South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

2 ku yâṇḍu 18 vadu Dhanu-nâya[rr]u pûrvva-pakshattu pañchamiyum Budan- kilamaiyum pe-
3 rra Aviṭṭatti=nâ[ḷ].

“ In the 18th year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjarâjadêva,─ on the day of Dhanishṭhâ, which corresponded to a Wednesday and to the fifth tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Dhanus.”

This date, in the month of Dhanus of the 18th year of the king’s reign, must fall in the same year as the last, Śaka-Saṁvat 1155 expired. In this year the 5th tithi of the bright fortnight in the month of Dhanus ended 17 h. 21 m. after mean sunrise of Wednesday, the 7th December A.D. 1233, when the nakshatra was Dhanishṭhâ for 8 h. 32 m. after mean sunrise.

49.─ In the Râjagôpâla-Perumâḷ temple at Maṇimaṅgalam.^[1]

2 ….. Tribhuvanachchakrava[r]ttiga[ḷ] śrî-Râjarâjadêvarku yâṇḍu 18 âva[d]u
3 Magara-nâyarru pûrvva-pakshattu prathamaiyum Tiṅgaṭ-kilamaiyum perra Tiruvô[ṇat]tu nâḷ.

“ In the 18th year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjarâjadêva,─ on the day of Śravaṇa, which corresponded to a Monday and to the first tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Makara.”

This date, in the month of Makara of the 18th year of the king’s reign, also must fall in Śaka-Saṁvat 1155 expired. In this year the first tithi of the bright fortnight in the month of Makara ended 11 h. 3 m. after mean sunrise of Monday, the 2nd January A.D. 1234, when the nakshatra was Śravaṇa for 17 h. 4 m. after mean sunrise.

50.─ In the Âdhipuriśvara temple at Tiruvorriyûr.^[2]

2 . . Tribhuvanachcha[k*]karavattigaḷ śrî-Râjarâja-
3 d[ê]varku yâṇḍu 19 vadu Si[ṁ*]ha-nâyarru=p-
4 pû[rvva]-pakshattu tritîyaiyum Uttiraṭṭâdiyum pe-
5 rra Nâyarru-kkilamai-nâḷ.

“ In the 19th year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjarâjadêva,─ on a Sunday which corresponded to (the day of) Uttara-Bhadrapadâ and to the third tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Siṁha.”

This date, in the month of Siṁha of the 19th year of the king’s reign, ought to fall in A.D. 1234, in Śaka-Saṁvat 1156 expired. This it undoubtedly does, but the date is not quite correct. In Śaka-Saṁvat 1156 expired the third tithi of the bright fortnight in the month of Siṁha ended 16 h. 56 m. after mean sunrise of Sunday, the 30th July A.D. 1234, when the nakshatra was Uttara-Phalgunî for 21 h. 1 m. after mean sunrise ; and the third tithi of the dark fortnight in the same month ended 14 h. 53 m. after mean sunrise of Sunday, the 13th August A.D. 1234, when the nakshatra was Uttara-Bhadrapadâ for 5 h. 55 m. after mean sunrise. This shows that either the nakshatra Uttiraṭṭâdi has been wrongly quoted for Uttiram (Uttara-Phalgunî), or that instead of pûrvva-pakshattu we must read apara-pakshattu. I am inclined to adopt the latter alternative,^[3] and to regard Sunday, the 13th August A.D. 1234, as the proper equivalent of the date.

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^[1] South-Ind. Inscr. Vol. III. No. 40.
^[2] No. 110 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1892.
^[3] At the same time, I may state that in one of the Vijayanagara inscriptions (P.S.O.C.I. No. 25) Uttarabhadrapadâ has really been wrongly quoted instead of Uttara-Phalgunî. The mistake made in the present inscription has also been made in the Kadamba plates in Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 35.