South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

59.─ In the Śivâṅkurêśvara temple at Tîrthanagari.^[1]

1 Svasti śrî [─] . . . . . . . . . Kônêr[i]-
2 mêlkoṇḍ[â]n Tiribuvanachchakkaravattigaḷ
3 śrî-Vikkira[ma*]-Pâṇḍiyadêvarkku yâṇḍu nâ-
4 l[â]vadu Kumba-nâyarru pûrvva-pakshattu triti[tî)yaiyum
5 N[âya]rru-kkilamaiy[u]m perra Uttirattu nâḷ.

“ In the fourth year (of the reign) of Kônêrimêlkoṇḍân, the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Vikra[ma]-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Uttara-Phalgunî, which corresponded to a Sunday and to the third tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Kumbha.”

The date is intrinsically wrong because in the month of Kumbha a tithi of the first fortnight cannot be joined with the nakshatra Uttara-Phalgunî ; and the probability is, that either the first fortnight has been erroneously quoted instead of the second, or Uttara-Phalgunî instead of Uttara-Bhadrapadâ. For the month of Kumbha^[2] of the king’s 4th year the choice of an equivalent of the date lies between Monday, the 2nd February, and Sunday, the 15th February, A.D. 1405.

Monday, the 2nd February A.D. 1405, was the 9th day of the month of Kumbha, and on it the 3rd tithi of the bright half (of Phâlguna) ended 14 h. 27 m., while the nakshatra was Uttara-Bhadrapadâ for 17 h. 44 m., after mean sunrise. On the other hand─

Sunday, the 15th February A.D. 1405, was the 22nd day of the month of Kumbha, and on it the 2nd tithi of the dark half (of Phâlguna) commenced 6 h. 18 m., while the nakshatra was Uttara-Phalgunî, by the equal space system and according to Garga for 18 h. 24 m., and by the Brahma-siddhânta for 15 h. 6 m., after mean sunrise.

I am inclined to assume that this second day, Sunday, the 15th February A.D. 1405, is the true equivalent of the date, and that the writer of the original has wrongly quoted the first fortnight instead of the second, and the third tithi instead of the second (dvitîyaiyum).

Under any circumstances the two dates Nos. 57 and 58 would prove that Kônêrimêlkoṇḍân Vikrama-Pâṇḍya commenced to reign between (approximately) the 13th January and the 27th July A.D. 1401.

F.─ MARAVARMAN VIRA-PANDYA.

60.─ In the Viśvanâtha temple at Tenkâśi.^[3]

1 Svasti śrî [||*] Kô Mâravarmmar-âna Tribhuvanaścha(cha)kravattigaḷ śrî-Vîra- Pâṇḍiyadêvarku yâṇḍu iraṇḍâvadin edir pad[i]nonrâvadu Karkkaṭaka-ñâyarru muppadân=diyadiyum pû[rṇ]aiyum Sôma-vâramum perra Tiruvô[ṇa]ttu nâḷ.

“ In the eleventh opposite the second year (of the reign) of king Mâravarman alias the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Vîra-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Śravaṇa, which corresponded to a Monday and to the full-moon tithi and to the thirtieth solar day of the month of Karkaṭaka.”

Between A.D. 1300 and 1500 the only year for which this date would be correct is 1455. In this year the Karkaṭa-saṁkrânti took place 8 h. 1 m. after mean sunrise of Sunday, the 29th June, which was the first day of the month of Karkaṭaka. The 30th day of the same month
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^[1] No. 124 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1904.
^[2] For the month of Makara and the 3rd tithi of the dark half the date would correspond to Sunday, the 18th January A.D. 1405, with Uttara-Phalgunî.
^[3] No. 196 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1895.