South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

therefore was Monday, the 28th July A.D. 1455, and on this day the full moon tithi (of Śrâvaṇa) ended 21 h. 25 m., while the nakshatra was Śravaṇa, by the equal space system and according to Garga for 13 h. 8 m., and by the Brahma-siddhânta for 14 h. 27 m., after mean sunrise.

61.─ In the Kâḷîśvara temple at Kâḷaiyârkôvil.^[1]

1 Svasti śrî [||*] Kô [M]âra[pa]nmar=âna [Tri]bhuva[na]śa[kra]vatti[ga] śrî- [Vî][ra*]-Pâ[ṇ]ḍiyadê[va]rku [y]âṇ[ḍu] 14va[du] Ma[gara]-nâ[ya*]rru [a]para-pakshattu=[ppañjam]i[yum N]â[ya]rru-kkilamai[yum] perra Attattu
2 nâḷ.

“ In the 14th year (of the reign) of king Mâravarman alias the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Vî[ra]-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Hasta, which corresponded to a Sunday and to the fifth tithi of the second fortnight of the month of Makara.”

If the day given under No. 60 is the true equivalent of that date, and if the present date belongs to the same king, this date will be expected to fall in about A.D. 1456. And the date would actually be correct for Sunday, the 16th January A.D. 1457, which was the 21st day of the month of Makara, and on which the 5th tithi of the dark half (of Mâgha) ended 5 h. 36 m., while the nakshatra was Hasta, by the equal space system and according to Garga for 10 h. 30 m., and by the Brahma-siddhânta for 7 h. 13 m., after mean sunrise.

62.─ In the Vîraṭṭânêśvara temple at Tiruvadi.

2 [K]ô M[âra]panmar T[irib]uvana-
3 chchakkaravattigaḷ śrî-V[î]ra-Pâ-^[3]
4 ṇḍiyadêvarku yâṇ-
5 ḍu padinâlâvadu Mîna-nâyar-
6 ru apara-pakshattu prathamai-
7 [yu]m Śani-kk[ila]mai[y]um^[4] [per]ra Attattu nâḷ.

“ In the fourteenth year (of the reign) of king Mâravarman (alias) the emperor of the three worlds, the glorious Vîra-Pâṇḍyadêva,─ on the day of Hasta, which corresponded to a Saturday and to the first tithi of the second fortnight of the month of Mîna.”

Judging by the two preceding dates, this date, if the three dates belong to one and the same king, would be expected to fall in A.D. 1456 or 1457 ; and the date would actually be correct for Saturday, the 12th March A.D. 1457, which was the 16th day of the month of Mîna, and on which the first tithi of the dark half (of Phâlguna) ended 10 h. 21 m., while the nakshatra was Hasta, by the equal space system and according to Garga for 1 h. 19 m., after mean sunrise.

The results set forth under Nos. 60-62 would appear to prove that the three dates really belong to one and the same king, and that this king, Mâravarman Vîra-Pâṇḍya, commenced to reign between (approximately) the 13th March and the 28th July A.D.1443.

I may state here that I have a date,^[5] which does not admit of verification, of the 17th opposite the 2nd, i.e. the 19th year, and of Śaka-saṁvat 1361, of a king Mâravarman, alias the emperor of the three worlds, Tirunelvêli-Perumâḷ, the glorious Vîra-Pâṇḍyadêva. This king would have commenced to reign about A.D. 1421, and cannot be identical with the Mâravarman Vîra-Paṇḍya of Nos. 60-62.
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^[1] No. 578 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1902.
^[2] No. 57 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1903.
^[3] The secondary â is repeated at the beginning of the next line.
^[4] The word Śani-kk[ila]mai[y]um is entered above the line.
^[5] No. 178 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1895. Compare also Mr. Venkayya’s Report for 1904-05, p. 56.