South
Indian Inscriptions, Volume 2
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Tamil
Inscriptions
part
- i
INSCRIPTIONS
OF THE TANJAVUR TEMPLE
INSCRIPTIONS
ON THE WALLS OF THE CENTRAL SHRINE
No.1
On
the North and West Walls Upper tier
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This inscription
consists of nine sections engraved on the north wall and four sections on the
west wall of the central shrine. It opens with a Sanskrit sloka,
according to which it is an edict of Rajaraja, (alias) Rajakesarivarman.
The remainder of the inscription, like all the other Tanjavur inscriptions, is
written in Tamil.
After the list of
conquests, which is found at the beginning of many inscriptions of the Chola
king Rajaraja, paragraph 5 contains the date, after which this and all the other
Tanjavur inscriptions were incised. On the 20th day of the 26th
year of his reign, Ko-Rajakesarivarman, alias Rajarajadeva, issued
orders, that the gifts made by himself those made by his elder sister (viz., Kundavaiyar), those made by his wives, land those made by other donors
should be engraved on the stone walls of the temple. A second important fact,
which we learn from paragraph 2, is, that the Tanjavur temple had been built by
Rajarajadeva himself, and that it was called after him Rajarajesvara, i.e.,
the Isvara (temple) of Rajaraja.
Paragraphs 3 to 107
contain a list of gold images, vessels and ornaments, which the king himself
presented to the temple of Rajarajesvara (paragraphs 3 to 98) and to the image
of Dakshina-Meru-Vitankar (paragraphs 99 to 107) on the following dates: -
Paragraphs 3 and 4: 25th
years, 312th day
Paragraphs 5 to 9:26th
year 14th day.
Paragraphs 10to 16: 26th
year, 27th day.
Paragraphs 17: 26th
years, 34th day.
Paragraphs 18: 25th
year, 275th day.
Paragraphs 19 to 32: 26th
year, 104th day
Paragraphs 33: 26th
year, 318th day
Paragraphs 34 to 50: 26th
year, 319th day.
Paragraphs 51 to 107:
23d to 29th year.
The last set of
paragraphs (51 to 107) was incised at a later date than the preceding part of
the inscription, to which it refers as previously engraved (paragraph 51).
Part of the gifts, which
the king made between his 23rd and 29th year, were taken
from the treasures, which he seized after having defeated the Chera king and
the Pandya in Malainadu[1]
(paragraphs 34, 51, 52 and 107). A number of gold trumpets were presented to
the temple, after he had assumed the titles of Sivapadasekhara, âthe devotee of
Siva,â and of Rajaraja, âthe king of kingsâ (paragraph 55), and a number of
gold flowers, after he had returned from the conquest of Satyasraya (paragraph
92).
Each of the gifts is
stated to have been weighed by âthe stone called (after) Adavallau.â
This was evidently a standard weight for gold, or a set of such weights, made
of stone and preserved at the shrine of the god Adavallan or Adavallar, who was
also called Dakshina-Meru-Vitankar.[2]
Translation
First
Part
1.
Hail! Prosperity! This (is) the edict (sasana) of Rajaraja (alias) Rajakesarivarman, which is cherished by the multitude of
the diadems of (i.e., which is obeyed by) the
crowd of all princes.[3]
2. On the twentieth day
of the twenty-sixth year (of the reign) of Ko-Rajakesarivarman, alias
Sri-Rajarajadeva, who â while (his) heart rejoiced, that, like the
goddess of fortune, the goddess of the great earth had become his wife, â in his
life of growing strength, during which, having been pleased to cut the vessal (kalam)
(in) the hall (at) Kandalur,[4]
he conquered by his army, which was victorious in great battles, Vengai-nadu,
Ganga-padi, Tadigai-padi, Nulamba-padi, Kudamalai-nadu, Kollam, Kalingam,
Ira-mandalam, (the conquest of which) gave fame (i.e., 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 splendor,
while (he) was resplendent (to such a degree) that (he)
was worthy to be worshipped everywhere; â having been pleased to make gifts (in)
the royal bathing-hall (tiru-manjana-salai) to the east (of the hall)
of Irumadi-Soran within the Tanjavur palace (koyil), the lord (udaiyar)
Sri-Rajarajadeva vouchsafed to say: â âLet the gifts made by us, those made by
(our) elder sister,[5]
those made by our wives, and those made by other donors to the lord (udaiyar)
of the sacred stone-temple (tirukkarrali), (called) Sri
Rajarajesvara, â which we caused to be built (at) Tanjavur, (a city)
in Tanjavur âkurram, (a subdivision) of Pandyakulasani-valanadu, â be
engraved on stone on the sacred shrine (sri-viman)!â.
3. On the three-hundred-and-twelfth
day of the twenty fifth year (of his reign) the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva
gave one gold (image) Kolgaidevar,[6]
which is to be present (at) the sacred offerings (sri-bali),[7]
weighing eight hundred and twenty-nine kuranju[8]
and three quarters and three manjadi by the stone called (after)
Adavallan.
4.
On the same day (he)
gave one dish (tala) of gold for the sacred offerings, supported by a
lotus (padmasana), weighing nine hundred and ninety-five karanju
and a half and four manjadi by the same stone.
5.
On the fourteenth day
of the twenty-sixth year (of his reign), the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva gave
one sacred diadem (tiruppattam) of gold, weighing four hundred and
ninety-nine karanju by the stone called (after) Adavallan.
6.
On the same day (he)
gave one sacred diadem of gold, weighing four hundred and ninety-four karanju
and a half and two manjadi by the same stone.
7.
On the same day (he)
gave one sacred diadem of gold, weighing four hundred and eighty-four karanju
and a half and two manjadi by the same stone.
8. On the same day (he)
gave one sacred diadem of gold, weighing four hundred and ninety-seven karanju
and a half and two manjadi by the same stone.
9. On the same day (he)
gave one sacred diadem of gold, weighing four hundred and ninety-one karanju
and a half and two manjadi by the same stone.
10. One the
twenty-seventh day (of his twenty-sixth year), the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva
gave out of (his) minor treasure (sirudanam) one gold plate (taligai),
weighing six hundred and fifty-two karanju and eight manjadi by
the stone called (after) Adavallan.
11. On the same (he)
gave one gold plate, weighing four hundred and ninety-three karanju and
a quarter by the same stone.
12. On the same (he)
gave one gold bowl, (mandai) weighing three hundred and ninety-seven karanju
and six manjadi by the same stone.
13. On the same (he)
gave one gold bowl, weighing three hundred and ninety-three karanju and
(one) manjadi by the same stone.
14. On the same day (he)
gave one gold bowl, weighing three hundred and ninety-eight karanju and
(one) kunri by the same stone.
15. On the same day (he)
gave one gold bowl, weighing three hundred and ninety-six karanju by the
same stone.
16.
On the same day (he)
gave one gold pitcher (kendi), weighing two hundred and eighty-four karanju
and a half by the same stone.
17.
On the thirty-fourth
day (of his twenty-sixth year), the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva gave out of (his)
minor treasure (sirudanam) one gold salver (tattam), weighing forty karanju and a quarter by the stone called (after) Adavallan.
18. On the
two-hundred-and-seventy-fifth day of the twenty-fifth year (of his reign),
the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva gave one copper water-pot (kuta), to be placed
on the copper pinnacle (stupittari)[9]
of the sacred shrine (sri-vimana) of the lord of the
Sri-Rajarajesvara (temple), weighing three thousand and eighty-three pala.[10]
The various gold plates (tagadu),
which were laid over it, weighed two thousand nine hundred and twenty-six karanju
and a half by the stone called (after) Adavallan.
19. On the
one-hundred-and fourth day of the twenty-sixth year (of his reign), the
lord Sri-Rajarajadeva gave to the lord of the Sri-Rajarajesvara (temple)
one gold kettle (kidaram), weighing eleven thousand seven hundred and
forty-two karanju by the stone called (after) Advallan.
20. On the same day (he)
gave one gold ottu-vattil,[11]
weighing four hundred and eighty-eight karanju by the same stone.
21. On the same day (he)
gave one gold pot (kalasa), weighing five hundred and seven karanju
by the same stone.
22. On the same day (he)
gave one gold pot, weighing four hundred and eighty-three karanju by the
same stone.
23. On the same day (he)
gave one gold pot, weighing four hundred and ninety-two karanju by the
same stone.
24. On the same day (he)
gave one gold pot, weighing four hundred and ninety-two karanju and a
quarter by the same stone.
25. On the same day (he)
gave one gold pot, weighing five hundred and twelve karanju and a half
by the same stone.
26. On the same day (he)
gave one gold spittoon (padikkam), weighing eight hundred and two karanju
and a half by the same s tone, â including the three legs and the two rings (valaiyil).
27. On the same day (he)
gave one gold salver (tattam) weighing forty-nine karanju and
three quarters by the same stone.
28. On the same day (he)
gave one gold salver, weighing forty-nine karanju and three quarters by
the same stone.
29. On the same day (he)
gave one gold salver, weighing fifty karanju by the same stone.
30. On the same day (he)
gave one gold salver, weighing forty-nine karanju by the same stone.
31. On the same day (he)
gave one small receptacle for sacred ashes (kuru-madal) of gold,
weighing ninety-seven karanju by the same stone.
32. On the same day (he)
gave one gold measuring-cup (mana-vattil), weighing twenty karanju
by the same stone.
33. On the
three-hundred-and-eighteenth day of the twenty-sixth year (of his reign),
(he) gave a gold (image of) Kshetrapaladeva, (which measured)
by the cubit-measure (muram), (preserved) in the temple (koyil)
of the lord, three fingers (viral) and three torai[12]
in height from the feet to the hair, which had a sacred foot-stool (sripadapitha)
of silver, (measuring) six torai in height and four fingers and
six torai in circumference, and which weighed seventy-two karanju
and a half, â including the spear (sula), the skull (kapala), the
noose (pasa) and the drum (damaruka), which (the image)
held in its four divine hands, and the sacred foot-stool, of silver.
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34.
Out of the treasures (bhandara),
which he seized after having defeated the Chera king (Seraman) and the
Pandyas in Malainadu, the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva gave on the
three-hundred-and-nineteenth day of the twenty-sixth year (of his reign)
to the supreme lord (paramasvamin) of the Sri-Rajaraja-Isvara (temple)
the following gold emblems (chihna), which were weighed by the stone
called (after) Adavallan and engraved on stone: -
35.
One betel-pot (kal,anji),
(consisting of) five hundred and eighty-six karanju of gold.
36.
One betel-pot, (consisting
of) six hundred and twenty-two karanju and a half of gold.
37.
One water-pot (kuta),
(consisting of) three hundred and eighty-two karanju and a half
of gold.
38.
One water-pot, (consisting
of) three hundred and sixty-seven karanju of gold.
39.
One water-pot, (consisting
of) three hundred and fifty-two karanju of gold.
40.One water-pot, (consisting
of) two hundred and ninety-four karanju of gold.
41. One Chunnam box
(arandigaichcheppu),
(consisting of) one hundred and twenty-one karanju and a half of
gold, â including the stand (adi) and the lid.[13]
42. One betel-leaf box (ilaichcheppu),
(consisting of) one hundred and eighty-five karanju and three
quarters of gold, â including four lionâs feet (yalikkal) and the lid.
43.One betel-leaf box, (consisting
of) one hundred and forty-seven karanju of gold, including four
lionâs feet and the lid.
44.
One plate (taligai),
(consisting of) one thousand one hundred and thirty-five karanju and
a half of gold, â including the stand.
45.
One censer (kalasappanai),
(consisting of) four hundred and seventy karanju of gold, â
including the spout (mukku) and the sand.
46.
One censer, (consisting
of) four hundred and thirty-eight karanju of gold, â including the
spout and the stand.
47.
Eight gold chains (kodi),
consisting of seventy-eight karanju and three quarters of gold, â
including sixteen flowers, (two of) which were attached to the hanging
part (tukkam) (and) to the top part (talai) (respectively,
of each chain).
48.
One taruittal-vattil, (consisting of) four hundred and forty-eight karanju of gold,
â including two bass-reliefâs (karukku) and two lionâs feet (simhapada).
49.
One sacred crown (tiru-mudi),
(consisting of) two hundred and seventy-three karanju of gold.
50.
One handle (kai)
for a flywhisk (chchoppi) (consisting of) two hundred and four karanju
of gold.
Second
Part
51.
From the twenty-third
year to the twenty-ninth year (of his reign), the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva
gave to the supreme lord of the Sri-Rajarajesvara (temple) out of his
own treasures and out of the treasures, which he seized after having defeated
the Chera king and the Pandyas in Malainadu, the following emblems (chihna)
of gold, sacred ornaments (abharna) of gold, etc., which were
weighed by the stone called (after) Adavallan and engraved on stone, â
excluding those (gifts of) the twenty-fifth year and the twenty-sixth
year, which had been engraved on the adjacent s tones before this (part of
the inscription) on the east of this upper tier (jagatippadai): â [14]
52.Out of the treasures,
which he seized after having defeated the Chera king and the Pandyas in
Malainadu, (he) gave: -
53.
One handle for a flywhisk,
(consisting of) thirty-four karanju of gold.
54.
One handle for a flywhisk,
(consisting of) thirty-three karanju of gold.
55.
Having obtained the
illustrious names of Sivapadasekhara[15]
and Sri-Rajaraja,[16]
(he gave the following) gold trumpets (kalam), which had one kangil
(?), two pipes (kural) and five rings (modiram):-
56.
One trumpet, (consisting
of) two hundred and ninety-four karanju and a half of gold.
57. One trumpet, (consisting
of) two hundred and ninety-five karanju and a quarter of gold.
58. One trumpet, (consisting
of) two hundred and ninety-six karanju and three quarters and two manjadi
of gold.
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59. Two trumpets,
consisting of five hundred and ninety-three karanju of gold, â each (consisting
of) two hundred and ninety-six karanju and a half of gold.
60. One trumpet, (consisting
of) two hundred and ninety-four karanju, nine manjadi and (one) kunri of gold.
61. One trumpet, (consisting
of) two hundred and ninety karanju and three quarters of gold.
62. One trumpet, (consisting
of) two hundred and eighty-six karanju, three manjadi and (one) kunri of gold.
63. One trumpet, (consisting
of) two hundred and ninety-eight karanju and a half and two manjadi
of gold.
64. One trumpet, (consisting
of) two hundred and eighty-seven karanju and three quarters, four manjadi
and (one) kunri of gold.
65. Out of (his own)
treasures (he) gave: -
66. One trumpet, (consisting
of) one hundred and sixty-eight karanju and a quarter of gold.
67. One trumpet, (consisting
of) one hundred and sixty-eight karanju of gold.
68. A single (trumpet),
(consisting of) one hundred and forty-nine karanju and a half and
three manjadi of gold, â including one kangil and one pipe
(kural).
69. (The following)
tops (makuta) for temple-parasols (tiruppallittongal), including
a knob (mottu) and a plate (paralai) soldered together: -
70. Three tops for
temple-parasols, consisting of one hundred and forty-eight karanju and
three quarters, two manjadi and (one) kunri of gold, â
each (consisting of) forty-nine karanju and a half, two manjadi
and (one) kunri of gold.
71. Five tops for
temple-parasols, consisting of two hundred and forty-eight karanju and
three quarters of gold, â each (consisting of) forty-nine karanju
and three quarters of gold.
72. Two tops for
temple-parasols, consisting of one hundred karanju of gold, â each (consisting
of) fifty karanju of gold.
73. Two tops for
temple-parasols, consisting of ninety-eight karanju of gold, â each (consisting
of) forty-nine karanju of gold.
73. Two tops for
temple-parasols, consisting of ninety-eight karanju of gold, â each (consisting
of) forty-nine karanju of gold.
74. One top for a temple-parasol, (consisting of)
fifty-one karanju of gold.
75. Two tops for
temple-parasols, consisting of ninety-eight karanju and three quarters
of gold, â each (consisting of) fifty karanju, two manadi
and (one) kunri of gold.
76. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) fifty karanju, two manjadi
and (one) kunri of gold.
77. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) forty-eight karanju and three
quarters of gold.
78. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) fifty karanju and three quarters,
two manjadi and (one) kunri of gold.
79. Two tops for temple-parasols,
consisting of one hundred and one karanju and a half of gold, â each (consisting
of) fifty karanju and three quarters of gold.
80. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) forty-nine karanju and a half of
gold.
81. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) forty-nine karanju and six manjadi
of gold.
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82. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) forty-nine karanju and a quarter
of gold.
83. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) forty-eight karanju and a half of
gold.
84. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) forty-nine karanju, two manjadi
and (one) kunri of gold.
85. One top for a
temple-parasol, (consisting of) forty-eight karanju and three
quarters, two manjadi and (one) kunri of gold.
86. One top for a temple-parasol,
(consisting of) fifty karanju and (one) manjadi of
gold.
87. Three top for a
temple-parasol, consisting of one hundred and forty-nine karanju and a
half, two manjadi and (one) kunri of gold, â each (consisting
of) forty-nine karanju and three quarters, two manjadi and (one)
kunri of gold.
88. Five tops for white
parasols (dhavalachchhattra), consisting of fifty karanju of
gold, â including a plate (paralai) soldered together with the knob (mottu).
89. One top for a colored
sacred parasol of victory (vannigai-tiru-korra-kudai), (consisting of)
fifteen karanju and a half two manjadi and (one) kunri
of gold, â including a plate soldered together with a knob.
90.
One betel-leaf salver
(ilaittattu), (consisting of) nine hundred and ninety-five karanju
of gold.
91.
One betel-leaf
salver, (consisting of) nine hundred and eighty-eight karanju of
gold.
92. Having returned from
the conquest of Satyasraya, (he) poured out as flowers at the sacred
feet (sripadapushpa) and worshipped the feet of the god (with the
following gold flowers): -
93. Two sacred gold
flowers (tirupporpu) consisting of twenty karanju of gold, â each
(consisting of) ten karanju of gold.
94. Twelve sacred gold
flowers, consisting of one hundred and nineteen karanju and a half and
four manjadi of gold, â each (consisting of) nine karanju
and three quarters, four manjadi and (one) kunri of gold.
95. Ten sacred gold
flowers, consisting of ninety-nine karanju and a half of gold, â each
sacred gold flower (consisting of) nine karanju and three
quarters and four manjadi of gold.
96. One sacred gold
flower, (consisting of) nine karanju and three quarters, three manjadi
and (one) kunri of gold.
97. One sacred gold
flower, (consisting of) (one) karanju and three quarters
and (one) manjadi of gold.
98. One sacred gold
flower, shaped like a lotus (tamarai), (consisting of) thirteen karanju
and six manjadi of gold.
99. To
Dakshina-Meru-Vitankar (her) gave (the following ornaments), to
be worn (by this god): -
100. One string of rounds
beads (tiral-mani-vadam), (consisting of) five (strings)
soldered together, (and containing) forty-nine karanju, seven
manjadi and (one) kunri of gold.
101. One polished[17]
ring for the arm of the god (tirukkaikkarai), (consisting of)
fifty-one karanju and a half of gold.
102. One polished ring
for the arm of the god, (consisting of) forty-five karanju and a
half and two manjadi of gold.
103. One polished ring
for the arm of the god, (consisting of) forty-nine karanju and
three quarters, two manjadi and (one) kunri of gold.
104. One polished ring
for the arm of the god, (consisting of) forty-five karanju and three
quarters of gold.
105. One pair of
polished rings for the feet of the god (tiruvadikkarai), (consisting
of) ninety-six karanju and a half of gold.
106. One sacred girdle (tiruppattigai),
(consisting of) one hundred and forty-nine karanju and a quarter
of gold.
107. (Finally, he)
gave one sacred diadem (tiruppattam), (consisting of) nine
hundred and eighty-one karanju and a quarter of gold, which was made of
gold taken from the treasures, which he seized after having defeated the Chera
king and the Pandyas in Malainadu.
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