No. 5 to 8 south wall of the same shrine

No. 1 to 4 north & west wall of the same shrine

No. 9 to 11 north wall of the mandapa

No. 12 to 14 west & south wall of the same mandapa

No. 5.- On the south wall of the shrine

This inscription is dated in the 15^th year of the reign of Kampavarman.  The archaic alphabet employed in this record and in No. 8 below, which is dated in the 10^th year of the same king, proves that Kampavarman must be anterior to the Chola occupation of Tondai-mandalam.  A stone inscription of the 9^th year of the same king is quoted in the unpublished Madras Museum plates of Parakesarivarman, alias  Uttama-Choladeva.[1]  The temple of Virrirunda-Perumal at Dusi near Mamandur in the Arcot taluka contains a fragmentary inscription of a king named ko vijaya-kampa-Vikramavarman.[2]  The fact that the two words ko vijaya are prefixed to the name of this king, suggests that he belonged to the same family as ko vijaya-Narasimhavarman, Nripatunga-Vikramavarman and Nandi-Vikramavarman.[3]  A later kampa was the second of the five sons of Samgama I., the founder of the first Vijayanagara dynasty.[4]

The inscription records that a certain Sadaiyan made over 1,000 kadi[5] of paddy to the villagers of Utkar, who pledged themselves to supply in return 500 kadi  of paddy per year for some unspecified purpose.

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the fifteenth year (of the reign) of Kampavarman.  The writing of us, the assembly of Utkar.  We have received one thousand kadi  of paddy from Sadaiyan.

(L. 2.) We, the assembly, shall close (the sluice of) the tank (to collect water for irrigation), and shall cause five hundred kadi  of paddy to be supplied every year as interest on these one thousand kadi  of paddy.

(L. 3.) We declare that those who disobey this, shall incur (all) the sins committed between the Ganga and Kumari.  The great men[6] elected for the year shall cause (the paddy) to be supplied.

No. 6.- On the south wall of the shrine

This inscription is dated in the 1[7]th year of the reign of Rajaraja, (alias) Rajakesarivarman, and carries the list of his conquests as far as Kalingam.  It appears to record that the village assembly assigned a daily supply of rice and oil to the temple of Mahasasta.[7]  Some words in lines 7, 9 and 10 cannot be read and explained satisfactorily.  A clause near the end of the inscription imposes a fine on those who would sell betel elsewhere but at the temple of Pidari.[8]

>

(Line 1.)  Hail ! Prosperity !  In the 1[7]th year (of the reign) of king Rajaraja-Rajakesarivarman, who, in his long life of growing strength, during which, - (in) the belief that, as well as the goddess of fortune, the goddess of the great earth had become his wife, - he was pleased to destroy the ships (at) Kandalur-Salai, and conquered by (his) army, which was victorious in great battles, Vengai-nadu, Ganga-padi, Tadigaipadi, Nulamba-padi, Kudamalai-nadu, Kollam and Kalingam,- deprived the Selinas of (their) splendour at the very moment when Udagai, which is worshipped everywhere, was (most) resplendent;- (the subjoined) document was drawn up by (the following persons) who were present in the temple of Mahasasta, in the hall (ambalam) to the north (of it) : We, the great assembly of Sivachulamanimangalam, alias Sri-Vikramabharana-chaturvedimangalam, (a village) in its own subdivision of Kaliyur-kottam, including the great men elected for (the management of) charities (?) during this year ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in our village ; and the commissioners[9] (in charge of the temple) of Sattan in our village.

(L. 8.) To (the temple of) Mahasasta in our village, at each of the three times of the day[10] two nali (of rice), i.e., on each day six nali ; at each of the three times of the day, 20 . . . . . . . . . . .  .of oil, i.e., i.e. (one) alakku and two sevidu and a half of oil. . . . . . . . . . . . .

(L. 9.) Aruls[ar]man, alias Elunu[rruvan], the son of Sadai[na]kkas[ar]ma[n], the headman of [Tattu]r, who is (also) the headman of our village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . having taken paddy (in his hand) and having taken (one) uri of paddy (on) a betel-leaf tray (vattil) and one bundle (?) of betel-leaves on a betel-leaf plate (padaligai),- it shall thus be done without fail as long as the moon and the sun exist.

(L. 13.) The commissioners (of the temple) of Sattan shall protect this charity. Those who cause obstruction to this charity, shall incur (all) the sins committed between the Ganga and Kumari.

(L. 15.) The great men elected for (the supervision of) the tank shall be entitled to levy a fine of (one) kalanju of gold in favour of the tank-fund from those betel-leaf sellers in this village, who sell (betel-leaves) elsewhere but at the temple of Pidari.

(L. 21.) Thus, we, the great assembly, have ordered.  Having been present in the assembly and having heard (their) order, I, the arbitrator Dharmapriyan, the son of [Ver]rikkuri Nalayiravan, wrote (this). Prosperity !.

No. 7.- On the south wall of the shrine

This inscription is dated in the 16^th year of the reign of “Kannaradeva, the conqueror of Kachchi (i.e., Kanchipura) and Tanjai (i.e., Tanjavur).” Mr. Venkayya has identified this king with Krishna III. of the Rashtrakuta dynasty (A.D. 940 and 956).[11]

At the end of each line, about fifteen syllables are built in.  Hence the translation remains fragmentary.  As far as it can be made out, the inscription appears to record that the village assembly ordered the land with had lapsed to it, to be sold, and imposed certain conditions and fines in connection with this arrangement.

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the sixteenth year (of the reign) of the glorious Kannaradeva who conquered Kachchi and Tanjai, - we, the assembly of Sivachu[lamanimangalam, alias Sri-Vikrama]bharana-chaturvedimangalam, (a village) in its own subdivision of Kaliyur-kottam, being assembled in the front hall[12] of the Puvanimanikka-Vishnugriham in our village, [ordered] as follows :-

(L. 3.) The inhabitants of our village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the land and everything else that is not the object of deeds of gift,[13] in the environs[14] of our village . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .  .the common property (madhyama) of the assembly. (L. 4.) We shall sell the land which has thus become the common property (of the assembly), to those inhabitants who promise to pay taxes on each kuli.  No persons shall be allowed to produce deeds of gift or deeds of sale (avanam) in order to show that the land thus sold belongs to themselves.  We, the assembly, shall levy a fine of . . . . . . . . . . . . [kalanju] of gold . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from those inhabitants who produce such (deeds). (L. 5.) Those inhabitants who do not submit to this, shall be liable to pay into court (dharmasana) a fine of one hundred and eight kanam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . per day.  To each of the inhabitants  who have to pay this fine, the great men elected for that year . . . . . .  ..  . . . ..  .. . . (one) kunri of gold per day. (L. 6.) If, through indifference, though . . . . . . . . . . was thus given to those who pay the fine and through they themselves have fined (them), they are not able to remove the obstacles to the possession (atchi), the great men elected for that year shall be liable to pay an additional fine of twenty-four kanam.  Though they are fined thus, [the great men] elected for that year. . . . . . . ..  . . . . . . .. . . No. 8.- On the south wall of the shrine This archaic inscription belongs to the 10th year of the same Kampavarman whose name occurred in No. 5 above, and records that Sadaiyan, who was also mentioned in No. 5, made over 400 kadi of paddy to the villagers of Utkal, who pledged themselves to feed two Brahmanas daily from the interest, which amounted to 100 kadi of paddy per year. (Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the tenth year (of the reign) of Kampavarman,- Sadaiyan gave four hundred kadi of paddy to the assembly of Utkal. (L. 2.) From the interest of this paddy, which amounts to one hundred kadi of paddy per year, we, the assembly of Utkal, shall feed two Brahmanas daily, as long as the earth and the sun exist. (L. 4.) If we fail in this feeding of guests, we, the assembly, shall incur (all) the sins committed within the seven hundred kadam[15] between the Ganga and Kumari. [1]  The village of Olukkaipakkam is identical with the modern Olugavakkam, No. 192 on the Madras SurveyMap of the Arcot taluka. [2]  See my Annula Report for 1892-93, p. 6. [3] Ep. Ind.  Vol. IV. Pp. 177 and 180 ff. [4]  See Ep. Ind. Vol. III. p. 36. [5]  The same measure for paddy is mentioned in an inscription of the ancient Chola king Parakesarivarman (Vol. I. No. 85), in one of Rajaraja I.  (Vol. I. p. 140, note 2), and in the Madras Museum plates of Uttama-Chola (see my Progress Report  for October 1890 to March 1891, p. 5). [6]  Perumakkal is an honorific designation of respectable villagers.  The corresponding Sanskrit term is mahajana, on which see the Index to Vol. I. [7]  Sasta, ‘the master,’ in Tamil, Sattan is one of the names of the village god Aiyanar.  Compare Vol. II. p. 48, note 9. [8]  This is the name of a village goddess; see ibid. note 10. [9]  The term ganattar occurred before in No. 1, 1, 4. [10]  The ‘three times of the day’ (trisamdhi or trikala) are sunrise, noon, and nightfall.  Compare Vol. I. No. 53, and Vol. II. No. 9, paragraph 2 ; No. 24, paragraphs 2 and 3 ; and No. 35, paragraph 2. [11]  See Ep. Ind. Vol. III. p. 282 ff. and Vol. IV. P. 81 f.  Here the name of the king is spelt with nn in the second syllable, while his other inscriptions spell it with nn. [12]  Mugamandakam is a Tamil form of the Sanskrit mukha-mandapa. [13]  Literally, ‘that is beyond deeds of gift’ (kudupp-olai). [14]  Literally, ‘in the circle of hamlets’ (padagai-vattam) [15]  Compare Ep. Ind. Vol. III. P. 284 ff., where a similar imprecation occurs.  According to the Tamil dictionaries, a kdam corresponds to about 10 miles.  Hence the expression ‘700 kadam’ appears to refer to the circumference of the whole of India between the Ganga and Cape Comorin.  The Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsiang also fixes the extent of the countries which he describes, by stating their circumference. Home Page

>

>

About Us Contact Us Feedback Guestboook Copyright Information >