South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

3 ….. kô Irâśakêśariparmar=âna Tiribu[va]nachchakkaravatti[gaḷ śrî]- Râjarâjadêvarku yâṇḍu 16 vadin
4 edir=âm=âṇḍu Kanni-nâyarru=ppûrvva-pakshattu daśamiyum Śani-kkilamaiyu[m] perra Tiruvôṇattu nâḷ.

“ In the year which was opposite the 16th year (of the reign) of king Râjakêsarivarman alias the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjarâjadêva,─ on the day of Śravaṇa, which corresponded to a Saturday and to the tenth tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Kanyâ.”

To simplify matters, I may state here at once that this date and the following dates 46-54 work out well on the supposition that the reign of Râjarâja III. commenced between (approximately) the 17th March and the 13th August A.D. 1216.

The year opposite the 16th was the 17th year of the king’s reign. A date in the month of Kanyâ of this year must fall in A.D. 1232, in Śaka-Saṁvat 1154 expired. In this year the 10th tithi of the bright fortnight in the month of Kanyâ ended 13 h. 19 m. after mean sunrise of Saturday, the 25th September A.D. 1232, when the nakshatra was Śravaṇa, by the equal space system and according to Garga for 5 h. 16 m., and by the Brahma-siddhânta for 6 h. 34 m., after mean sunrise.

46.─ In the Êkâmranâtha temple at Conjeeveram.^[1]

1 Svast[i] śr[î]ḥ (Symbol) Tr[i]bhuvanaścha(cha)kravattigaḷ śr[î]-Râjarâjadêvarkku yâṇḍu 17 vadu ….
2 …. Magara-nâyarru pûrvva-pakkattu=Tśe(chche)vvây-kkilamaiyum Aśvatiyum=â[na]v=anru.

“ In the 17th year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjarâjadêva,─ on the day of Aśvinî and a Tuesday in the first fortnight of the month of Makara.”

This date, in the month of Makara of the 17th year of the king’s reign, must fall in Śaka-Saṁvat 1154 expired. In this year the 6th tithi of the bright fortnight in the month of Makara ended 8 h. 47 m. after mean sunrise of Tuesday, the 18th January A.D. 1233, when the nakshatra was Aśvinî for 20 h. 59 m. after mean sunrise.

47.─ In the Dharmêśvara temple at Maṇimaṅgalam.^[2]

1 ….. Tribhuvanachchakkarava[t]tigaḷ śrî-Râjarâjadêvarkku yâṇḍu 18 vadu Siṁha-nâ-
2 [ya]rru apara-pakshattu dvit[î]yaiyuñ=Jevvây-kkilamaiyum perra Rêvati-nâ[ḷ].

“ In the 18th year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjarâjadêva,─ on the day of Rêvatî, which corresponded to a Tuesday and to the second tithi of the second fortnight of the month of Siṁha.”

This date, in the month of Siṁha of the 18th year of the king’s reign, may be expected to fall in A.D. 1233, in Śaka-Saṁvat 1155 expired. In this year the second tithi of the dark fortnight in the month of Siṁha ended 8 h. 30 m. after mean sunrise of Tuesday, the 23rd August A.D. 1233, when the nakshatra was Rêvatî from 3 h. 56 m. after mean sunrise.

48.─ In the Râjagôpâla-Perumâḷ temple at Maṇimaṅgalam.^[3]

1 …… T[i]ribuvanachchakkaravatt[i]ga[ḷ] śrî-Râjarâjadêvar-

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^[1] No. 6 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1893.
^[2] South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. III. No. 41.
^[3] South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. III. No. 39.