Tirukkaṭavūr copper plate, Śaka year 1578

Editor: Emmanuel Francis.

Identifier: DHARMA_INSTamilNadu00200.

Summary: Gift of lands after sale for a flower garden for the god(s) of the temple of Tirukkaṭavūr by the local artisan community (aiñ-cāti-pañcalattār).

Languages: Sanskrit, Tamil.

Repository: Tamil Nadu (varia) (tfa-tamilnadu-epigraphy).

Version: (12f3008), last modified (8f834d7).

Edition

Verso of the plate

⟨Page 1v⟩ ⟨1⟩ svasti śrī

samasta-loka-tribhuvana-bhavana-… ⟨2⟩ … śāstra-purāṇa-Itihāsa-… ⟨3⟩⟨4⟩⟨5⟩⟨6⟩⟨7⟩ … ceṉmapattiṟikā

svasti śrī

[li]⟨8⟩vākaṉa-ca¿t?⟨k⟩ā¡ṟṟ!⟨tt⟩am 1000 5 100 7 10 8-(U)k-ku m¿a?⟨ē⟩l cellā ni[ṉṟa] ⟨9⟩¡ṟt!⟨rtt⟩i¿y?⟨v⟩a Āṭi 5

Atikamāṉ tañcāv¡u!⟨ū⟩r ¡A!⟨Ai⟩ñ-cāti-pāñc[āḷa]⟨10⟩t=tĀR Eḻupat=tu ṉālu Ākaraṇat=tārum … ti[ru-k-ka]⟨11⟩ṭavūr Amuṟta-kaṭa-y-īcupara ApiRĀmi Ammaṉ kāla-caṅkĀRA-m¡u!⟨ū⟩[t=ti][1+]⟨12⟩ṉ atilum taṟmam vēṇum v-eṉṟu Apiḻe-k=-kaṭṭaḷai-tampiRĀṉ Avar [2+] ⟨13⟩ caṉṉati-tāṉat=tilum Uḷḷūr piḷḷai mukatāvilum nilam

  • koḷamu [2+] ⟨14⟩ kek=ku vītiyil kiḻakk’ oṭik=ki vaṭa-piṟat=til kiḻak=ku mēṟk=ku Aṭi 100 [t]e[k=ku] ⟨15⟩ vaṭak=ku Aṭi 100 2 10-k=ku vilai-kiṟakam <kācu> 3 10 6
  • ¡ṉ!⟨n⟩antavāṉam kuḷam Uḷ (maṭa) ⟨16⟩ kiḻak=ku mēṟk=ku Aṭi 2 100 8 10 tek=ku vaṭak=ku Aṭi 100 7 10 -k=ku vilai-k=-kiṟakam <kācu> ⟨17⟩ 2 10 8

y-in=ta paṭi tiru-k=-kaṭav¿a?⟨ū⟩ril y-iruk=kum ¡Añc!⟨Aint⟩u-cāti-pañcāḷat=t(ĀR) ⟨18⟩ nilam vāṅki maṭam maṇṭakam Ak=ka-cālai-piḷḷaiyĀR kōvil kaṭṭi ⟨19⟩ ¡ṉ!⟨n⟩anta-vāṉamum niṟa-vēṟ¡u!⟨i⟩ṉatu y-ituk=ku

¿A?⟨E⟩ṇpat=taṟu tēcat=til Uḷḷa ¡(A)!⟨Ai⟩⟨20⟩¡ñc!⟨nt⟩u-cāti-pañcāḷat=tārum Eḻupat=tu ṉālum Ākaraṇat=tāruk=kuṅ k(iṟ/īa)ṟt=ti [1+]>⟨21⟩pavaṉum Uṇṭ-āka vēṇu¡mm!⟨m⟩ e¿ṇ?⟨ṉ⟩ṟu kaṭṭaḷai-y-iṭṭa taṟmam parip[ā]⟨21⟩laṉam paṇṇa nāni Āṭiyapāta-paṇṭĀRAttai vaiyit=tu Avar kai[yi]⟨23⟩lē tāmpūra-cātiṉ paṭṭaiyamum kuṭut=tu makā-maṭat=tilē mācam paṉi [.]e⟨24⟩ṇṭu pēruk=kum yecupara-pūcaiyum ¿ṉ?⟨n⟩antavāṉa-paṇiviṭaiyu=M paṇṇ[i]⟨25⟩k koṇṭu yiruk=k¡u!⟨i⟩ṟatu y-ituk=ku

kaliyāṇaṭ=tuk=ku puka cavuṉap pāruvai⟨26⟩k=ki puṉā kuṭik=ki varuṣaṭ=tuk=ku puka kaṉṉār kaṭai paṭik=ki puṉāmum kuṭut=tu can=ti⟨27⟩RĀṉ curiyāṉ Uḷḷa varaikkum kuṭut=tu naṭappik=ka vēṇṭiyatu

y-in=ta ta⟨28⟩ṟumat=tuk=ku vekumāṉam paṇṇi naṭappicca yōkaḷḷuk=ku taṉ māt⟨29⟩ā-pitā-ku(ru)vaiyu=m leṣit=ta-puṇṇiyat=tilum citamparat=til capaiyi⟨30⟩l civan=ta pātamum civakāmi Ammaṉaiyu=M terucaṉam paṇṇiṉa pala⟨31⟩ṉ peṟuvĀRkaḷ Amuṟta-kaṭa-y-īcupara ApiRĀmi Ammaṉ kāla-caṅk⟨32⟩āra-mū⟨r⟩t=tiyu=M terucaṉam paṇṇiṉa palaṉ peṟuvāṟkaḷ māṟk=kaṇṭa⟨33⟩ṉ peṟu pe¡t=t!⟨ṟṟ⟩a palaṉ peṟuvāṟkaḷ

y-inta taṟuma{pa}t=tuk=ku yātām Oru⟨34⟩va¿ra?⟨r⟩ Akitam paṇṇiṉa pērkaḷ keṅkai-k=-karaiyilē kāR-Ām-pacu-⟨35⟩vai koṇṇa tōṣat=til pōvāṟkaḷ mātā-pitā-ku[ru]vaiyum⟨36⟩koṇṇa tōṣat=til pōvāṟkaḷ ākavum

vilai … ⟨37⟩

Uḷḷūril Arucāla-Uk=ki [2+] ⟨38⟩ /> y-ic-cāla-piḷḷaiyāruk=ku <paṇam>

Label on recto of the plate

⟨Page 1r⟩ ⟨1⟩ matu kē¿k?⟨kk⟩a⟨2⟩vum

Translation by Emmanuel Francis

Verso of the plate

(1) Prosperity! Fortune!

(2–7)

(7) Prosperity! Fortune!

(7–9) Date 5, Āṭi month, Pārthiva (pāṟtiya1) year, which was current upon Śālivāhana-Śaka year 1578.

(9–17) The artisans of the five castes of Tāñcavūr of the Atikamāṇs (?) and the seventy-four ākaraṇattār having said that there should be a pious donation for Amirtakaṭēśvara Abhirāmi Ammaṉ Kālasaṃhāramūrti in Tirukaṭavūr, in the holy presence of Kaṭṭaḷai Tampirāṉ and in the presence of Uḷḷūr Piḷḷai, the land [that has been bought and given is as follows]:

  • for [one plot of] 100 feet, to the west to the east2 [by] 120 feet, to the north to the south, the sale-price [is] 36 gold coins;
  • for [one plot of] 280 feet, to the west to the east [by] 170 feet, to the north to the south, the sale-price [is] 28 gold coins.

(17–19) The artisans of the five castes who reside in Tirukkaṭavūr having bought as such [this] land, having built the temple of Akkacālai Piḷḷaiyār [with] a monastery (maṭam) and a hall (maṇṭakam), a flower-garden has been fully completed for this [purpose].

(19–25) The artisans of the five castes of Tāñcavūr of the eighty-six regions having said that there should be for the seventy-four ākaraṇattār, having kept3 Nāni Āṭiyapātapaṇṭāram, so as to protect the pious act so ordered, having given in his hand the title-deed of the copper type, for the persons in the great monastery, there is the proceeding of the worship of Īśvara and of services for the flower garden for this [purpose].

(25–27) having given , this should proceed, after donation, as long as the moon and the sun.

(27–33) [Those], showing respect to this pious act, among the merit they will obtain the fruit obtained by doing darśana of the red feet and of Śivakāmī Ammaṉ in Cidambaram, they will obtain the fruit obtained by doing darśana of Amirtakaṭēśvara Abhirāmi Ammaṉ Kālasaṃhāramūrti, they will obtain the fruit obtained by Mārkaṇḍeya4.

(33–36) Persons, whoever, who do harm to this pious act (taṟumam), let them be those who undergo the sin of killing a tawny cow on the bank of the Ganges and those who undergo the sin of killing their mother, father and spiritual master.

(36–37) The price

(37–38) For in Uḷḷūr , for Piḷḷaiyar of this cālai [one] fanam5.

Label on recto of the plate

(1–2) Let us claim the nectar!

Bibliography

Edited and translated here by Emmanuel Francis (2024), based on autopsy and photos (Emmanuel Francis, 2022).

Notes

  1. 1. That is, pārttiva, Sanskrit pārthiva, the 19th year of Jovian 60-year cycle.
  2. 2. That is, it seems, 100 feet from the western to the eastern boundary of the plot.
  3. 3. That is, designated/selected.
  4. 4. Mārkaṇḍeya has been saved from time/death by Śiva as Kālasaṃhāramūrti.
  5. 5. That is, paṇam, a gold coin currency, expressed here by a symbol.