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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
PART-II TAMIL AND GRANTHA INSCRIPTIONS III.-INSCRIPTIONS AT AND NEAR VIRICHIPURAM NO.56. INSIDE THE FRONT GOPURA OF THE VIRINCHIPURAM TEMPLE, SECOND INSCRIPTION TO THE RIGHT This
inscription is dated during the reign of
Virapratapa-Devaraya-maharaja (of Vijayanagara) and in the Visvavasu
year, which was current after the expiration of the Saka year
1347. It refers to q
question of the sacred law (dharma) of the Brahmanas,
which was settled by the Brahmanas of the kingdom of Padaividu,
among whom Karnata, Tamir, Telugu and Lata Brahmanas are
mentioned. Their
representatives signed an agreement to the effect, that henceforth
marriages among their families had only to be concluded by kayadana,
i.e., that the father had to give his daughter to the bridegroom
gratuitously. Both the
father who accepted money, and the bridegroom who paid money for the
bride, should be subject to punishment by the king and to
excommunication for their caste. This practice was evidently adopted
on the authority of the canonical works on sacred law, which condemn
in strong terms the payment of money for the bride, and use the term
asura-vivadha for a marriage thus concluded.
The four forms of marriage permitted to Brahmanas are
mere varieties of the marriage by kanyadhana. To the end of the inscription a large number of signatures of Brahmans are attached. This part of the original is obliterated to such an extent that a satisfactory transcript cannot be given. In some cases, the places where the single Brahmanas came from, are registered. As the identification of these localities might be useful for fixing the extent of the kingdom of Padaividu, I subjoin those which may be read with certainty: Kalanjiyam,Kamalapadam, Marudam, Mangalam, Araiyapadi, Kannamangalam[1] A[ga]tterippattu, Enadapadi. Two other inscriptions mention Gudiyattam[2] and Vallam[3] as belonging to the kingdom of Padavidu[4] or Padavedu. The kingdom of Padaividu (Padaivittu rajyam) was called after the town of Padaividu, now Padavedu in the Polur Talluqa of the North Arcot District. According to two Vijayanagara inscriptions, it formed a district of Tondai-mandalam[5]. The name Padaividu means âan encampmentâ and seems to owe its origin to a temporary camp of some king, around which a city arose in course of time[6]
TRANSLATION Let there be Prosperity! Hail! On the day of (the nakshatra) Anusham[7] which corresponds to Wednesday, the sixth lunar day, the 3rd (solar day) of the month of Panguni[8] of the Visvavasu year, which was current after the Saka year 1347 (had passed), while the illustrious maharajadhiraja-parameswara, the illustrious Virapratpa-Devaraya-maharaja was pleased to rule the earth,-the great men of all branches of sacred studies of the kingdom (rajyam) of Padaividu drew up, in the presence of (the god) Gopinatha (of) Arkapushkkarini, a document (which contains) an agreement fixing the sacred law. According to (this document), if the Brahmanas of this kingdom (rajyam) of Padaividu, viz., Kannadigas, Tamiras, Telungas, Ilalas,[9]etc.,of all gotras, sutras, and sakhas conclude a marriage, they shall, from this day forward, do it by kanyadana. Those who do no adopt kanyadana, i.e., both those who give away after having received gold, and those who conclude a marriage after having given gold, shall be liable to punishment by the king and shall be excluded from the community of Brahmanas. These are the contents of the document which was drawn up. The following are the signatures of the great men of all branches of sacred studies:- NO.57. ON A STONE BUILT INTO THE FLOOR OF THE COURTYYARD OF THE VIRINCHIPURAM TEMPLE This inscription records that in the Saumya year, which was current after the expiration of Saka 1471, the pavement of the outer courtyard of the Virincipuram Temple was laid by Bommuu-nayaka, who is evidently the same person as Sinua-Bommu-nayaka or Bomma-nripati of Velur[10]. On this occasion, the other inscribed stones which are noticed in part III, must have found their way into the floor of the temple. TRANSLATION Let
there be prosperity! On Thursday, the day of (the nakshtra) Punarvasu,
which corresponds to the seventh lunar day of the former half of the
month of Mesha of the Saumya year, which was current
after the Salivaha-Saka year
1471 (had passed),-in order to procure religious merit to
Machcha (?)-nayaka (of) Velur,-prince Bommu-nayaka laid the
pavement round the whole (temple). No.58. ON A STONE AT THE SOUTH ENTRANCE OF VIRINCHIPURAM This
inscription is dated during the reign of Venkatapati-deva-maharayar[11]
and in the Nadana year, which was current after the
expiration of the Saka year 1514.
it records that Periya-Erama-nayaka of Punnarrur granted a
house (manai) and some land for a matha to
Ananda-Namasivaya-pandaram.
The grant was made at the margasahayesvara Temple of
Tiru-Virinchapuram (Virinchipuram). TRANSLATION Hail!
On the 6th solar day of the month of Tai of the Nadana
year, which was current after the Saka year 1514 (had
passed), while the illustrious mahamandalesvara, the hero
(Ganda) the dagger (Kattari), the hawk (Saluva),
the illustrious Venkatapati-deva-maharayar was pleased to rule the
earth, -in the presence of (the god) Margasahayesvara (of)
Tiru-Viranchapuram,-Periya-Erama-nayaka (of) Punnarrur
ordered a house (manai) on the northern side of the holy
street (tiru-vithi) of Vandarayan (to be given for) a matha
to Anada-Namasivaya-pandaram, the worshipper (i.e.pupil?) of
the guru Namasivaya-murti (of) Chidambarma, in order
to procure religious merit to Samkarappa-nayaka Ayan, the son of
Maya(?)-nayaka(of) Velur.
This house for the matha consists of 1 house to the
east of the house of Trayambaka and to the west of the house of Murti-manikkam, and of a
house-garden of 41 feet. To this meritorious gift of a mahta
we gave, with a libation o water, for each day a
INSCRIPTIONS
OF THE PERUMAL TEMPLE AT POYGAI NEAR VIRINCHIPURAM These
inscriptions (Nos.59 to 64) are dated during the reign of a king
called Tribhuvanachakravartin Rajaraja-deva.
His twenty-second year corresponded to Saka 1160 (Nos.59 and
60), his twenty-fourth year to Saka 1161 (Nos.61 and 62) and his
twenty-eighth year was current after the expiration of Saka 1165
(No.64). Accordingly, the first year of his reign corresponded to
the Saka year 1137-38. The
inscription record that the Kerala merchant Adi-Rama, an inhabitant
of âthe Hill-country,â i.e., of Malayalam, granted three
villages, which he had bought from a certain Sambuvarayan, to the
temple, on the walls of which the inscriptions are found.
The temple had two names:1.Arulala-Perumal of Poygai alias
Rajendra-Chola-nallur, and
2.Chitra-meri-Malai-mandala-Vinnagara.
The technical meaning of chitra-meri, âthe beautiful
plough-tail,â is not clear. The
remainder of the second name means âthe Vishnu temple[15]
of the Hill-country.â Probably the donor Rama himself had founded
the temple and called it after his native country, viz., Malayalam. The
full name of Sambuvarayan, from whom Rama bought the three villages
which he granted to the Poygai Temple, was Sengeni-Virasani[16]-Ammaiappan
(or Ammaiyappan) Aragiya-Soran, alias Edirilli[17]-Sora-Sambuvarayan[18].
He seems to have been a vassal of Rajaraja-deva. No.
59. ON THE BASE OF THE NORTH WALL This
inscription is dated in the twenty-second year of Tribhuvancachakravartin
Rajaraja-deva and in the Saka year 1160.
It records the gift of the village of Kumaramangalam, which
was situated east of Korra-mangalam, north-west of Aimbundi-which
lay to the north of Poygai, alias Rajendra-Chola-nallur-and
south of the Palaru. Aimbundi
is the old name of the
modern village of Ammundi;it occurs also in an Ammundi inscription,
which will be noticed in Part III (No.131).
The Palaru is the well-known Palar, the chief river of the
North Arcot District. TRANSLATION Hail!
Prosperity! [In the month of] Tai of
the twenty-second year of the illustrious Tribhuvanachakravartin,
the illustrious Rajaraja-deva, which was current during the Saka
year one thousand one hundred and sixty,-I,
Sengeni-Virasani-Ammaiyappan, who has gained victory standing by
himself, who shows his sword, Aragiya-Soran, alias Edrilliâ¦.,
after having received gold from Rama the Kerala, a slave (i.e., worshipper)
of Aya-inar,[19]-gave to the Vishnu temple
of Chitra-meri-Malai-mandala, alias (the temple of)
Arulala-Perumal, (at) Poygai, alais Rajendra-Sora-nallur,
(the village of) Kumara-mangalam as exclusive property, to
last as long as the moon and sun;-the boundary on the western side
is to the eat of the tiwari stone put up at the extremity of
the boundary o Aimbundi;the boundary on the northern side is to the
south of the (river) Palaru;-the trees over ground and the
wells underground, the wet land
and the dry land, included within these boundaries in the
four directions; including taxes for the village-police, the rice in
Karttika, the
unripe (fruit) in Karttika, and all other revenue in
money; the tax on looms, the tax on shops, the tax on goldsmiths,
the tax on oil-mills, the tax on Ajivakas, and all (other)
revenue. NO.60.
ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE EAST WALL Of
this inscription only the date remains, which is the same as in
No.59. TRANSLATION Hail!
Prosperity! In the twenty-second year of Tribhuvanachakravartin, the
illustrious Rajaraja-deva, which was current during the Saka year
one thousand one hundred and sixty. . . . . NO.61.
ON THE BASE OF THE SOUTH WALL This
inscriptions is dated in the twenty-fourth year of Tribhuvanacharavartin
Rajaraja-deva, and in the Saka year 1161.
It records the gift of the village of Puttur. TRANSLATIION Hail!
Prosperity! From the month of Tai of the twenty-fourth year
of the illustrious Tribhuvanachakravartin, the illustrious
Rajaraja-deva, which was current during the Saka year one thusand
one hundred and sixty-one,-I, Virasani-Ammaiyappan Aragiya-Soran, alias
Edirili-Sora-Sambuvarayan, after having received gold from Rama
the Kerala, a worshipper of Aya-inar (and an inhabitant) of
Malai-mandalam,-gave to the Vishnu temple of
Chitra-meri-Malai-mandala, alias (the temple of) Arulala-Perumal,
(at) Poygai, alias
Rajendra-Sora-nallur, (the village of) Puttur as
exclusive property:-the trees over ground and the wells underground,
the wet land and the dry land, included within the boundaries in the
four directions; all the revenue in paddy, excluding tolls and the
small tax for the village-police, and including the three handfuls
of paddy (?);the rice in Karttika, the money in Karttika,
the unripe (fruit)
in Karttika,
velipayaru,[20]
the money from water and land, the tax on oil-mills, the money from
(the sale of) the fish in the tank,â¦..the money for
documents, and all other revenue in money;the antarayam;[21]
including all (other) revenue in paddy and revenue in money,
including (that for) one Vetti. No.
62. ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE EAST WALL This
inscription is a duplicate of No. 61. At the end some words are
lost. No.
63. ON THE BASE OF THE EAST WALL This
short inscription refers to the
gift of the village of Puttur,
which is also recorded in the two preceding inscriptions. TRANSLATIION The
merchant Adi-Rama the Kerala, who lived in Malai-nadu, where the
goddess with the red flower (Lakshmi) resides, having
decorated Arulalar (of) Poygai, and hving acquired as
exclusive property (the village of) Puttur, made it his (the
godâs) village. No.64.
ON THE NORTH WALL This
inscription is dated in the 28th year of Rajaraja-deva,
which was current after the expiration of the Saka year 1165.
It records the gift of the village of Attiyur. TRANSLATIION Hail!
Prosperity! From the month of Kurkataka of the 28th
year of the illustrious Rajaraja-deva, which was current after the
Saka year one thousand one hundred and sixty-five (had passed),-I,
Sengeni-Virasani-Ammaiappan Aragiya-soran, alias Edrilli-Sora-Sambuvarayan,
after having received gold from the Kerala merchant Rama, a
worshipper of Aya-inar,-gave to the Vishnu temple of
Chitra-meri-Malai-mandala, alias (the temple of) Arulala-Perumal
(at) Poygai, (the village of) Attiyur as a divine gift
(devadana) and as exclusive property;-the trees over ground
and the wells underground, the wet land and the dry land, included
within the boundaries in the four directions, excluding the land (called)
Pallichchandam,[22] Tukkai-patti, Pidari-Patti,[23]Bhatta-vritti
and Vaidy-vritti;[24]
the revenue in paddy, excluding (the revenue for) one Vetti,
tolls, and the tax for the overseer of the village-police and the
accountant, and including the three handfuls and paddy (?); the
taxes in money, including (that for) cloths of males and
females,. . . . . . the money for documents, . . . . . veli-payaru,
the gleaned rice, .
. . . . the tax on oil-mills and the tax on Ajivakas; including all
other revenue in paddy and revenue in money. No.65.
ON THE WEST AND SOUTH WALLS OF THE ISVARA TEMPLE AT VAKKANAPURAM
NEAR VIRINCHIPURAM This
inscription records, that a number of people agreed to found a
temple, called Okkaninra-nayanar, and granted to it three velis[25]of
land belonging to Tiru-Virunchapuram, i.e., Virinchipuram,
and a tirumadaivilagam.[26]
Okkaninra-nayanar ws evidently the name of the Vakkanapuram Temple,
and may be connected wit hthe modern name of the village. A shrine
of Chandesvara-nayanar,[27]the
god, who issupposed to preside over the temple treasure, seems to
have been attached to the temple. Further,
some land was granted to Varittunai-nayanar, âthe lord who is a
companion on the road .â This
is the Tamil equivalent of Margasahayesvara, the name of the
Virinchipuram Temple, which occurs in No.58. The
whole grant was entrusted to a certain Kambavna-bhatta, whose name
also appears among the signatures, which are attached to this
document. Among these
there are some curious denominations, which show that
the villagers were fond of bearing royal names.
Thus we find Vira-Sora-Brahma-rayan, Minavarayan[28]
Devarayan, Nandivarman, Muvendirayan[29]
and Chedirayan. One of
the witnesses signs half in Tamil half in Sanskrit; another was
called after Sirrambalam and a third hailed from Periya-nadu. TRANSLATIION Let
there be prosperity! According to the pleasure of
Chandesvara-nayanar, (the following gifts were made over) to
Arvar Kambavana-bhatta. From
the month of Karttika of the Siddharthin year forward, the lord
Okkaninra-nayanar shall be placed in the dry land to the south of
the Devaneri (tank), (which belongs) to the dry land of
Tiru-Viunchapuram, the Okkaninran-eri (tank) shall be
constructed, and the reclaimable land below this tank and in other
places, which are above the level of this water, shall be reclaimed.
After they are reclaimed, three velies of land below
this tank shall be placed at the disposal of this lord
Okkaninra-nayanar as a divine gift, as a saravamanya (and) from
taxes, to last as long as the moon and the sum.
With the exception of these three velis of land, the
elevated land shall be a dive gift to the lord Varittunai-nayanar.
(All the land) which pays taxes,-including the
door-money (vasalpanam), which will be taken from all houses
built round and in front of the holy temple of this
Okkaninra-nayanar,-shall belong to this Okkaninra-nayanar as the
environs of his temple (tirumadavilagam), which shall be a saravamanya
(and) free from (other) taxes.
One kalam[30]
and four naris[31]
of paddy and a quarter panam shall be taken, including
all conditions (?Upadhi), per hundred kuris of the
elevated land, which is reclaimed, in the year during which it is
reclaimed, with the exception of those environs of the temple and
the three velis of land, (which form) that divine
gift. [the meaning of
the next three clauses, which contain some unintelligible terms,
seems to be, that in the next-following year, one quarter, in the
next, one half, and in each further year, three quarters more than
in the first year should be taken.]
A document to this effect shall be engraved on the holy
mountain (tirumalai)[32]
Let the blessed Mahesvesvara protect this (gift). This
is the signature of the magistrate (adhikaram) Ilakkappan.
This is the signature of Kambavana-bhatta.
This is (the signature) of Dakshinamurti-bhatta.
This is the signature of Tiruchchirrambala-bhatta.
This is the signature of Appar-andi.
This is the signature of Sama-Brahma-rayan.
This is the signature of
the illustrious Mahesvara-vearan.
This is the signature of Minavarayan.
This is the signature of Devarayan. This is the signature of
Nandivarman. This is the signature of Abhimanabhushana-velan.
This is the signature of Muvendirayan, the account (kanakku)
of the temple. This
is the signature of Chedirayan.
[1] This village is situated
in the Arni Jagir, about half-way between Arni and Vellore;it is
spelt âkunnamangalamâ in the official List of Indian Post
offices, Calcutta, 1886. [2] Head-quarters of a talluqa
of the North Arcot District. [3] In the Vandavasi Talluqa
of the same district. [4] Ind.Ant., Vol.
XIII, p.132. Padavidu-rajya occurs also in two
inscriptions published by Dr. Oppert (Madras Journal for
1881, pp 251 and 257);Patavita-rajya in a grant of Saka
1460, the Vilambin year, from Sriperumbudur (Sewellâs Lists,
Vol.II, p.266), for the original of which I am indebted to
Mr.J.Lee Warner, the Collector of Chingleput. [5] The Padavedu inscription
No.81 mentions Tondai-mandalattu Padaivittu rajyam. According
to the Kondyata grant (Ind Ant., Vol. XIII, p.132) the Padavidu-maharaja
belonged to the Jayankonda-Tonda-mandala. [6] Thus the present residence
of the Sindhia at the foot of the Gwalior Fort still bears the
name of Lashkar, i.e., âcamp.â [7] Sanskrit Anuradha [8] Sanskrit Phalguni [9] Sanskrit Lata, the old
name of Gujarat. [10] See the introduction of
No.43. [11] This is Venkata I. of
Karnata, whose grants range between Saka 1508 and 1535 ; see Indian
Antiquary, Vol. XIII, p.155 [12] A dry-measure equal to a
marakkal. [13] It appears that the land
mentioned below was mortgaged to the matha as a guarantee
for the regular supply of the rice. [14] This clause seems to
imply, that the matha was to be inherited by the sishyas
of the donee, just as in other cases a grant to a Brahmana is
successively enjoyed by his sons, grandsons and further
decendants. [15] This translation of Vinayaga
rests on an ancient inscription of the Vaikunta-Perumal
Temple at Kanchipuram, in which the Saskrit Vishnugriha corresponds
to the Tamil Vinnagara, which might however, also mean
âthe celestial cityâ [16] i.e., âthe thunderbolt
to heroes.â [17] I.e., âthe unopposedâ [18] No.64, lines 24 f. [19] This is probably a name
of Vishnu. It might
mean:âhe who is without a motherâ, and correspond to the
Sanskrit Aja, âthe unborn.â [20][20]
The literal meaning of this term would be âthe hedge-beans.â [21] This seems to be the name
of some sort of revenue (dya). [22] Pallichchendam probably
means âtemple-landâ just as palli-gramam âa village
belongs to a temple.â In the inscriptions Nos.67 and 68, pallichchendam
seems to be used in the sense of palligramam itself. [23] Patti means âa
measure of land sufficient for a sheep-fold;â compare Kuttali-patti
in No.42, above. Tukkai
is the same as Tukkai, i.e., Durga, and Pidari is a form
of Kali. [24] I.e., (the
land) enjoyed by the Bhattas and enjoyed by the Vaidyas. [25] 1 veli consists 5 Kanis,
1 Kani of 100 kuri is equal to 576 square feet. [26] This term seems to
signify âthe envirens of a temple;â compare No.86 line 24. [27] Compare Adidasa
Chandesvara in six other inscriptions (Nos.84,85,89,110, 112 and
131), and Adichandesvara in Carrâs, Seven Pagodas, pp.121,128.
The Tanjore Temple also contains a small shire of
Chandesvara. [28] Minavan, âthe bearer of
the fish-banner,â is an epithet of the Pandya kings. [29] This stands porbably for
Muv-ven-irayan. Muvvendu would be a synonym of
Muvarasar, âthe three kings,â i.e., Seran,
Soran and Pandiyan. [30] Equal to 12 marakkals. [31] Equal to 1/8 marakkals. [32] By this temple itelf
seems to be meant. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||