South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

(lines 2-3) Be it well ! Hail, Prosperity !

In the Śaka year 1467, corresponding to the (cyclic) year, Viśvāvasu, in the month of Phālguna, on Monday which was a day of the seventh tithi of the bright fortnight, with Rōhiṇi-nak-shatra, when Mahārājādhirāja-Rājaparamēśvara-Śrī-Vīrapratāpa-Śrīmat-Sadāśivadēva-Mahārāyar was ruling the earth, Avuku Tiruvēṅgaḍayaṅgār alias Śrīśailapūrṇa-Tātāchārya respectfully conveyed the following deed of endowment (śilāśāsanam) to the treasury of (the temple of) Śrī-Raṅganātha at Tiruvaraṅgam-Tiruppadi (situated in) Vilāvarāvīdi-vaḷanāḍu in Pāṇḍikulāśani-vaḷanāḍu on the southern bank (of the Kāvērī) (to wit)

(lines 4-7) (whereas) the village, Chintāmaṇi (lying) to the west of Kīlpalāru-Dēvadānam in Uraiyūr-kūrram in Tañjāūr-uśāvaḍi in Irājagambhīra-vaḷanāḍu on the southern bank (of the Kāvērī) to the north of the mud-fort of Tiruchchirāppaḷḷi, to the east of Kṛishṇarāya-Alavandapuram, on the Uraiyūr road and to the south of the Kāvērī, had been, in former days, made into a hamlet of Tiruvaraṅgam-Tiruppadi (and),

(whereas) later, Nalantigal-Nārāyaṇa-Jīyar seeing the river encroaching (on the land up to) Tiruvaraṅgam-Tiruppadi, fixed a yantra on the bank at (a spot called) Ānaikāttān-karai facing west, consecrated (the deity) Śāstā there, cut out a stream (called) Kiliyāru (thereby) drying up the southern (branch of the) Kāvērī and in order to permanently dry it up planted nāṇal (grass) on the northern bank (of the southern Kāvērī) while not doing so on the southern bank of the Kiliyāru, (thereby) causing (some) land in Chintāmaṇi (to be) inundated (by the flow of the water), and issued a decree (granting) the village of Koḷakuṭṭai to the Mahājanas of Chintāmaṇi as exchange (and)

(whereas) the Chōḷa (king) invited the Jīyar and questioned whether a sanyāsin (like him), who should have compassion on all living beings, could thus do harm to the Brāhmaṇas, and (who) on the (Jīyar replying) that he had done the deed, since the same God who had (the authority) to give such an order causing suffering to Brāhmaṇas had Himself stated in the Bhagavad-Gītā (thus), “Anything done for the sake of good (or in devotion to my cause) though sinful, is ordained as proper (in the interest) of dharma” was pleased (with the answer) and said that, if this was the motive, the deed though sinful was as valuable as fine gold and granted the village (Chintāmaṇi) to God Raṅganātha, (and)

(lines 8-9) (whereas) a long time after (this grant) the village came under the paṇḍāravāḍai (tenure) for a short while and then was left uncultivated, (whereas) our loving disciples, Hail ! Prosperity ! Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara Sōmakulatilaka-Rāmarāja and Sadāśiva-Mahārāyar were pleased to grant to me on ēkabhōgya (tenure) this village (of the extent of) nañjai (land) 7¼ (vēli) and 2 mā, puñjai (land) 7¾ (vēli), (i.e. in all) 14 (vēli) and 2 mā (yielding an income of) 146 pon, inclusive of settlement, fields, mounds, buildings, building-sites, river-(inundated) areas, canal-(occupied) areas, veḷḷāṅguḍi-iruppu and all rights over the incomes of the village, as well as over treasure-trove, waters, etc.,

(lines 10-13) I, (Tiṛuvēṅgaḍayaṅgār alias Śrīśailapūrṇa-Tātāchārya) do hereby grant this renovated village in the same way as endowed formerly by Nalantigal Nārāyaṇa-Jīyar, to the God (Perumāḷ) as interest-bearing endowment for the daily offering of four dishes (of food) out of the produce of the village for the merit of both the Rāya and the Rāja ; (and do hereby stipulate that) of the four dishes of food, one-fourth share is to be given to Avuku Tiruvēṅgaḍayyaṅgār and his descendants as long as the sun and moon endure, the rest of the offered food being distributed among the Śrīvaishṇavas ;

in attestation (of the above deed), this is the signature of the temple accountant Śrīraṅganārāyaṇapriyan.

(Imprecatory verse)

(line 14) May Avukku Tātayyaṅgār and his descendants enjoy this !