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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA brahmadēya in Tenkarai-nāḍu. For this lamp, pure gold (coins),12 (twelve) kalañju in weight as weighed by the Parakēsarikkal, and having the proper impress and weight, was given to the members of the assembly of the said Vīrasaṅgāda-chaturvēdimaṅgalam. That, with (the income arising from)this twelve kalañju of gold the members of the assembly of this Vīrasaṅgāda-chaturvēdimaṅgalam may maintain this one sacred perpetual lamp, as long as the moon and the sun endure, I Aṇukkan Śēndan alias Eriyum Viṭaṅka-Cheṭṭi provided for this sacred perpetual lamp. In this wise, the assembly having received the gold had it engraved on stone. The (assembly) of all Māhēśvara shall protect this gift. VI.─Piramiyam Inscription of the 41st year of Kalimūrkka-Vikrama-Chōḷa The subjoined inscription[1] is engraved on the north wall of the central shrine of the Tiruvalañjulināthasvāmin temple of Piramiyam. It contains eight long lines of writing in the Vaṭṭeluttu alphabet. The language is Tamil. A few letters at the right end of each line are damaged but can be made out satisfactorily. The inscription is dated in the 41st year, expressed both in figures and letters, of the region of king Kalimūrkka śrī-Vikrama-Chōḷadēva and contains a short introduction in the Tamil agaval metre, the object of which is to say that Vikrama-Chōḷa was one of the best of kings, possessed all kingly virtues, governed the country with justice and effected agricultural improvements. The praśasti writer describes in the words of the Kuraḷ that the king wielded his scepter righteously, held up his silver-white parasol, made the lands of the country fertile, gave relief to the suffering inhabitants, received only his one-sixth share (of the produce of land), removed sins (or punished the wicked) and, seated on the royal throne (or sitting in council), afforded protection to his subjects from external evils and was as tenderly attached to them as the mother to the child she had given birth.
The Kuraḷ verses are cited below to enable the reader to compare the wording of the praśasti with that of the Kuraḷ which it follows :─ Koḍai-aḷi śenkōḷ kuḍiy-ōmbal nāngum Uḍaiyānām Vēndark=koḷi (ch. 39, v. 10) ; Kuḍi-puraṅkāttu=ōmbi=kkurraṅ-kaḍidal vaḍuv-anru vēndan=rolil (ch. 55, v. 9) ; Aran-ilukkād=allavai nīkki maran-ilukkā mānam-uḍaiyad=araśu (ch. 39, v. 4). It will be noted that the phrase allavai kaḍindu of the inscription occurs in the form allavai nīkki in Kuraḷ 39, v. 4, and kurraṅ-kaḍidal in 55, v. 9. Allavai cannot mean remainder as noted on p. 108 of ARSIE for 1920. The juxtaposition of the phrase āril-onru koṇḍu (receiving onesixth of the produce as tax) and allavai[2] kaḍindu (punishing the wicked or removing sins), showshow the latter followed the former as cause and effect and reminds one of the Smṛiti text
____________________________________________________________ [1] ARSIE, 1920, No 183.
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