṉṟumutalāka Ikkala⟨m⟩

⟨17⟩ I⟨p⟩paricey Ūṭṭuvatāka ni(ṉ)ṟu ciṟikāṟiyamārāyk¿a?ṉṟa tiruvāyppāṭi nārāyaṇaṉum Ivvūrc cavaiyārum Ipparicey Akkiramuṭṭāmey ca⟨n⟩tirā-

⟨18⟩ tittallam Ūṭṭuvippomāṉom tiruvāṉaimalai naraciṅkapperumāṉaṭikaḷukku cirikā¿cc?iy¿a Ā?rāyvārum cavayomum [|] Itiṟṟirampi(ṉō)maic cavaiy-

⟨19⟩ yā¿l?um (ci)rikā{ṟ}ṟiyamārāyvāṉuntiṟamiṉāṉ nicati Iṟukācu Aṉṟāḻ koviṉukkuttaṇṭampaṭṭu Akkācu koṇṭu tevarkkut tiruviḷakku Erivatākavum cavaiyār

⟨20⟩ (t) tiṟampil (Ā)ṟukācu taṇṭappaṭuvatākavu(m) Oṭṭikkuṭuttom cavaiyomum cirikā¿cc?iyamārāyvāṉum marutūruṭaiyāṉaruṇitikaliyaṉukku [|] Ittaṇṭamiṟu-

⟨21⟩ ttumittaṉ⟨mam⟩ muṭṭāme Ayvarai(yum) cantirāticcar Uḷḷaḷavum Ūṭṭuvippomāṉoñ cavaiyyum cirikār{cc}iyam Ārāyum vayiṣṇavarum [|] Itaṉ-

⟨22⟩ (ma)⟨m⟩ rakṣittāṉ

Apparatus

⟨18⟩ tittallam • Perhaps read tittavalum.

⟨22⟩ rakṣittāṉ • The few words that have to follow have been omitted.

Translation by Krishna Sastri 1920

Hail ! Prosperity ! In this, the 33rd year of (the reign of) king Parakēsarivarman, who took Madirai (Madura), (the following) is the deed agreed upon and given by us, the members of the assembly of Naraśiṅgamaṅgalam, a brahmadēya and a dēvadāna included in Kīḻ-Iraṇiyamuṭṭam, to Marudūruḍaiyāṉ Aruṇidi Kaliyaṉ of Marudūr in Puraṅgarambai-nāḍu (a subdivision) of Śōḻa-nāḍu who was an officer of Śōḻapperumāṉaḍigaḷ (i.e., Parāntaka I.). (The temple of) Naraśiṅga-Perumāṉaḍigaḷ of the sacred Āṉaimalai (hill) in our village has to pay to (us) the members of the assembly, eighteen īḻakkāśu annually on account of the lands belonging to it. One third of this eighteen kāśu is six īḻakkāśu. For (realising) this six īḻakkāśu, fifteen īḻakkāśu had been deposited on interest in the hands of the members of the assembly. The interest accruing on the fifteen (īḻakkāśu) is as follows:—At (the rate of) one-fourth puttakkam per month on each īḻakkāśu, there accrues in each month (on the fifteen īḻakkāśu) three and three-fourths puttakkam. For the twelve months of a year, (at) three and threefourths (each month) would accumulate forty-five puttakkam. At the rate of seven and a half puttakkam for one īḻakkāśu (these) forty-five (puttakkam) would give six īḻakkāśu. Deducting these six īḻakkāśu from the taxes (due), the god has (still) to pay 12 kāśu to the members of the assembly. The officer Marudūruḍaiyāṉ AruṇidiKaliyaṉ, having caused to be deducted these 12 kāśu (due to the assembly by the god), (by virtue of) the tax money (iṟaikkāval) deposited (by him), obtained (possession of) the (tank) land Ūruḍaiyāṉkuḷam alias Kaliyaṉēri. This tank he shall dig (to any depth) he likes and throw up the embankment to its (full) length; shall raise the tank bund and collect water in this tank to the extent required by him.2 Marudūruḍaiyāṉ Aruṇidi Kaliyaṉ (also) purchased below this tank two vēli of wet land3. And 300 kalam of paddy (measured) by the aññāḻikkāl was got as produce from (these) two vēli of wet land under this tank. Receiving the moiety of this (viz.,) 150 (kalam) of paddy, (he arṛanged that) sacred food shall be offered to this (god) at the three junctures (of the day). With the remaining 150 (kalam) of paddy (he also arranged that) five Brāhmaṇas (versed in the) Vēdas shall be fed with superior food daily, when the god is fed, on the (following) scale laid down:—for one man two nāḻi of rice pounded ten or eight times, three vegetables, (one) nāḻi of curd, two śeviḍu of ghee, two areca-nuts and (two) betel leaves, five plates (tālam), five cups (vaṭṭil), one oṭṭūṭṭi, one ladle (śaṭṭuvam). Five nāḻi of paddy daily (and) one cloth for (every) six months, were (also) provided for one cook. Thus this feeding should be done. Commencing from the day when an eclipse of the sun at its least4 occurred on the (asterism) Āślēshā corresponding to a Friday in the month of Kaṟkaṭaka of this year, the supervisor of the temple business (śrīkāryam), viz., Tiruvāyppāḍi-Nārāyaṇaṉ and the members of this village personally arranged thus to conduct this feeding. We, who look after the business of the (temple) of Naraśiṅga-Perumāṉ of the sacred Āṉaimalai (hill), and the members of the assembly shall conduct the sumptuous feeding in this wise without failure as long as the sun and the moon (last). Any of us that fails to do this, whether (he be) a member of the assembly or a supervisor of temple business, when he fails, (shall) pay a daily fine of two kāśu to the then reigning king, and with that kāśu (collected as fine) a sacred lamp shall be burnt in (the temple) of the god. If the members of the assembly (as a whole body) fail to do (this), (they) shall pay a fine of six kāśu. (Thus) we, the members of the assembly and the supervisor of temple business, gave an agreement to Marudūruḍaiyāṉ Aruṇidi Kaliyaṉ. Even after paying this fine (we), the assembly and the Vaishṇavas who supervise the temple business, shall feed the five persons as long as the moon and the sun last without stopping this charity. He who protects this charity. . . .

Bibliography

Digital edition of SII 3.106 by Krishna Sastri 1920 converted to DHARMA conventions by Emmanuel Francis.

Primary

[SII] Krishna Sastri, H. 1920. South-Indian inscriptions. Volume III: Miscellaneous inscriptions from the Tamil country. Part III: Inscriptions of Aditya I, Parantaka I, Madiraikonda, Rajakesarivarman, Parantaka II, Uttama-Chola, Parthivendravarman and Aditya-Karikala and the Tiruvalangadu plates of Rajendra-Chola I. South Indian Inscriptions 3.3. Madras: Government Press. Pages 239–242, item 106, plate VIII.

Notes

  1. 1. Puttakkam may be a compound of pudu and akkam. The latter term occurs in Tanjore inscriptions as the equivalent of 1/12 kāśu. If the value of puttakkam and akkam did not change in the interval between the reigns of Parāntaka I. and Rājarāja I., the comparative value of īḻakkāśu with reference to the kāśu current in the Chōḷa country, could easily be obtained. The former would in this case be 5/8ths of the latter.

  2. 2. See below, page 392, note 2.

  3. 3. The phrase ikkuḷam itiṉkiḻ admits of the interpretation ikkuḷattiṉ kiḻ.

  4. 4. The phrase kurai kirāṇam must indicate “total eclipse” as appears from the remarks made in the ntroduction.