No. 203 to 204 Nahesvarasvamin temple at Kumbakonam

No. 199 to 202 Ujjivanathasvamin, Nagesvarasvamin, Mahalingasvamin temple

No. 205 Tiruvalangadu copper-plates of the sixth year of Rajendra-Chola I

No. 203.— ON THE SAME WALL[1]

The officer Sirringanudaiyan Parantaka Muvendavelan who has been mentioned in the previous records (Nos. 200 and 202) is stated to have enquired into the temple affairs and to have enhanced the scale of offerings from the unpaid balance of paddy collected from the assembly of Tiraimur which was a devadana village of the temple.  The record belongs to the 4^th year and the 170^th day of the reign of Parakesarivarman who took the head of the Pandya king.

As shown in the Madras Epigraphical Report  for 1916, page 118, paragraph 15, the days given after the regnal year of the king have to be taken as those that expired after the completion of that year.

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 4^th year and the 170^th day (of the reign) of king Parakesarivarman who took the head of the Pandya (king), the officer Sirringanudaiyan Koyilmayilai alias Parantaka-Muvendavelan examining in the front hall of the temple of the lord of Tiruvidaimarudil the sacred temple business of the lord of Tiruvidaimarudil heard the terms of the documents (relating) to the devadana  and brahmadeya (village) Tiraimur which was a devadana of the lord of Tiruvidaimarudil, and found out that the devadana of Tiraimur was stated in the documents to be a kudinikki  village (i.e., one freed from tenancy rights) and that the devadana-brahmadeya village of Tiraimur according to the (above) documents had to measure out two hundred and fifty-six kalam of panchavdra paddy.  (But) hearing the padimarru (customary scale) of expenses of the temple (he) found that for the padimarru only one hundred  and sixty kalam (of paddy) was being measured out.  Also (it was asserted) that the devadana (village) Tiraimur of 20 veli was not a kudinikki and that only eight hundred kalam (of paddy) were being measured.  He then asked the (original) document which made Tiraimur into a devadana (village) to be produced (before him), heard it (and found) in this document that (the village) was stated to be kudinikk9 (i.e., freed from tenancy rights)

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and that this land of 20 veli, according to the deed  .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .in the 3^rd year (of the reign) of this same (king), (was to have measured out) two thousand and eight hundred kalam of paddy by the measure (called) Tiruvidaimarudan according to the deed of contract (adai-olai).  Since (thus) the assembly of Tiraimur, the devedana-brahmadeya (village) of this god, has been measuring out one hundred and sixty kalam only of panchavara paddy in the past while, according to the document examined, it is found that two hundred and fifty-six kalam of paddy have to be measured out (under this head), the thus (accumulated balance)[2] was converted into a capital and after hearing the existing scale of expenses in presence of this god, it was ordered that a higher scale of expenses (may be adopted). (The following) is the list of current daily expenses, drawn up according to the (increased) scale, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of Tiraimur and the merchants (nagarattar) of Tiruvidaimarudil being present, under the orders of the officer Sirringanudaiyan Koyil Mayilai alias Parantaka-Muvendavelan who scrutinizes the sacred temple business.

(L. 4.) Twelve nali of pounded rice of superior paddy for the sacred rice-offering to the god in the early morning ; fifteen nali for the sacred rice-officering at midday ; and one nali [of rice]for the bali at midday ; twelve nali for the sacred rice-offering in the night and [one nali] of rice for the bali at night ; eight  measures for the sacred rice-offering at midnight.  To (the god) Pillaiyar Ganapati, two measures for the sacred rice-offering in the early morning ; two measures for the sacred rice-offering  at midday ; thus in all . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . fifty-three nali for the [sacred] rice-offering . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . and (one) tuni, (one) padakku and five nali of rice . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . four nali and one uri daily of good dhall and one uri  of dhall for Pillaiyar.  The sundry spices (required) every day (were) : (one) alakku of pepper and (one) ulakku of mustard; the daily vegetable-offering[3] (consisted of) one kaykkari-amudu, one pulingari-amudu and (one) porikkari-amudu; four and a half palam of sugar-offering daily; twenty plantain fruits every day ; (one) nali and (one) uri of ghee offering daily ; eight nali of curd offering daily ; a daily offering of eighty areca-nuts; three parru of choice betel-leaf offering; chunam (nirru) offering ; and salt-offering.  This is how the scale of expenses was drawn up.  May this be under the protection of all Mahesvaras as long as the moon and the sun (endure) !

No. 204.— ON THE NORTH WALL OF THE CENTRAL SHRINE IN THE NAGESVARASVAMIN TEMPLE AT KUMBAKONAM[4]

This is dated in the 5^th year of Parakesarivarman who took the head of the Pandya king and records a gift of gold by a female-servant of the palace, who, was living in the quarter of tanjavur called Palaiya-velam, for feeding a sivayogin in the temple of Tirukkil-kottam in Tirukkudamukkil.  The names Tirukkudamukkil and Tirukkil-kottam occur in the Devaram and refer respectively to Kumbakonam and the Nagesvara temple.  Sivayogin is a technical term and is explained in a recent commentary on the Kriyakramadyotika as the name of a Saiva worshipper who “at the approach of death bathes his body in ashes, utters certain Saiva mantras and worships the linga on his chest.”

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 5^th year (of the reign) of king Parakesarivarman who took the head of the Pandya (king), Perayan Tribhuvanasundari, a palace-woman (pendatti) (living) in the (quarter called) Palaiya-velam at Tanjavur in Tanjavur-kurram, deposited 85 (pieces) of superfine gold for feeding (a sivayogin) with one plate of sumptuous meal in the temple of the great lord of Tirukkil-kottam at Tirukkudamukkil, a devadana (village) in Vadagarai Pambur-nadu.

(L. 8.) For this (gold), we, the big men of the mulaparudai (assembly), sold to this lady the land in melkaviri which we had acquired as abhishekadakshina and had (already) sold to this god.

(L. 13.) This six ma of cultivable land whose eastern boundary was to the west of the land granted for a lamp by Kadan Achchan, to the north of the land of this same god, to the east of the land of this same god and to the south of the demarcation ridge in the tank, — this six ma of cultivable land thus (marked out) shall be utilized for feeding, till the moon and the sun (endure), one Sivayogin with five vegetables, one pidi of ghee, plantain fruits, and curds sweetened with sugar.