|
The Indian Analyst
|
|
South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA Three is another vîrakkal lying near the same temple (No. 102 of 1899), which records, in the Kanarese language, that a hero met with his death when Bâṇarasa together with the Mahârâja Mahâvali-Bâṇarasa attacked Nolamba, Râchamalla, Mayindaḍiya and Daḍiga, and that the Kaṅgavaḍiyân (i.e. probably the Gaṅga king Râchamalla) assigned land for setting up this stone[1] in memory of the hero. Here Bâṇamahârâja, Bâṇarasa, Mayindaḍiya and Daḍiga correspond to Bâṇâdhirâja, Bâṇarâja, Mahêndravikrama and Daḍiya of the subjoined inscription. If Râchamalla could be identified with one of the three Gaṅga kings named Râchamalla or Râjamalla,[2] this would fix the time of king Vijaya-Narasiṁhavikrama- varman to whose reign the subjoined inscription belongs.
TRANSLATION. In the twenty-fourth year (of the reign) of king Vijaya-Narasiṁhavikramavarman, Śeligar, the servant of Skanda-Bâṇâdhirâja, fell, having seized (back) the cattle that had been seized by Daḍiya, Bâṇarâja and Mahêndravikrama. Let the Kannâḍagas (i.e. the Kanarese people) look after[4] this (stone) ! [Those who ] injure it [shall incur the five great] sins. II.-HANUMANTAPURAM STONE OF VIJAYA-ISVARAVARMAN. The stone which bears the two subjoined records (Nos. 16 and 17 of 1900) was discovered by Mr. G. Venkoba Rao. It is set up in a field at Hanumantapuram near Pennagaram in the Dharmapuri tâlukâ of the Salem district. Unlike other vîrakkals, the stone bears no sculptures of any kind. The alphabet is Vaṭṭeluttu. The letters k, ṭ and n resemble of the Madras Museum plates of Jaṭilavarman,[5] while y is more nearly allied to the y of the Cochin and Tirunelli plates.[6] In two cases (ḍa of paḍa in l. 3 f. and ṭi of Kâṭṭirai in l. 4 of a.) the Tamil, form of ṭ or ḍ seems to be used. The ḍu of iyâṇḍu (1. 2 of A.) is reversed. In ḍai (l. 3 of A. and l. 4 of B.) the vowel ai is drawn through the consonant ḍ. The â of ṭâ in paṭṭân (l. 4 of A. and l. 4 of B.) and the â of kâ in Kâṭṭirai (l. 4 of A.) go downwards instead of upwards. The language is Tamil. The l of padinêllâvadan (l. 2 of A. and B.) is doubled, and the saṁdhi is not observed in Kanaiûr (l. 3 of A.). The locative affix kaṇ, which has been changed into kaṭ before the following k, occurs in both inscriptions (l. 3 of A. and l. 2 of B.).
The two inscriptions are dated in the 17th year of the reign of king Vijaya-Īśvaravarman, who, to judge from the prefix vijaya, seems to have been one of the Gaṅga-Pallavas, and record
the death of two heroes in the service of Kâṭṭirai. This title means ‘the king of the forest’
and is synonymous with Kâḍavan, ‘the forester,’ which according to Mr. V. Kanakasabhai
[1] This seems to be the meaning of the words kal-nâḍu koṭṭadu, which occurs also on the Doḍḍahuṇḍi stone ;
see above, Vol. VI. p. 43, note 1. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
