North Indian Inscriptions

TIRUKKALUKKUNRAM INSCRIPTIONS.

of Râjârâjadêva and in all subsequent Tamiḷ inscriptions. Assuming that the cessation of the employment of the puḷḷi was gradual, the comparative frequency of its occurrence may be used as an argument to establish the priority of the present inscription to the time of Parântaka I. Again, in the subjoined inscription, the upper horizontal strokes peculiar to certain Tamil letters are represented by slight curves opening upwards, which remind of similar curves in the corresponding letters of the Sanskṛit inscriptions of the Pallava kings Râjasiṁha and Mahêndravarman at Conjeeveram. On palæographical grounds we must, therefore, conclude that this is one of the oldest Tamil inscriptions yet discovered, though we cannot ascertain even its approximate date. The contents of the inscription do not furnish any materials for this purpose. Râjakêsarivarman renewed, at the request of a certain Puttan (i.e. Buddha), a grant which had been made by Skandaśishya and confirmed by Narasiṁhavarman, both of whom are spoken of as “former kings” (pûrva-râjâkkaḷ). It is not said what the nature of the grant was that had originally been made by Skandaśishya, nor do we learn the circumstances that led to the petition (viṇṇappam) of Puttaṇ for a renewal of the grant. But so much is certain that, at the time of Râjakêsarivarman, a portion of the Pallava dominions had passed into the hands of the Chôḷas.

......In this and in the following three inscriptions, Tirukkaḷikkinram is said to have been situated in Kaḷattûr-kôṭṭam and “in the subdivision (kûru) called after itself,”¹ In the Appendix to his Manual of the Chingleput District, Mr. Crole gives a list of kôṭṭams with the subdivisions contained in some of them. Among the former he mentions “Kallattur-kottam” in the Chigleput tâlukâ, which is evidently identical with the Kaḷattûr-koṭṭam of the Tirukkaḷukkunram inscriptions.

TEXT.

1 Svasti² śrî [||*] Kôv=Irâjakêsariparmma[r*]kku yâṇḍu i -
2 rubatt-êlâvadu [|*] Ka[ḷa]ttûr-kkôṭṭattu=ttaṇ kûrru=
3 [T]tirukkalukkunrattu³ śrî-Mûlasthânattu perumâṇ a-
4 ḍi[gaḷu]kku ir[ai]y-iliy=âga Skandaśishyan⁴ kuḍuttamaiyi-
5 [l a]ppa[ḍi]yê Pâdâvi⁵ koṇḍa Naraśiṁgappôt-
6 taraiyarum appariśê rakshittamaiyil Aṇḍuraiya-
7 n Guṇavan magan Puttan viṇṇappattinâl pûrvva-
8 râjâkkaḷ⁶ [vai]tta paḍiyê⁷ vaittên(n)=Irâjakê[sa]ripa-⁸
9 rmman-ên [|*] i-ddharmmam rakshittân aḍi en muḍi mêlina ||

TRANSLATION.

......(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the twenty-seventh year (of the rign) of king Râjakêsarivarman.

......(L. 2.) “Whereas Skandaśishya had given (certain land) free from taxes to the feet of the god of the holy Mûlasthâna (temple) at Tirukkalukkunram in Kaḷattûr-kôṭṭam (and) in
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......¹ The actual name of this subdivision was probably Tirukkalukkunṛa-kûru.
......² The aksharas from sva of svasti to ja of râja are engraved over an erasure.
......³ Above the tu of kunrattu is engraved some letter which looks like the modern Tamil śa, and over the word Mûlasthâna, the modern Tamil numeral ‘twenty-one.’
......⁴ The engraver had originally written śya instead of śi and then partially erased the y.
......⁵ The reading Vâdâvi or Vâtâpi is also possible ; Pâdâvi, Vâdâvi and Vâtâpi are ancient names of Bâdâmi in the Bombay Presidency.
......⁶ The aksharas from jâ to ḷ appear to be engraved over an erasure.
......⁷ Over the pa of paḍi, the modern Tamil numeral ‘five’ seems to be engraved.
......⁸ The engraver had originally written ja instead of sa and then corrected only the bottom, leaving the top as it stood.