Vaḻuvūr, Vīraṭṭāṉēśvara temple, time of Tribhuvanacakravartin Rājādhirāja, year 5

Version: (f13bb6a), last modified (9f9a404).

Edition

⟨1⟩ tribhuva¡n!a-{ś}cakravarttikaḷ śrī-rāja-

⟨2⟩ dhirāja-devaṟku yāṇṭu 5-Āvatu kaṟkaṭaka-nāyaṟṟu pūrva pakṣattu tradaśiyuñ canikki[ḻamaiyum peṟṟa kēṭṭai] […] nāḷ I¡nn!am Im-mūlaṅkuṭaiyā¡n! nañcamutu ceytāṉ tiruvātavūr āḷi ṉāyaṉārkku mārkaḻi-t ti-

⟨3⟩ (ru)vātirai(yi)¡n! aṉṟu tiruv¿a?mpāvai kēṭpitt-aruḷa Eḻuntaruḷukaikkkum paṅkuni-t tiru(nāḷ)iṟ pattak(aḷ) tiruna […] (ru)-p paḷḷittāmam tiruviḷakk-eṇṇai y-amutu paṭi y-uḷḷiṭṭu vēṇṭuva¡n! avaiyiṟṟukku vēṇṭu¡n!a

⟨4⟩ kācu pati¡n! oṉṟē kālukku-p policaikku Iṟ(ṟai nāḷāṟ) śrī-paṇṭarāttu Oṭukki¡n!a kācu 30 Ik-kācu […] [kutti]ṅkaḷ Araikkāl ci¡nn!am policai y-āka vanta kācu pati¡n! oṉṟē kāl Ik-kācu-p (paṭi)-

⟨5⟩ (ṉ oṉṟē) [****] (m) A¡!ṟāṭu tēva(ka)¡n!(mikaḷ) [**] ñ [*] śrī-māh(e)śvara-k ka()kāṇi ce(yv)ārkaḷ […] ṭu Itirunāḷ(āl) * Eḻuntaruḷuvikka-k kaṭavōm ā¡n!amaikku kālveṭṭu

Apparatus

⟨1⟩ EI considers this as the final punctuation of the inscription Tamil Nadu 163, which ends in the same epigraphical line, right before the present inscription. But as the former inscription itself starts with the same punctuation, it makes sense to consider that this is the initial punctuation of the present inscription.

Translation

⟨1–2⟩ 5th year of the glorious king Rājādhirāja, emperor of the three worlds.

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Commentary

This inscription and INSTamilNadu00163 are closely related and most likely belong to the same administrative dossier of the temple. The extant portion of the meykkīrtti in INSTamilNadu00163 appears to pertain to Rājadhirāja II (r.1166–1178), which is then confirmed in this record with the name of the king, even though no meykkīrtti is attached. Moreover, the paleographical dating by ARIE also coincides with this period, placing it in the 12th century. Therefore, the record is taken as belonging to the reign of Rājadhirāja II.

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1912-13 (ARIE/1912-1913/B/1912/421) and in Swaminathan 2019 (SII 38.421).

Edited in Swaminathan 1998, with facsimile (EI 40.64B).

This edition by Renato Davalos and Emmanuel Francis (2024), based on Swaminathan 1998 and photos (E. Francis, 2024).

Primary

[EI] Swaminathan, S. 1998. “Two Chōḷa inscriptions from Vaḻuvūr.” EI 40, part VII, October 1974, pp. 293–298. Pages 293–298, item 64.B.

[SII] Swaminathan, S. 2019. South Indian inscriptions. Volume XXXVIII: Inscriptions collected during the year 1912. South Indian Inscriptions 38. New Delhi: Archaeological survey of India (Director General). Page 479, item 421.

Secondary

ARIE 1912-13. G.O. No. 961, 2nd August 1913. Epigraphy. Recording the progress report of the Assistant Archaeological Superintendent for [Epigraphy], Southern Circle, for the year 1912-1913. Edited by H. Krishna Sastri. No place, 1913. Page 49, appendix B/1912, item 421.