South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

2 [ya]rru pû[rvva]-pakshattu pañ[cha]m[i]yum Śani-kkilamaiyu[m p]erra [U]rôśaṇi- nâḷ.

“ In the 3rd year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjêndra-Chôḷadêva,─ on the day of Rôhiṇî, which corresponded to a Saturday and to the fifth tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Mîna.”

My examination of the four dates Nos. 79-82 has yielded the result that the reign of Râjêndra-Chôḷa III. commenced between (approximately) the 21st March and the 8th May A.D. 1246.

This date, No. 79, corresponds to Saturday, the 20th March A.D. 1249, which was the 26th day of the month of Mîna, and on which the 5th tithi of the bright half (of Chaitra) commenced 0 h. 30 m., while the nakshatra was Rôhiṇî for 18 h. 24 m. (or 17 h. 44 m.), after mean sunrise.

80.─ In the Raṅganâtha temple at Srîraṅgam.^[1]

1 . . . . . Kannarigarâja-pra[ti]kûla-kâladaṇḍa makarâlaya-majjita-[Kali]-bala Vi[vî]ra-Sômi(mê)śvara-kar-âmukta-pâda-[vî]râbharaṇa
2 . . . . . Tiribuva[na]chchakkaravattigaḷ śrî-Râśêndira-Śôladêvarkku yâṇḍu 7âvadu Magara-nâyarru apara-pakshattu ashṭami[y]um Budan-k[i]lamaiyum perru Śittirai-nâḷ.

“ In the 7th year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjêndra-Chôḷadêva, . . . . . . . the hostile rod of death to the Kannariga (i.e. Karṇâṭaka) king, he who had drowned the power of the Kali (age) in the ocean, the hero’s anklets^[2] on whose feet were put on by the hands of Vîra-Sômêśvara,^[3] . . . . . . ─ on the day of Chitrâ, which corresponded to a Wednesday and to the eight tithi of the second fortnight of the month of Makara.”

The date corresponds to Wednesday, the 25th December A.D. 1252. On this day the Makara-(Uttarâyaṇa-)saṁkrânti took place 13 h. 3 m.,^[4] 8th tithi of the dark half (of Pausha) commenced 0 h. 17 m., and the nakshatra was Chitrâ, by the equal space system and according to Garga the whole day, and by the Brahma-siddhânta for 21 h. 1 m. after mean sunrise.

81.-In the Râjagôpâla-Perumâl temple at Mannârguḍi.^[5]

Svasti srî [||*] Tribhuvanachchakkaravattigaḷ śrî-Râja[jê]ndra-^[6][Śôla]dêvarku yâṇḍu 21vadu Karkaḍaga-nâ[yarru] a[para-pakshattu êk]âdaśiyum Budhan- kilamaiyum perra Rôhi[ṇ]i-nâḷ.

“ In the 21st year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Râjêndra-Chôḷaḍêva,─ on the day of Rôhiṇî, which corresponded to a Wednesday and to the eleventh tithi of the second fortnight of the month of Karkaṭaka.”

The date corresponded to Wednesday, the 30th June A.D. 1266, which was the fourth dayof the month of Karkaṭaka, and on which the 11th tithi of the dark half (of Âshâḍha) ended

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^[1] No. 64 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1892.
^[2] Vîr-âbharaṇa is used in the sense of the Tamil vîra-kkalal.
^[3] This implies that the Chôḷa king had defeated the Hoysaḷa king Sômêśvara and employed him as a servant.
^[4] Ordinarily, therefore, the 25th December A.D. 1252, here described as a day of the month of Makara, would
be considered to be the last day of the month of Dhanus.
^[5] No. 105 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1897.
^[6] Read –Râjêndra-.