14. One [girdle (kalavam[7])],— with the eighty-one pearls in all, (viz.,) round pearls, roundish pearls, polished pearls and small pearls strung on (its) three [strings] and with the two paligai, (each consisting of) three (pieces) soldered into one and (each) having a single eye (padugan),— weighing, inclusive of the lac, two karanju and three quarters, seven manjadi and (one) kunri, and worth two kasu and a half.

15. One (ornamental consisting of a) single string (ekavalli[8]) weighing (one) karanju, four manjadi and (one) kunri, inclusive of the twenty-eight pearls in all strung on (it), (viz.,) round pearls, roundish pearls, polished pearls and small pearls, and the two talimbam each having a single eye (padugan). (Its) price (was) one kasu and a half.

16. One ruby marriage badge (tali), having a small sanbangarai[9] of gold, worth three kasu. On (it) were set five diamonds in all, (viz.) kakavrinta and urulai ; and one ruby with komalam and kudi. m.[10] (It had) one eye (padugan) and one hook (kokkuvay) round the collar (karai). (Its total) weight including the lac (was) (one) karanju and three manjadi.

17. One pearl bracelet (muttin-sudagam) with balls soldered on a band of gold, weighing four karanju and three quarters and four manjadi, inclusive of one gold pin[11], and the two hundred and fifty pearls in all strung on (it), (viz.,) crude pearls, sappatti and sakkattu. (Its) price (was) four kasu.

18. One pearl bracelet with balls soldered on a band of gold, weighing four karanju and six manjadi inclusive of one gold pin, land the two hundred and eighty-four pearls in all strung on (it), (viz.,) crude pearls and pearls in clusters (punjai-muttu[12]) and crude pearls. (Its) price (was) four kasu.

19. One pearl bracelet with balls soldered on a band of gold, weighing five karanju and a quarter, inclusive of one gold pin, and the two hundred and ninety-two pearls in all strung on (it), (viz.) pearls in clusters (punjai-muttu) and crude pearls. (Its) price (was) four kasu and a half.

20. One pearl bracelet with balls soldered on a band of gold, weighing five karanju and a quarter, inclusive of one gold pin, and the two hundred and five pearls in all strung on (it), (viz.) crude pearls and pearls in clusters (punjai-muttu). (Its) price (was) four kasu and a half.

21. One sacred foot-string (tirukkalvadam) with the twenty-seven pearls in all strung on (it), (viz.) round pearls, roundish pearls, crude pearls and sappatti, weighing half a karanju, three manjadi and two tenths[13]

And worth seven-twentieths of a kasu and one-fortieth.

22. One sacred foot-string with the thirty pearls in all strung on (it), (viz.,) round pearls, roundish pearls, crude pearls and sappatti, weighing half a karanju, two manjadi and (one) kunri, and worth seven-twentieths of a kasu and one-fortieth.

23. One pair of sacred ear-rings (tirukkambi), (consisting of) two karanju and three quarters and four manjadi of gold.

24. One string of beads for the marriage badge (tali-manivadam), (consisting of) (one) karanju and three manjadi of gold.

25. One sacred girdle (tiruppattigai), (consisting of) two karanju of gold.

26. One pair of sacred foot rings, (consisting of) five karanju and six manjadi of gold.

27. One handle for a fly-whisk, (consisting of) nineteen karanju and nine manjadi of gold.

28. One handle for a fly-whisk, (consisting of) nineteen karanju and a half and four manjadi of gold.

No. 80. On a pillar of the south enclosure.[14]

This inscription records that Prithi[i]vimahadeviyar, a queen Rajarajadeva, set up a copper image of Srikanthamurtigal, and presented some ornaments to it. An endowment in favour of the same image is registered in No. 82 below.

The pillar on which the inscription is engraved is considerably damaged, especially the first face.

Translation.

 Hail ! Prosperity! The following copper image,— which had been set up in the temple of Sri-Rajarajesvaramudaiyar until the twenty-ninth year (of the king’s reign) by Prith[I]vimahadeviyar, the consort of the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva,— was engraved (i.e., recorded) on stone, after (it) had been measured by the cubit measure (preserved) in the temple of the lord and after the gold had been weighed by the stone called [Adavallan] : -

2. One solid image of Srikanthamurtigal with four divine arms comfortably seated and (measuring) three quarters (of a muram) and four viral in height from the feet to the hair.

3. One lotus on which this (image) was seated set with jewels (and measuring) four viral in height.

4. One pedestal (pitha), one cubit and a half and one-eighth in length, three quarters (of a cubit) and four viral and a half in breadth, and six viral and a half in height.

5. One solid aureola covering this (image and measuring) three (cubits) and three quarters and one viral and a half in circumference.

6. To this (image) were given : -

7. One pair of sacred ear-rings, (consisting of) two karanju and (one) kunri of gold.

8. Two sacred arm-rings, (consisting of) nine karanju and a half of gold – at four karanju and three quarters for each.

9. One sacred arm-ring, (consisting of) four karanju and three quarters and two manjadi of gold.

10. One sacred arm-ring, (consisting of) four karanju and a half and three manjadi of gold. 

No. 81. on a pillar of the south enclosure.[15]

This inscription records that the son of an officer of rajarajadeva set up a copper image of the goddess Kala-Pidari. A temple (srikoyil) of this goddess and its sacred court (tiru-murram) at Maganikudi in Venkonkudikkandam, a subdivision of Maranadu alias Rajasraya-valanadu are mentioned in No. 5 above, paragraph 13, and another at Turaiyur in Kir-Palaru, a subdivision of Pachchir-kurram in the same nadu, in paragraph 15 of the same inscription.[16]

Translation.

Hail! Prosperity! The (following) copper image, set up in the temple of the lord Sri-Rajarajaesvaramudaiyar until the twenty-ninth year (of the king’s reign) by Kandayan alias Rajaraja-Kattiyaraiyan, son of Kattiyaraiyan, a Perundanam[17] of the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva, was engraved (i.e., recorded) on stone after (it) had been measured by the cubit measure (preserved) in the temple of the lord and after the gold had been weighed by the stone called [Adavallan]:-

2. One solid image of (the goddess) Kala-Pidari with four divine arms, (measuring) sixteen viral kin height from the seat reaching up to the hair.

3. One pedestal on which this (image) was seated, (measuring) twenty-two viral and two torai in length, eleven viral in breadth and eight viral and two torai in height.

4. One solid aureola covering this (image and measuring) two cubits and fifteen viral in circumference. 

No. 82. On the base of the south enclosure.[18]

This inscription is dated in the 7^th year of rajendra-Chola I. The king’s conquests end with the subjugation of the island of Sandimattivu. As we know that the invasion of the “many ancient islands” immediately preceded this event and that it took place in the 6^th year,[19] it may be concluded that the conquest of Sandimattivu must have taken place in the 7^th year of the king’s reign = A.D. 1018-19. The Tiruvalangadu plates[20] tell us that Rajendra-Chola advanced against the Western Country because he had heard of the disgrace which the kings of the earth had suffered at the hands of Parasurama. Not finding him on earth the Chola king desired to conquer the country reclaimed by him, which was protected against foreign invasion by the greatness of Parasurama’spenance. It is evident that the conquest of the island of Sandimattivu was the most important event of the campaign against Kerala which must have taken place in A.D. 1018-19.

The subjoined inscription registers an endowment in money in favour of the image of Srikanthamurtigal set up by Prithivimahadeviyar, queen of Rajarajadeva. The money was lent out on interest to the members of the assembly of Narasinga-chaturvedimangalam, a brahmadeya in Avur-kurram, a subdivision of Nittavinoda-valanadu. The interest was to be paid in kind and amounted to thirty-seven kalam, one tuni and one padakku of paddy.

This and the next record belong to a class of Tanjore inscriptions which are dated during the reign of Rajendra-Chola I. and register endowments by groups of men. To each of these groups a shrine in the temple was “attached” by order of the king.[21] 

Translation.

 Hail ! Prosperity! In the seventh year (of the reign) of king Parakesarivarman alias Sri-Rajendra-Choladeva, who,—  in (his) life of high prosperity[22], while fortune, having become constant, was increasing, (and) while the goddess of the great earth, the goddess of victory in battle, and the matchless goddess of fame rejoiced in having become his great queens,— conquered, with (his) great warlike army, Idaiturai-nadu ; Vanavasi, whose unbroken hedge of forest (trees) was extending ; Kollippakkai, whose walls were surrounded by ‘sulli’ (trees) ; the camp of Mannai, whose strength (i.e., fortifications) was unapproachable ; the crown of the king of Irma, who came to close quarters in fighting ; the exceedingly beautiful crown of the queen of that (king) ; the beautiful crown and Indra’s pearl-necklace which the king of the South (i.e., the Pandya) previously deposited with that (king of Irma) ; the whole Ira-mandalam on the transparent sea ; the crown praised by many and the garland (emitting) beautiful rays, — family treasures, which the (kings of) Kerala, whose armies overcame (opponents), rightfully wore ; many ancient islands, whose old and great guard was the sea, which resounds with conches ; the crown of pure gold, worthy of Lakshmi, which Parasurama, having thought of the fortifications of the impregnable Sandimattivu, had deposited (there) then, enraged in battle, (he) bound the kings twenty-one times,— there was engraved on stone (the name of) the village which had received on interest from Chandesvardeva,— who is the first servant of the supreme lord who has been pleased to take up gladly his abode in (the temple called) Sri-Rajarajesvara,—  the money which had been deposited until the seventh year (of the reign) of the lord Sri-Rajendra-Choladeva on account of the offerings and other expenses required for (the image of) Srikanthamurtigal, which Prithivimahadeviyar, the consort of the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva, had set up in the temple of Sri-Rajarajesvaramudaiyar and which the lord Sri-Rajendra-Choladeva had attached to the artisans (karmigal) of the Perundanam (and) the accountants.[23]

2. The members of the assembly of Narasinga-chaturvedimangalam, a brahmadeya in Avur-kurram, (a subdivision) of Nittavinoda-valanadu have received at the beginning of the seventh year (of the reign) of the lord Sri-Rajendra-Choladeva, one hundred and fifty kasu (out of) the money which the artisans of the Perundanam (and) the accountants had deposited on account of the offerings and other expenses required for this (image of) Srikanthamurtigal. For (these one hundred and fifty kasu, the former) have to make over every year, as long as the moon and the sun (endure), thirty-seven kalam, (one) tuni and (one) padakku of paddy into the big treasury of the lord at Tanjavur by the marakkal called (after) Adavallan which is equal to a rajakesari – the rate of interest being three kuruni of paddy per year for each kasu. 

No. 83. On the base of the south enclosure.[24]

This inscription is dated in the tenth year of Rajendra-Chola I. and registers an endowment in money in favour of the image of Mahameru-Vitanka, set up by Rajarajadeva, and of that of his consort. The money was lent out on interest to the members of the assembly of Narasinga-chaturvedimangalam mentioned in No. 82. In this case too, the interest was payable in kind and amounted to fifty kalam of paddy which had to be delivered into Tanjai-Vidangan, the big treasury at Tanjavur.

Translation.

In the tenth year (of the reign) of king Parakesarivarman alias Sri-Rajendra-Choladeva, who, etc.,[25] — there was engraved on stone (the name of) the village which had received on interest from Chandesvaradeva,— who is the first servant of the supreme lord, who has been pleased to take up gladly his abode (in the temple called) Sri-Rajarajesvara,— (part) of the money which the servants of the minor treasure (sirudanattuppanimakkal)[26] had deposited until the tenth year (of the reign) of the lord Sri-Rajendra-Choladeva on account of the offerings and other expenses required for these, (viz.,) (the image of) Mahameru-Vitankar set up by the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva and (that of) his consort— to both of them (they i.e., the servants of the minor treasure) had been attached.

2. The members of the assembly of Narasinga-chaturvedimangalam, a brahmadeya in Avur-kurram, (a subdivision) of Nittavinoda-valanadu, have received from Sri-Rajendra-Choladeva, two hundred kasu out of the money which the servants of the minor treasure had deposited, until the tenth year, on account of the offerings and other expenses required for these, (viz.,) (the image of) Mahameru-Vitankar set up by the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva and (that of) his consort. For (these two hundred kasu, the former) have to measure every year, as long as the moon the sun endure, fifty kalam of paddy into Tanjai-Vidanga, the big treasury of the lord at Tanjavur, by the marakkal called (after) Adavallan, which is equal to a rajakesari – the rate of interest being three kuruni of paddy per year for each kasu (measured) by the marakkal called (after) Adavallan which is equal to a rajakesari.

Home Page