North Indian Inscriptions

TIRUKKALUKKUNRAM INSCRIPTIONS.

who calls himself ‘king of the people of Tañjai (Tanjore)’¹ and who was very probably identical with Gaṇḍarâdityavarman, mentioned in the large Leyden grant as the second son of Parântaka I. The eighth verse of this hymn refers to a Chôḷa who conquered the dominions of the Pâṇḍya king and Ceylon, and who was the lord of Uraiyûr. It further states that this king covered with gold the hall at Chidambaram. The Vikrama-Śôlan-Ulâ, extracts from which were lately published by Mr. V. Kanakasabhai Pillai, mentions a king ‘who constructed a roof of gold to the sacred hall in the temple at Chidambaram.’² The Tiruviśaippâ and the Vikrama-Śôlan-Ulâ evidently refer to the event that is mentioned in the large Leyden grants as having occurred during the time of Parântaka I. The Koṅgudêśarâjâkkaḷ, a chronicle the statements made in which are to be accepted with caution, notices a real historical event when it says that the Chôḷa king Vîranârâyaṇa built the Kanakasabhâ at Chidambaram.³ From the Udayêndiram plates it appears that Parântaka I. married the daughter of the Kêrala king.⁴ Leaving aside the numerous unpublished inscriptions of Parântaka I., the five published ones, which have been found at Conjeeveram in the Chingleput district, Tiruppûndurutti near Tanjore, and Udayêndiram in the North Arcot district, show that his dominions must have been very wide. The latest date we have for him, is the 36th year of his reign.⁵

TEXT.

1 Svasti śrî [||*] Madirai koṇḍa kô=Ppara[k]ê-
2 śaripanmarku yâṇḍu padin-m[û]nrâvadu
3 Kaḷattûr-kkôṭ[ṭa]ttu tan kûrru Tiru-
4 [ta]luk[ku]nrattu^{6 7}ârî-Mûlastâ[na]ttu=p-
5 pe[ru]mâ[ḷu]kku Âm[û]r-kkôṭṭattu=[Kka]raikkâ-
6 [ṭṭûr] N[eḍu]mâ[r=Ch]âttan Śennip[pêra]-
7 yanum ivan⁸ tâyâr [Kô]yina[ṅgai]-
8 yum=âga v[ai]yt[ta] [nu*]ndâ-viḷakku o[nru]⁹ [|*]
9 idu śa[ntr]-âdittavaṛ [|*] i-tha[r]mma[m*]¹⁰ rakshippâr [sa]-
10 bh[ai]yâr [||*]

TRANSLATION.

......Hail ! Prosperity ! In the thirteenth year (of the reign) of king Parakêsarivarman, the conqueror of Madirai,─ Neḍumâl Śâttan Śennippêrayn of Karaikkâṭṭur in Âmûrkôṭṭam¹¹ and his mother Kôyinaṅgai¹² together gave one perpetual lamp¹³ to the god of the holy Mûlasthâna (temple) at Tirukkalikkunram in Kaḷattûr-kôṭṭam (and) in the subdivision called after itself. This (shall last) as long as the moon the sun (endure). The members of the assembly (sabhâ) shall protect this gift.
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......¹ Tañjaiyar kôn . . . . . Kaṇḍaâdittan ; Tiruviśaippâ, Madras edition of 1879, p. 76, verse 10.
......² Ind. Ant. Vol. XXII. p. 142.
......³ Salem Manual, Vol. I. pp. 39 and 40.
......⁴ ibid. Vol. II. p. 372, verse 8.
......⁵ Dr. Hultzsch’s Annual Report for 1891-92, inscription No. 100 of 1892.
......⁶ Read Tirukkalukkunrattu.
......⁷ Read Mûlasthânattu.
......⁸ In this line the Tamil numeral ‘seven’ seems to be engraved over i of ivan ; ‘twenty-two’ below the aksharas van tâ of ivan tâyâr ; and ‘twenty’ over ṅgai of naṅgai.
......⁹ The modern Tamil numeral ‘three’ appears to be engraved over nru of onru.
......¹⁰ Read i-ddharmam.
......¹¹ See p. 149 above, note 7.
......¹² This name is made up of kôyil, ‘a temple’ ‘and naṅgai, ‘a lady.’
......¹³ Nundâ-viḷakku means ‘a lamp which does not require to be trimmed.’ See South-Indian-Inscriptions, Vol. II. p. 132, note 3.