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TANJAVUR
Brihadhiswara TEMPLE
Inscriptions
INSCRIPTIONS
ON THE WALLS OF THE CENTRAL SHRINE
No.
63. On the outside of the north enclosure.
From
the published portion of No. 63, we learn that this inscription consists
of a list of shepherds who had to supply ghee for temple lamps from the
milk of a number of cattle, which had been presented to the temple
before the 29th year of the reign of Rajarajadeva by the king
himself and by others, or bought from the funds of the temple. To each
lamp were allotted 96 ewes,
or 48 cows, or 16 she-buffaloes. The daily supply for each lamp was one urakku
of ghee.
Translation.
1.
Hail ! Prosperity! Until the twenty-ninth year (of the reign) of
Ko-Rajakesarivarman, alias Sri-Rajarajadeva, who, in his life of
growing strength, during which, â (in)
the belief that, as well as the goddess of fortune, the goddess of the
great earth had become his wife,â
he was pleased to destroy the ships (at) Kandalur-Salai
the conquered by his army, which was victorious in great battles,
Vengai-Nadu, Ganga-padi, Nulamba-padi, Tadigai-padi, Kudamalai-nadu,
Kollam, Kalingam, Ira-mandalam, (the conquest of which) made (him)
famous (in) the eight directions,
and the seven and a half lakshas of Iratta-padi, â
deprived the Seriyas (i.e., the Pandyas) of (their)
splendour at the very moment when (they were) resplendent (to
such a degree) that (they were) worthy to be worshipped everywhere ;
â cattle had been given
by the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva
for (burning) sacred lamps before the lord of the
Sri-Rajarajesvara (temple) ; (other) cattle had been given
by (other) donors ; and (other) cattle were represented by
funds (mudal),
as money (kasu) had been paid (for their purchase into the
temple treasury). (These) cattle were assigned to shepherds (Idaiyar),
who had to supply ghee for the sacred lamps (from their milk), at
the rate of ninety-six ewes, or forty-eight cows, or sixteen
she-buffaloes for each sacred lamp. Besides, calves and bulls which were
given along with cows, (had to be reckoned) as cows; lambs and rams
which were given along with ewes, as ewes; and buffalo calves and
he-buffaloes which were given along with she-buffaloes, as
she-buffaloes. The shepherds who had received the battle, themselves and
their people, (viz.,) their relations, and the relations of the
latter, had to supply ghee the treasury of the lord, as long as the moon
and the sun endure, at the daily rate of (one) urakku of
ghee by the Adavallan (measure) for each sacred lamp. (The
names of these shepherds) were engraved on stone as follows:
â
2.
The cattle which had been given by the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva, were
assigned to sacred lamps as follows:
3. From forty-eight cows, which were assigned to the shepherd
Surri Pakkaran (i.e., Bhaskara), who resides in the [Gandha]rva
Street within the limits
of Tanjavur, â he himself
and his relations, (viz.) his uterine brothers [Surri] Nara[ n ]
an (i.e., Narayana) and Surri {Sira]lan,
and (his) uncleâs son [So]lai Kuravan,
[the shepherd]....... who resides at Paru[vur] in Vadakarai-kunra-kurram,
alias Ut[tunga]tunga-valanadu,........ [have to supply] for one
sacred lamp....
No.
64. On the outside of the north enclosure.
As
appears from its 1st paragraph, this inscription is a
continuation of No. 63. The published portion of the 2nd
paragraph refers to a shepherd who had received 96 ewes,
viz., 69 ewes given by Rajarajadeva, and 27 ewes purchased for 9 kasu,
in order to supply ghee for a temple lamp.
Translation
1.
Hail ! Prosperity! There were engraved on stone (the names of the
shepherds) to whom had been assigned, for (burning) sacred lamps, cattle
given by the lord Sri Rajarajadeva, cattle given by (other)
donors, and cattle which were represented by funds, as kasu and akkam
had been paid (for their purchase into the temple treasury) :
â
2.
[To] the shepherd....... who
resides in the Gandharva Street within the limits of Tanjavur, were
assigned sixty-nine ewes out of the cattle which had been given by the
lord Sri-Rajarajadeva ; and (to the same shepherd) were given
nine kasu out of the money which had been deposited by the Perundaram
[Ut]tarang-udaiyan Kera[la-Vi]dividangan,
alias [Vil]llava-Muvenda-Velan, for (burning) a sacred
lamp, which he had vowed (to put up) because the lord
Sri-Rajarajadeva did not take his lamp, which he had vowed (to put up)
because the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva did not take his life
in the battle of Kori.
[At the rate of three ewes for each kasu,
this comes to twenty-seven ewes. Altogether, (the shepherd received)
ninety-six ewes. From (these)]...
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No.
65 On the outside of the North enclosure.
This
inscription records an order of king Rajarajadeva, by which he assigned
a daily allowance of paddy to each of forty-eight persons, whom he had
appointed before the 29th year of his reign, in order to
recite the Tiruppadiyam in the temple, and to two persons who had
to accompany the others on drums. This statement is of considerable
importance for the history of Tamil literature
as an unmistakable proof of the existence of the Saiva hymns which go by
the name of padigam or padiyam, and which are collected in
the Devaram, in the time of Rajaraja. The names of the fifty
incumbents serve to corroborate this identification of the Tiruppadiyam
with the Devaram, as part of them are derived from the names
of the three authors of the Devaram,
viz., Tirunanasambandan (paragraph 7) or Sambandan (10, 22, 34,
38, 42), Tirunavukkaraiyan
(6, 12, 14, 19, 28, 43, 45), and Nambi-Aruran (41, 44) or Aruran (19,
22). The name of two other incumbents, Siralan (13, 15),
is derived from Siraladevar, one of the sixty-three Saiva devotees, who
is referred to in No. 43, paragraph 19. A number of other names
pre-suppose the existence of certain Saiva temples which, without
exception, are mentioned in the Periyapuranam. Among
these are the temples at Tiruvanjiaym (2), Arur (8) or Sri-Arur (21),
Tiruvaymur (3), Maraikkadu (41) or Tirumaraikka[du] (17), Aiyaru (46),
and perhaps Tiruvidaimarudur (51). The name Venkadan (16, 27, 29, 36,
40) is derived from Venkadu or Tiruvenkadu, after which the mother of
the saint Siraladevar was called Tiruvenkattur-Nangai.
The god at Chidambaram is alluded to by the names Ambalavan (11),
Ambalattadi (4, 47), Ambalakkuttan(18), Kuttan (20, 26, 29, 31, 49),
Tillaikkuttan (49), Tillaikkaraisu (33), and Eduttapadam (9, 24, 32).
The
name Tiruvenaval (3) is identical with tiru-ven-naval, âthe
sacred white jambu treeâ in the Saiva temple on the island of
Srirangam near Trichinopoly. This temple is now called Jambukesvara,
Tiruvanaikkaval
or (by the Post Office) Tiruvanaikkoyil. The first of these three names
means â(the image of) Isvara (i.e., Siva) (under) the jambu
(tree),â and the two others are corruptions of the ancient name of the
locality, viz., Tiruvanaikka, âthe sacred elephant-grove.â
The full designation of the god, as used in the Jambukesvara
inscriptions, is âthe lord of the sacred elephant-grove
(Tiruvanaikka), alias the lord of the three worlds, who is
pleased to reside gladly under the shade of the sacred white jambu
tree (tiru-ven-naval).â This name and the modern name
Jambukesvara refer to an ancient legend, which is thus narrated in the Periyapuranam
(p. 239 of the Madras edition of 1888) : â âIn
a grove near the Chandratirtha (i.e., the Moon-tank) in the Chola
country, a linga of Siva made its appearance under a white jambu
tree (ven-navel). This was daily worshipped by a white elephant.
Therefore the place received the name of âthe sacred elephant-groveâ
(Tiruvanaikka). Over the linga, a spider constructed a canopy, in
order to prevent dry leaves from dropping on the linga. When the
elephant saw the cobwebs, he tore them down, because he considered them
out of place. The spider became angry, crawled into the trunk of the
elephant and bit it. The animal dashed its trunk on the ground and died.
So did the spider. In due course, the spider was reborn as the son of
the Chola king Subhadeva and of his queen Kamalavati. The boy received
the name Ko-Sengannan
and inherited his fatherâs kingdom. He possessed the faculty of
remembering his former births and constructed a temple of Siva near the
white jambu tree in the sacred elephant-grove, where he, as a
spider, had formerly worshipped the linga.â A distinct allusion
to this legend occurs in a Jambukesvara inscription of the Pandya king
Ko-Maravarman, alias Kulasekharadeva, which mentions âthe
sacred street called after (the god) who transformed a spider into a
Chola (king).â
That the legend, and the Jambukesvara temple itself, was in existence in
about A.D. 1000, may be concluded from the subjoined inscription, in
which the word tiruve[n]naval forms part of the name of one of
the donees.
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of
historical interest is the name Rajadittan (47), which appears to have
been bestowed on its bearer in commemoration of Rajaditya, the Chola
contemporary of the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III.
Translation.
1.
Hail ! Prosperity! Until the twenty-ninth year (of the reign) of
Ko-Rajakesarivarman, alias Sri-Rajarajrajadeva, who, in his life
of growing strength, during which, â
(in) the belief
that, as well as the goddess of fortune, the goddess of the great earth
had become his wife, â 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, Tadigai-padi, Nulamba-padi, Kudamalai-naldu,
Kollam, Kalingam, Ira-mandalam, (which was the country) of the Singalas
who possessed rough strength, the seven and a half lakshas of
Iratta-padi, and twelve thousand ancient islands of the sea, â
deprived the Seriyas
of (their) splendour at the very moment when (they were) resplendent (to
such a degree) that (they were) worthy to be worshipped everywhere ; â
the lord
Sri-Rajarajesvara (temple), â forty-eight
musicians (Piddarar), one person who should constantly beat the small
drum
in their company, and one person who should constantly beat the big drum
(kotti-mattalam)
in their company. These fifty persons were to receive from the city
treasury of the lord a daily allowance (nibandha) of three kuruni
of paddy each, (measured) by the marakkal called (after)
Adavallan, which is equal to a rajakesari. Instead of those among
these persons, who would die or emigrate,
the nearest relations of such persons were to receive that paddy and to
recite the Tiruppadiyam. If the nearest relations of such persons
were not qualified themselves, they were to select (other) qualified
persons, to let (these) recite the Tiruppadiyam, and to receive
that paddy. If there were no near relations to such persons, the (other)
incumbents of such appointments
were to select qualified persons for reciting the Tiruppadiyam, and
the person selected was to received the paddy in the same way, as that
person (whom he represented), had received it. Accordingly, (the
names of these fifty persons) were engraved on stone, as the lord
Sri-Rajarajadeva had been pleased to order: â
2.
To Palan (i.e., Bala) Tiruvanji[ya]ttadigal,
alias Rajaraja-Pichchan, alias Sadasivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
3.
To Tiruvenaval Sembor[chodi], alias Dakshina-Meru-Vitanka-Pichchan,
alias Nana-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
4.To
Pattalagan
[Am]balattadi,
alias Manotma-Sivan,
three kuruni of paddy per day.
5.
To Pattalagan Siru[d]aikkaral,
alias Purva-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
6.
To Porchuvaran Tirunavukkaraiyan, alias Purva-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
7.
To Maevan (i.e, Mahadeva) Tirunanasambandan, alias Nana-Sivan,
three kuruni of paddy per day.
8.
To Kayilayan (i.e., Kailasa) Arur, alias Darma-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
9.
To [Set]ti Eduttap[adam],
alias Kavacha-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
10.
To Iraman (i.e., Rama) Sambandan, alias Satya-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
11.
To Amba[la]van-van-[Pa]t[ta]rga[l]......
alias Vama-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
12.
To Kam[b]an Tirunavukkaraiyan, alias Sadasivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day. 13.
To Nakkan (i.e., Nagna) Siralan, alias Vama-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
14.
To [A]ppi Tirunavukkaraiyan, alias Natra-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
15.
To Sivakko[ru]ndu
Siralan, alias Dharma-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per
day.
16.
To Ainnurruvan Venkadan, alias Satya-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
17.
To Araiyan A[nu]kkan, alias Tirumaraikka..... [alias Dharma-Si]van,
three kuruni of paddy per day.
18.
To Araiyan Am[bala]kkuttan,
alias Om[ka]ra-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
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19.
To Aruran Tirunavukaraiyan, alias Nana-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
20.
To Kuttan
Maalaichchilam[b]u, alias Purva-Sivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
21.
To Ainnurruvan Siy[a]rur,
alias Ta[tpuru]sha-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
22.
To [Samba]ndan Aruran, alias Vama-Sivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
23.
To Araiyan Pich[chan], alias Dharma-Sivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
24.
To Ka[syap]an Edutta[pa]da-Pichchan, alias Rudra-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
25.
To Subrahmanyan [A]chchan, alias Dharma-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
26.
To Kuttan Amarabhujamgan, alias Satya-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
27.
To........ Venkadan, alias Aghora-Sivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
28.
To devan Tirunavukkaraiyan, alias Vijnana-Sivan, three kurni
of paddy per day.
29.
To Kuttan Venkadan, alias Rudra-Sivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
30.
To Ainnurruvan Tiru[va]y[mu]r,
alias Aghora-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
31.
To Tirumalai Kuttan, alias Vama-Sivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
32.
To Ainnurruvan Eduttapadam, alias Dharma-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
33.
To Araiyan Tillaikkaraisu,
alias Purva-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
34.
To Ka[li] Sambandan, alias Dharma-Sivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
35.
To Ka[p]alika-Vali, alias Nana-Sivan, three kuruni of
paddy per day.
36.
To Venkadan Namassiva[yam], alias Rudra-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
37.
To Sivan Anantan, alias Yoga-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy
per day.
38.
To Sivakkoru[ndu] Sambandan, alias Aghora-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
39.
To [Iraman Kanava]di (i.e., Ganapati), alias Nana-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
40.
To [Pi]chchan Venkadan, alias Aghora-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
41.
To Maraikkadan
Nambi-Aruran, alias Nana-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per
day.
42.
To So [m]an (i.e., Soma) Sambandan, alias Nana-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
43.
To Satti (i.e., Sakti) Tirunavukkaraiyan, alias [Is]sana-Sivan,
three kuruni of paddy per day.
44.
To Porchuvaran Nambi-A[ruran], alias Dharma-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
45.
To Achchan Tirunavukkaraiyan, alias Netra-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
46.
To Aiyaran
Pennorbagan,
alias Hrida[ya-Si]van, three kuruni of paddy per day.
47.
To Rajadi[tt]an Ambalattadi, alias Sikha-Sivan, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
48.
To [S]elvan Ka[na]vadi Te[m]ban, alias [Dharma-Si]van, three kuruni
of paddy per day.
49.
To Kuttan Tillaikkuttan,
alias Nana-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
50.
For beating the small drum, to Suryadeva-Kramavittan,
alias...... Vidanga-Udukkai-Vijjadiran,
alias Soma-Sivan, the son of [Ta]ttaya-Kramavittan of [Dv]edaigomapuram,
three kuruni of paddy per day.
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51.
For beating the big drum, to Gunappu[ga]r Marudan,
alias Sikha-Sivan, three kuruni of paddy per day.
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