South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

“ In the year opposite to the year opposite to the [11]th year (of the reign) of king Mâravarman alias the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Sundara-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Anurâdhâ, which corresponded to a Wednesday, and to the tenth tithi of the second fortnight, and to the twenty-fourth solar day of the month of Makara.”

This date is the same as No. 7, except that in the expression ‘ opposite to the 11th year ’ numeral figures are used by the writer. 9.─ In the Nellaiyappar temple at Tinnevelly^[1].

1 ……Śrî-kô Mârapanmar=âna Tribh[u]va[na]chchakkaravattiga[ḷ] śr[î]- Sundara-Pâṇḍiyadêvarkku [y]âṇḍu padin-onrâvadiṇ=edirâm=[â*]ṇḍin=e[di]râm=â[ṇ]ḍn M[î]na-nâyarru=ppat[t]on[bad]ân=di[ya]diyudiyum^[2] a[pa]ra-[pa]kshattu navamiyum Budan-kkilamaiyum perra Aśvati-nâḷ.

“ In the year opposite to the year opposite to the eleventh year (of the reign)of the glorious king Mâravarman alias the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Sundara-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Aśvinî, which corresponded to a Wednesday, and to the ninth tithi of th second fortnight, and to the nineteenth solar day of the month of Mîna.”

The wording of this date is intrinsically wrong, because during the month of Mîna a 9th tithi of the dark half can never be joined with the nakshatra Aśvinî. The probability is that the month intended was that of Mithuna, and calculation proves that it was that month. The date, which is of the same year as No. 7 corresponds to Wednesday, the 14th June A.D. 1251. In A.D. 1251 the Mithuna-saṁkrânti took place 22 h. 56 m. after mean sunrise of Friday, the 26th May. The 19th day of the month of Mithuna therefore was Wednesday, the 14th June ; and on this day the 9th tithi of the dark half (of the month Jyaishṭha) ended 5 h. 19 m., and the nakshatra was Aśvinî for 20 h. 21 m., after mean sunrise.

10.─ In the Nellaiyappar temple at Tinnevelly.^[3]

1 Svasti śrî [||*] Kô Mârapan[ma]r=âna Tribhu[vana]chchakra[vat]t[i]gaḷ śr[î]- Sundara-Pâṇḍiyadêvarkku yâṇḍu pad[i]no-
2 nrâvadu Vaigâśi-[m]âsattu mudar=tiyadi Nâyirru-kkilamai perra Attattu nâ[ḷ].

“ In the eleventh year (of the reign) of king Mâravarman alias the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Sundara-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Hasta, which corresponded to Sunday, the first solar day of the month of Vaigâśi.”

As the dates Nos. 7-9, which are of the year opposite to the year opposite to the 11th year, i.e. of the 13th year, of the king’s reign, have been found to fall in A.D. 1251, this date No. 10, which is of the 11th year of the same reign, will in the first instance be expected to fall in A.D. 1249. It actually corresponds to Sunday, the 25th April A.D. 1249, which was the first day of the month of Vaigâśi─ the Vṛishabha-saṁkrânti having taken place 0 h. 54 m. after mean sunrise─ and on which the nakshatra was Hasta, by the equal space system and according to Garga for 15 h. 6 m., and by the Brahma-siddhânta for 11 h. 50 m., after mean sunrise.

The dates Nos. 7-10 together prove that the reign of Mâravarman Sundara-Pâṇḍya II. commenced between (approximately) the 15th June A.D. 1238 and the 18th January A.D. 1239

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^[1] No. 147 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1894.
^[2] Read =diyadiyum.
^[3] No. 143 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1894.