Citamparam, Nāṭarāja temple, time of Rājakesarivarman Rājendra Cōḻa, year 24

Authors of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis (emfr), Renato Dávalos (reda).

Summary: Donation (nivantam) of gold (kācu) and paddy, trough a land donation, in order to meet expenses at the time of the procession of the Lord of Citamparam during festival times (tiruvāṉi, tiruvātirai, tirumāci). The recipients include Śrīmāheśvaras and 25 Brahmins who are to be fed, as well as reciters of Tiruttoṇṭattokai. Local communities of a nakaram (merchants, oil sellers, weavers, etc.) are demeed to maintain this donation.

Palaeographic description: Medial i and ī interchangeable.

Languages: Sanskrit (san), Tamil (tam).

Version: (7377a55), last modified (36884e2).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī tiru(ma)ṇṇi vaḷara Iru-nila-maṭantaiyum poṟ-caya-p-pāvaiyum c¡i!rttaṉi-¿l? celviyum taṉ peruntēviyar āki Iṉpuṟa neṭuntuyil ūḻiyu¡ḷḷ! iṭai-{t}tuṟai-nāṭu tuṭarvaṉa vēli-

⟨2⟩ -p paṭar vaṉavāciyum cuḷḷi-c cūḻ-matiḷ koḷḷi-p-pākkamum naṇṇaṟk’ arumuraṇ maṇṇai-k-kaṭakkamum poru-kaṭal ¿i?ḻatt’ aracar tam muṭiyum āṅkavaṉ ṟēviyar ōṅk’ eḻil muṭiyum maṉṉava-

⟨3⟩ ṉ pakkal teṉṉavaṉ vaitta cuntara-muṭiyum Intiraṉ Āramum teṇ-ṭirai Īḻa-maṇṭala muḻuvatum eṟi-paṭai-k kēraḷa(ṉ) muṟaimayiṟ cūṭuṅ kulataṉam ākiya palar pukaḻ muṭiyum ceṅ-

⟨4⟩ katir mālaiyuñ caṅkatir vēlai tol peruṅkāvaṟ paḻan t¿i?vum ceruviṟ ciṉavil irupatt’ oru kāl aracukaḷai kaṭṭa paracurāmaṉ mē{l}varuñ cā¿ttāki?ma¿ṟṟivaṉe? karuti y-iruttiya cem-poṟ ṟiru-t-ta-

⟨5⟩ ku muṭiyum payaṅ-koṭu paḻimika muyaṅki mutukiṭṭ’ oḷitta ceya-ciṅka{ḷa}ṉ a{ru}ḷa-p perum pukaḻoṭu piṭiyil iraṭṭai-pāṭi Ēḻ-arai Ilakkamum nava-n¿e?ti-k-kula-p peru-malaikaḷum vikkirama-v¡i!ra-cakkara-

⟨6⟩ -kōṭṭamum mutir paṭa vallai matura-maṇṭalamun ¿t?āmaṭai vaḷai{yamum} nāmaṇ¿a?-k kōṇ¿am?um veñciṉa v¡i!ra-p-pañca-p-paḷḷiyum pāc¿a?ṭai-p paḻaṉa mācuṇi-tēcamum Ayarvilvaṇ k¡i!r-

⟨7⟩ tti Ātiṉakaravaiyil cantiraṉ tol¿nalattiru? viḷai Amar-k-kaḷattu-k kiḷai-oṭum paṭittu-p palataṉa-t toṭu_niṟaik¿ala?-k kuvaiyuñ ciṭṭaruñ ceṟipuṉal oṭṭa viṣaiyamum pūcurar cerunaṟ ko-

⟨8⟩ cala-nāṭun taṉma-pālaṉai vemmuṉai Aḻittu vaṇṭamar cōlai taṇṭa puttiyum iraṇa cūraṇai muraṇ¿a?ṟa tākki-t tikkeṇ k¡i!rtti-t takkaṇa-lāṭamum varākavel koṭi Irācaparic ciṉṉamum Iṉaiyaṉa

⟨9⟩ palavu muṉaivai(yi)ṟ kavantu poṟ-kaḷa-vaṉattu-p pārttiv(ā)rāṉār muṉṉaruñ ceyt’ aṟiyātu piṉṉaruñ ceytum eṉṟ’ eṇṇi-t tariyātu kaikalant’ aṉaṉōr paṭaiyār-t taṉ tiru-mēṉiyil cempuṉal poḻiya-

⟨10⟩ vīramaṟkaḷattu vicaiyapiṣekañ ceytu v¡i!ra-siṃhāsaṉan tiriyaviṭṭ-aruḷi-k kaṅkā-puri pukunt-aruḷi-t taṉ ṟiru-k-kulatti yāvaruñ ceyt-aṟiyātatu vāḻiya Oḻukkan toṉṟi-t taṉ ṟiru-k kātalaṉ-ākiya veṉṟiṟ teriyaṟ kaṅ-

⟨11⟩ kai koṇta cōḻaṉaiyum āṅkavaṉ ṟirumakaṉ-ākiya v-iru-nilaṅ kāval āḷa vanta perumāḷaiyum Oṅkeḻil vaḷavaṉ mu-m-muṭi-cōḻaṉaiyum Īṅkavaṉ ṟampi veṉṟiṟal mikupaṭai v¡i!ra-cōḻaṉaiyum veḷ ma(tu) rāntakaṉai-

⟨12⟩ yun tarāpati tirumaka ṉirājentiracōḻaṉaiyum Iru-muṭi-cōḻaṉ rāja-rājaṉ curuti naṉ kuṇaruñ cōḻa-pāṇṭiyaṉaiyum varicilai-t tāṉai-k karikāla-cōḻaṉaiyum cōḻa-kaṅkaṉ ⟨t⟩ōṭu kaḻal uttama-cōḻan eṉṟ’ ivar tamakku veṉṟa

⟨13⟩ nāmaṅ kuṭuttu-t tiru-muṭi cūṭṭi-t teṉṉavar iruvar mutaliṉarkku-t taṉ kulam aḷittu-t tār-k-kaṭal ilaṅkaiyil poṟpuravi naṭātti (vi)ṟaṟ paṭai-k kali-kāmaṉ viracalā mēkaṉai-k kaṭar-k kaḷiṟṟ-ōṭum Aka-p-paṭa-p piṭittu-k katir-muṭi-t

⟨14⟩ talai taṭintu muṉaivayiṟ pakaittu vantiḻi caḷukki yaṅceytiṉa paripavam iṉṉanāḷi likalamar ceytu n¡i!ṅkuvat’ eṉṟu kaṭal kiḷarntaṉa’ (ki)ḷar-paṭai parappi Ārkali muṭakkāṟṟil caḷukki keṭṭuṭaitara Āṅkavaṉai Iru-muṭi mē-

⟨15⟩ ṉ koṇṭa kō-v-irācakēcari-panmar-āṉa Uṭaiyār śrī-rājentira-cōḻa-tēvaṟku yāṇṭu 2 10 4 vatu Uṭaiyār rājentira-cōḻa-tēvar Aṇukki nakkaṉ pāvai Uṭaiyār tiru-c-ciṟṟampalam-Uṭaiyār tiru-v-āṉi-t-tiru-nāḷil Uṭaiyār e-

⟨16⟩ ḻunt-aruḷum Aṟṟaikku vēṇṭum Aḻivukkum Uṭaiyārkku Amutu-paṭikkum Amutu ceyt-aruḷum poḻutu śrī-māheśvaraṟku-c caṭṭi-cōṟu Āyiraṅ kuṭukkavum tiru-viḻāvukku vēṇṭum Eṇṇ¡ai!kkum Uṭaiyār vaḻaṅki A-

⟨17⟩ ruḷum poṉṉukkum paricaṭṭam uḷḷiṭṭa Aḻivukaḷukkum kācu Iraṇṭukkum Ip-paricu Ik-kuṟitta nivantaṅ cantirāti-t-tavaṟ cella rājentira-ciṅka-vaḷanāṭṭu-t taṉiyūr perum-paṟṟa-p-puliyūr-k k¡i!ḻ-piṭākai-k kiṭāraṅ-koṇṭa-cō-

⟨18⟩ ḻa-p-periḷamai-nāṭṭu-p parākrama-cōḻa-nallūṟ-pāṟ kuṇamē¡n!akaipuram eṉṟ’ ēṟiṉa nakarattukku-p piramāṇa-p paṭi koṇṭa nilaṉ nāṟ-patt’ eḻ’ araiyum tillai-Aḻaka-nallūr nilattil vilai koṇṭ-uṭaiya tokka-pāṭi

⟨19⟩ nilaṉ Āṟ’ araiyum maturāntaka-p-periḷamai-nāṭṭu rājarāja-nallūr-p periya-pulaṉ nilaṉ Oṉṟē mu-k-kālē muṉṟu mā mu-k-kāṇiyum kuntavai-nallūr māḷikai-vāḻkkai-p pulaṉ Iraṇṭiṉāl nilaṉ Oṉpatē mā-kāṇiyum Arumo-

⟨20⟩ ḻi-tēva-nallūr ceṇpaka-k-kāvuñ cēnta-paṭṭaṉum nilaṉ oṉpat’ araiyē muṉṟu māvum Iṭai-p paḷḷam nilaṉ Eḻē Iraṇṭu mā Arai-k-kāṇi Itil pirāmaṇaṉ Uḻaiccāṇaṉ vātutēvaṉ mā-tēvaṉukku vilai vaṭakk’ aṭaiya-p pulaṉ Iraṇṭiṉāl nila-

⟨21⟩ ṉ muṉṟ’ arai n¡i!kki nilaṉum Ākka kuṇamē¡n!akai-purattōṭum Ēṟiṉa virivu nilaṉ Eḻuvatt’ eṭṭē kālē Arai-k-kāṇi Itil Ōṭaikaḷālum nāraikālāṟṟālum kollaikaḷālum nattaṅkaḷālum

⟨22⟩ n¡i!ṅku nilaṉ mu-p-pattu nālē kālē Arai-k-kāṇi n¡i!kki viḷai-nilaṉ nāṟ-pattu nāl vēli Itu pala kiṭappiṉālum rājentra-ciṅkaṉ marakkālukku-k kalattu vāy-t tūṇi Iḷaiya-maṟa(k)kkālāl varicai Iṭṭa paṭi nellu nāl āyirattu Aiñ-ñūṟṟu-k kalam Itil mēl-vārattāl uṭaiya

⟨23⟩ nellu Iraṇṭ’ āyiratt’ iru-nūṟṟ’ aim-patiṉ kalam Ivai kācu Oṉṟukku nellu Eṇ-kala¡n!ē tūṇi-p patakk-āka vanta kācu Iru-nūṟṟ’ aṟu-pattu nālē mu-k-kālum kuṇamē¡n!akai-purattu-k kāl aḷavu kōl kūḻi Uḷḷiṭṭa Aṅkāṭi-p-pā⟨ṭ⟩ṭattukku vaikka-k kaṭava kācu nāṟ-patiṉālum Ākka kācu muṉ-ṉūṟ-

⟨24⟩ (ṟ)ṟu nālē mu-k-kālum Ivai y-iṟṟukku-c celav-āka mārkaḻi-t-tiru-v-ātirai-t-tiru-nāḷaikku vēṇṭum vaḻakkattukku paricaṭṭam Uḷḷiṭṭa Aḻivukaḷukku vēṇṭum kācu nūṟṟ’ irupatum tiru-v-āṉi-t-tiru-nāḷil Amutu-paṭikkum (va)ḻak(ka)-p paricaṭṭattukkum tiru-viḷakku Eṇṇ¡ai! nā-nūṟ-

⟨25⟩ ṟu nāḻi Uḷḷiṭṭa Aḻivukku-k kācu nūṟṟ’ eṇpatum tiru-māci-t-tiru-nāḷil tiru-t-toṇṭa-t-t¡u!kai viṇṇappa-c ceyvāṟkku kācu Aiñcum Āka kācu munnūṟṟ’ añcum koṇṭu Ik-kuṟitta nimantam Inta-k kuṇa⟨mē⟩¡n!akai-purattu Eṟiṉa viyāpārikaḷum veḷḷāḷarum caṅka-

⟨26⟩ {ka}ra-p-pāṭiyārum cāliyarum paṭṭiṉavarum Uḷḷiṭṭa kuṭikaḷum taccar kollar taṭṭār koliyar Uḷḷiṭṭa kiḻ-kalaṉaikaḷuṅ koṇṭu In-nivantam cantirāttitavaṟ celutta-k kaṭavat’ ākavum Ivarē Ivv-ūr vaitta cālai ciṅkaḷāntakaṉil U-

⟨27⟩ ṇṇum pirāmaṇar Iru-patt-aivarkku nivantam-āka Ivv-ūr-p pāl koṇṭa nilaṉ p(ā)ḻāy caṅkoṭi-y-āṉa paravai-naṅkai-nallūr-p pir(ā)m⟨ā⟩ṇa-p paṭi vilai-koṇṭuṭaiya nilaṉ patiṉ aiñc’ arai Itil payir-(c) ceyya Oṇṇātu n¡i!ṅkum nilam Aiñ-

⟨28⟩ c’ arai n¡i!kki nilaṉ patiṟṟu vēli Itu mara-k-kāl mēṟpaṭikālāl nellu-p paṉṉiru-kalaṉē mu-k-kuṟuṇi-y-āka varicai Iṭṭa nellu Iraṇṭ’ āyirattu nā-ṉūṟṟ’ aim-patiṉ kalam Itil mēl-vārattāl nellu Āyiratt’ iru-nūṟṟ’ iru-patt’ aiṅ-kalam Ivai y-iṟṟu-

⟨29⟩ kku-c celav-āka cālaiyil Uṇṇum pirāmaṇar Iru-patt-aivaṟku nāḷ Oṉṟukku Arici tūṇi-p patakk’ iru-nāḻi-y-āka Aiñcu Iraṇṭu vaṇṇattāl nellu-k kalaṉē mu-k-kuṟuṇi Aiñ-ñāḻiyum kaṟi [**********] nellu-t tūṇiyum miḷaku Āḻākkukku nellu Aiñ-ñāḻi Uriyu-

⟨30⟩ m puḷi ¿Ai?mpalattukku nellu nā-ṉāḻiyum Uppu Iru-nāḻikku nellu Aiñ-ñāḻiyum mañcaḷ kaiyacukku nellu Uriyum ney Uri Āḻākkukku nellu Aiṅ-kuṟuṇiyum tayir kuṟuṇi ṉā-ṉāḻi Urikku nellu mu-k-kuṟuṇi Oru nāḻi [*****] veṟṟilai-p-paṟṟu Iraṇṭ’ araikkum pākku nūṟṟukku ne-

⟨31⟩ llu-k kuṟuṇi Aiñ-ñāḻiyum viṟaku-kaṭṭu Oṉṟukku nellu mu-k-kuṟuṇi nā-ṉāḻiyum caṉi Oṉṟukku Eṇṇai Uri Āḻākkukku nellu Aiṅ-kuṟuṇiyum cālai-maṭaiyaṉ Oruvaṉukku nellu Aṟu-nāḻiyum mēṟ-paṭiyāṉukku-p puṭavai [***] nellu Eṇ-kalamum kucavaṉ Oruvaṉukku nellu nā-ṉāḻiyum vāḻvā-

⟨32⟩ cci taṇṇīr kalam ko[ṇ]ṭu-varuvāṉukku nellu nā-ṉaḻiyum paṇi ceyya peṇṭukaḷ Ai{pa}vaṟku nellu kuṟuṇiyum mēṟpaṭiyārukku puṭavaikku nellu patiṉ kalamum Aṟatēyaṉ Oruvaṉukku puṭavai mutalukku nellu-p patiṉ kalamum [******]vaṉ Oruvaṉukku nellu kuṟuṇi nā-ṉāḻiyum Āka nāḷ [Oṉṟukku ne]-

⟨33⟩ llu mu-k-kalanē mu-k-kuṟuṇi-y-āka Ōr āṭṭaikku nellu Āyiratt’ iru-nūṟṟ’ iru-patt’ aiṅ-kalanē Eḻu-kuṟuṇi nā-ṉāḻi Uḷpaṭa kuṟitta nivantaṅkaḷ yāṇṭu Iru-pattu nāl-āvatu mutal cantirātittavaṟ nivantam cella-k kalveṭṭiyatu ௳

Apparatus

⟨18⟩ kuṇamē¡n!⟨ṉ⟩akaipuram ⬦ kuṇamenkaipuram SII • SII reads kuṇamenakaipuram in the other occurrences; the present readin kuṇamenkaipuram appears thus to be a typo.

Translation by Renato Dávalos and Emmanuel Francis

⟨1⟩ Prosperity! Fortune!

⟨15⟩ 24th year of the glorious king Rājendra Cōḻa1, the Lord, aliasthe king Rājakesarivarman,

⟨1–14⟩ who ... [meykkīrtti of Rājendra I Cōḻa mixed the meykkīrtti of Rājendra II Cōḻa]

⟨15–22⟩ For the expenses (aḻivukkum) for the day (aṟṟaikku) when the Lord (uṭaiyār), [who is] the Lord (uṭaiyār) of Nakkaṉ2 Pāvai—anintimate of the king Rājendra Cōḻa—, the Lord (uṭaiyār) of Tirucciṟṟampalam, graciously goes in procession (eḻuntaruḷum)during the sacred festival of Tiruvāṇi, that is,

  • for the oil (eṇṇai3) which is necessary for the sacred festival, so as to give (kuṭukkavum) a thousand pots of cooked rice (caṭṭi-c-cōṟu) to the śrīmāheśvaras, at the time when the Lord is consuming the sacred offerings,
  • for the gold that the Lord graciously distribute (vaḻaṅki aruḷum),
  • for the expenses including garments (paricaṭṭam),

so that a nibandha, so described (ik-kuṟitta), goes (cella6), as long as the moon and the sun, for two kācus in that manner, the land got, according to the document (piramāṇam) [meant for] for the nakaram settled (ēṟiṉa) under the name (eṉṟu) Kuṇamēnakaipuram4, a section (pāl) of Parākramacōḻanallūr in the Kiṭāraṅkoṇṭacōḻaperiḷamaināṭu5, an eastern hamlet (piṭākai) of Perumpaṟṟappuliyūr, an independent town (taṉiyūr) in the Rājentiraciṅkaḷanāṭu [is as follows:]

  • the Tokkapāṭi land (nilaṉ) bought in the land at Tillai-Alākanallūr: fourty seven and a half [vēli],
  • ...
  • ...

fourty four vēlis ... four thousand five hundred pots of paddy.

⟨22–24⟩ Among this, the paddy of the lower share (mēlvāram), [that is], two thousand two hundred fifty pots, these, so that ther be, for one kācu, eight pots, one tūṇi and one patakku, ... whereas there are expenses (celavu āka, line 24) ...

⟨24–25⟩ So that there be (āka, line 25)

  • one hundred twenty kācus necessary for the expenses including garments (paricaṭṭam) for the customary usage (vaḻakkam), necessary for the tiruvātirai festival [in the month of] Mārkaḻi,
  • one hundred eighty kācus for the food-offerings, the customary garments, and the expenses including four hundred nāḻis of oil for a glorious lamp, during the tiruvāṉi festival,
  • five kācus for those who recite the Tiruttoṇṭattokai during the tirumāci festival,

[thus] taking/with (koṇṭu) three hundred and five kācus [according to] the so described nibandha.

⟨25–26⟩ The residents (kuṭi), including the merchants who reside in this Kuṇamēṉakaipuram, the Veḷḷāḷars, the oil-sellers, ... and the lower … (kīḻkalaṉai) including the ... let them be assigned to run (celutta) this nibandha as long as the moon and the sun.

⟨26–29⟩ Whereas/So that there be a nibandha for twenty-five Brahmins who take food in the Ciṅkaḷāntakaṉ feeding hall (cālai)…, according to the document [concerning] Paravainaṅkainallūr alias Caṅkoṭi, ... (pāḻāy), the land got on a part (pāl) of this village, [that is,] the land bought [is as follows:] fifteen and a half vēlis; among this, having removed five and a half land removed as unfit (oṇṇātu) for yielding crops, [thus] ten vēlis; these, so that there be twelve pots and three kuṟuṇis of paddy ... two thousand four hundred fifty pots; among this, the paddy of the lower share (mēlvāram) [is] one thousand two hundred twenty five pots ... whereas there are expenses (celavu āka, line 26) ... so that there be one tūṇi one patakku and two nāḻis per day for twenty-five Brahmins who take food in the feeding hall (cālai) ...

⟨29⟩ So that there be (āka, line 32)

  • [for] prepared food (kaṟi) […], one tūṇi of paddy,
  • for one āḻākku of black pepper (miḷaku), five nāḻis and one uri of paddy,
  • ...
  • ...
  • for one woman who brings waterpots, four nāḻis of paddy,
  • ...

the nibandhas [so] described—including, so that there be per day three pots and three kuṟuṇis of paddy, one thousand two hundred fifty five pots seven kuṟuṇis and four nāḻis per year—have been engraved, so that, from the twenty-fourth year [onwards], a nibandha goes (cella) as long as the moon and the sun.

Commentary

The meykkīrtti is a mixing of that of Rājendra I Cōḻa and Rājendra II Cōḻa, as found in Cuppiramaṇiyam 1983 (pp. 26-28, 60-63), more precisely, we find first the aṭis 1-39 of the meykkīrtti of Rājendra I Cōḻa and then most, but not all, of the aṭis 37-82 of the 5th meykkīrtti of Rājendra II Cōḻa. This was already noted by Krishna Sastri 1923 (p. 29, fn. 5, at the word takkaṇa-lāṭamum, line 7): “From here the wording is quite different from that of the other published inscriptions.”

Bibliography

Reported in Hultzsch 1888 (ARIE/1887-1888/I/1887-1888/118).

Edited in Krishna Sastri 1923 (SII 4.223).

Translated in Orr 2000 (pp. 121-122).

This digital edition by Renato Dávalos and Emmanuel Francis (2024), based on Krishna Sastri 1923. This translation by Renato Dávalos and Emmanuel Francis (2024).

Primary

[SII] Krishna Sastri, H. 1923. South-Indian inscriptions (texts). Volume IV: Miscellaneous inscriptions from the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada countries and Ceylon. South Indian Inscriptions 4. Madras: Government Press. Pages 29–31, item 223.

Secondary

Hultzsch, Eugen Julius Theodor. 1888. G.O. No. 424, 20th April 1888. Archaeology. Recording letter from the Director-General forwarding Dr. Hultzsch's progress report from 21st September 1887 to 31st January 1888. Madras: Government of Madras, Public Department. Page 4, appendixes I/1887-1888, item 118.

Cuppiramaṇiyam, Pu. 1983. Meykkīrttikaḷ. Ceṉṉai: ulakat tamilārāycci niruvaṉam.

Orr, Leslie C. 2000. Donors, devotees, and daughters of god, temple women in medieval Tamilnadu. New York: Oxford University Press. Pages 121–122.

Notes

  1. 1. Rājendra II Cōḻa? See mixed meykkīrtti.

  2. 2. The name, which literally means "the dancer girl", already indicates the service she had at the temple.

  3. 3. Variant of eṇṇey.

  4. 4. That is, "is in force".

  5. 5. “The uḻukuḍi or the tenant-cultivators were otherwise called pēriḷamai”, according to Subbarayalu, South India, p. 153. It would mean that this refers to a Brāhmaṇa settlement which was in fact a hamlet of an independent village (taṉiyūr) inhabited by these uḻukuṭi.