South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

truthful Gaṅga, the lintel of victory, the Gâṅgêya among the Gaṅgas, the Nârâyaṇa among the Gaṅgas,─ he, when governing,─

(L. 7) Hail !,─ being pleased in battle with the illustrious Maṇalera,─ who is of the noble race of the Sagaras, which by its power brought down the stream of the river Gaṅgâ in order to ward off the affliction of all mankind ; (who has the hereditary title of) lord of Vaḷabhi the best of towns ; who is a very Bhagîratha among noble men ; who is a marvel among those who pierce ; who is a very Triṇêtra among the Sagaras ; who cuts off noses when he is angry ; who is the sole Śûdraka in war ; who is the champion^[1] of Bûtuga (II.),─ said “ Make thy request !” Thereupon, he said─ “ Be gracious enough to give me thy favourite^[2] (hound) Kâḷi, which is called the one that bays loudly ;”^[3] and he obtained it.

(L. 10)─ On their loosing that hound at a mighty boar on the hill in the western quarter of the village of Beḷatûr of the Kelale district, the boar and the hound killed each other.^[4] And, to (commemorate) that, they set up (this) stone in front of the temple of the god Challêśvara^[5] at Âtukûr ; and they gave land (yielding) two kaṇḍugas (of grain) in the open space of the channel, called the channel of the malti-trees, below the large tank.

(L. 13)─ Any cultivator who destroys that land, and any governor of the district or any governors of the village who destroy this land, shall incur the guilt of the sin committed by that hound !^[6] If the Gorava who manages the estate^[7] should fail to do worship to that stone, he shall incur the guilt of the sin committed by the hound ! Ôm !

(L. 15)─ At the place where,─ having followed and come up with the four-fold forces^[8] of the Chôla, them, we certainly saw not any (other among our) valiant men who strode forward^[9] saying “ We will meet the heroes that oppose us ;” but we did see how,─ the Chôla himself being the witness,─ he (Maṇalera) came to close quarters and pierced : who, then, could fail to be pleased with him, the Triṇêtra among the Sagaras ? The king was at his back ; a multitude of enemies faced him in front ; and all those here (on our side), who jealously sought to excel him, met with disaster :^[10] then, saying “ I can stand back no longer,” he, the sole Śûdraka in war, with the help of god Hari (Vishṇu) and the brave Lakshmî struck, like a lion, the forehead of the elephant that was called the fortress of the Chôla, so that it burst open. Ôm !

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^[1] In aṅkakâra, we take aṅka in the sense of ‘ fight, war.’ Kâra is said to be a tadbhava of the Sanskṛit kâra, ‘ making, doing, causing ; a maker, a doer.’─ Kittel’s Dictionary gives to aṅkakâra the meanings of ‘ an influential or a chief servant ; a leading hero.’ But, in such combinations as the present one, the rendering ‘ champion,’ which I fixed some time ago, seems more appropriate ; especially as I find the following in the Madras Manual of the Administration, Vol. III. p. 34, under the word ankam :─ “ Challenge. In Malabar, a duel, “ formerly frequent among the Nayar race. These combats arose from private feuds. A preparation and “ training for twelve years preceded the actual fight in order to qualify the combatants in the use of their weapons. “ They were not necessarily the principals in the quarrel, generally their champions. These undertook to defend the “ cause they had taken up till they were killed. Source of revenue to the local rajah, each combatant paying for “ the privilege of fighting [maryauday].”─ The last sentence, however, seems rather dubious ; so, also, the twelve years’ training.
^[2] Dayeya ; lit. “ of (thy) favour or affection.”
^[3] Mere-voḷḷu ; lit. “ the ostentations barker,” from mere, ‘ shine luster ; ostentation,’ and boḷḷu, ─ bagaḷu, baguḷu, bogaḷu, boguḷu, ‘ barking ; crying out.’
^[4] Oḍa-sattuvu ; lit. “ died together.”
^[5] The genitive is used of Challêśvara as a neuter, to indicate the temple. There are many other instances of this in the ancient records.
^[6] This seems rather a severe reflection upon the hound, after it had behaved so courageously. It must be justified on the understanding that all killing id sinful, no matter what the circumstances may be.
^[7] Sthâna ; the temple and the property, including the present grant, belonging to it.
^[8] Chaturaṅga-bala is “ an entire or complete army, comprising elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry.”
^[9]Pochcharisuva ; lit. “ who were (breaking forth), starting into view, becoming evident or manifest, appearing ; shining.”
^[10] Seraguv=âldapo- ; lit. “ sank into calamity, evil, mischief.”