South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

No. 24 corresponds to Friday, the 5th August A.D. 1289, which was the 8th day of the month of Siṁha, and on which the third tithi of the dark half (of the month Śrâvaṇa) ended 19 h. 8 m. after mean sunrise, while the nakshatra was Uttara-Bhadrapadâ, according to Garga and by the Brahma-siddhânta the whole day, and by the equal space system from 1 h. 19 m. after mean sunrise.

I may add that, if these were dates of the reign Jaṭâvarman Sundara-Pâṇḍya I., they would fall in A.D. 1263, but that either of them would be incorrect both for that year and for A.D. 1264. For A.D. 1262 No. 24 would be correct, but not No. 23.

25.─In the Iḷamiśvara temple at Târamaṅgalam.^[1]

1 Svasti śrîḥ [||*] Kôr=Chchaḍapanmar=âna Tribhuvanachchakkaravatt[i]ga[ḷ] śr[î]- Śutta(nda)ra-Pâṇḍiyadêvarkku yâṇḍu 6âvadu ârâvadu Karkaḍaga-nâyarr[u]
2 pûrvva-pakshattu chat[u]rtthiyum Tiṅgaṭ-ki[la]maiyum perra Uttirattu nâḷ.

“ In the 6th─sixth─year (of the reign) of king Jaṭâvarman alias the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Sundara-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Uttara-Phalgunî, which corresponded to a Monday and to the fourth tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Karkaṭaka.”

Considering that the two preceding dates Nos. 23 and 24, which are said to be of the 13th year of the king’s reign, fall in A.D. 1289, this date, which is of the 6th year of the reign, would in the first instance be expected to fall in A.D. 1282. But the date apparently corresponds to Monday, the 21st July A.D. 1281, which was the 25th day of the month of Karkaṭaka, and on which the 4th tithi of the bright half (of the month Śrâvaṇa) ended 9 h. 30 m., and the nakshatra was Uttara-Phalgunî, by the equal space system and according to Garga for 7 h. 51 m., and by the Brahma-siddhânta for 4 h. 36 m., after mean sunrise.

Here again, if this date belonged to the reign of Jaṭâvarman Sundara-Pâṇḍya I., it would be expected to fall in A.D. 1256 ; but for that year it would be incorrect.

26.─In the Jayaṅgoṇḍanâtha temple at Mannârguḍi.^[2]

14 [Ś]rî-kô=Chchaḍapanmar=âna Tiribuvanachchak-
15 karavattigaḷ śrî-Sundara-Pâṇḍiyadê-
16 varkku yâṇḍu panniraṇḍâvadu Kan-
17 ni-[n]âyarru pûrvva-pakshattu trayôdaśiyu[m]
18 [V]eḷḷi-[kk]ilamaiyum perra Śôdi-nâḷ-

“ In the twelfth year (of the reign) of the glorious king Jaṭâvarman alias the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Sundara-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Svâti, which corresponded to a Friday and to the thirteenth tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Kanyâ.”

The wording of this date is intrinsically wrong, because during the month of Kanyâ a 13th tithi of the bright half can never be joined with the nakshatra Svâti. Supposing the nakshatra to have been given correctly, the tithi in the month of Kanyâ would in all probability be the third of the bright half. And for this tithi the date regularly corresponds to Friday, the 12th September A.D. 1287, which was the 15th day of the month of Kanyâ, and on which the third tithi of the bright half (of the month Âśvina) ended 4 h. 7 m., and the nakshatra was Svâti by the equal space system for 5 h. 55 m., after mean sunrise.

Here too, if the date belonged to the reign of Jaṭâvarman Sundara-Pâṇḍya I., it would be excepted to fall in A.D. 1262 ; but for that year it would be incorrect (also for the third tithi of the bright half).

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^[1] No. 25 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1900.
^[2] No. 90 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1897.