No. 21 to 22 south wall of the shrine of the goddess

No. 20 south wall of the Pasupatisvara temple

No. 23 to 26 outside of the second prakara, left & right of entrance

No. 21.- On the south wall of the Pasupatisvara shrine

This inscription is dated in the 9^th year of the reign of Parakesarivarman, alias Rajendradeva, the successor of Rajadhiraja.[1]  An unpublished inscription of the same year in the Vaidyantha temple at Tirumalavadi (No. 87 of 1895) states that Rajadhiraja was Rajendra’s elder brother, and that he fell in the battle of Koppam.  The subjoined inscription and others[2] mention Rajendra’s ‘elder brother,’ but do not give his name.

The inscription records that the king granted the village of Kanavadinallur in Vengala-nadu, a district of Adhirajaraja-mandalam, to the Tiruvanilai temple.  It is signed by five officers, whose names appear also in the Karuvur inscription of Virarajendra I.  (No. 20, 1. 15 ff. and 1. 22 ff.).  This fact corroborates the conclusion drawn above (p. 32), that Virarajendra I. succeeded Rajendra within a single generation.

One of the five officers whose names occurs in Nos. 20 and 21, is Araiyan Rajarajan, alias Virarajaendra-Jayamurinadalvan.  This person is very probably identical with the Senapati Jayamurindalvar, who is mentioned in an inscription of Rajendradeva at Sangili-Kanadarava in Ceylon.[3]  This inscription proves that the island of Ceylon, or at least a portion of it, was in Rajendra’s possession.

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! While the army of his elder brother – the king (who wielded) the scepter (and) was embraced by the goddess of fortune, - was at (his) back, (he) went in front (of his army) against (the enemy) and conquered the seven and a half lakshas of Irattai-padi.  (He) did not meet with opposition in battle ; and (his) drums were sounding in the eight directions of the earth.  (He) fought until the whole great army of Ahavamalla, who had proceeded to Koppam on the bank of the great river to oppose (him), perished, and converted (it) into reek corpses (that) covered the earth.  Then he (viz., Ahavamalla) became afraid, incurred disgrace, and ran away.  (The king) seized his elephants and horses, women and treasures, together with the camels, and performed the anointment of heroes, (the news of which) spread in (all) directions.  In the 9^th year (of the reign) of (this) king Para[kesarivarman], alias the lord Sri-Rajendradeva, who was graciously seated on the throne of heroes.

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(L. 6.) “The eastern boundary of Ka[na]vadinal[lur] in Vengala-nadu, (a district) of Adhirajaraja-mandalam, (is) to the west of the ‘Bull-tank;’ the northern boundary (is) to the south of the high-road of the district ; the southern boundary (is) to the north of the river ; and the western boundary (is) to the east of the road of Rajamahendra.

(L. 8.) “Let our written order (olai) be issued that the wet land and the dry land enclosed within these four boundaries (shall be given) as temple land to (the god) Mahadeva of the Tiruvanilai (temple) for necessary expenses, - (including every) place where the iguana runs, the tortoise crawls and an ant-hill rises, the grass for the calves, and (the land) enjoyed in full by the great village, - (and) shall pay taxes (to the temple).”

(L. 10.) (Thus) the king was pleased to order.  The writing to the royal secretary, Vanavan-Pallavadaraiyan, the lord of Tali-Tiruppanangadu (and) the lord of Nervayil in panaiyur-nadu, (a district) of Kshatriyasikhamani-valanadu.  The writing of the chief secretary, Rajaraja, alias  Tondaiman.  The writing of the citizen Uttama-Solan, alias Virarajendra-Jayamurinadalvan.  The writing of Udayadivakaran Kuttadiyar, alias Virarajendra-Malavarayan, (one) of the heads of the assembly (and) the lord of Jayankonda-Solanallur in Panaiyur-nadu, (a district) of Kshatriyasikhamani-valanadu.

(L. 15.) “This (charity is placed under) the protection of all Mahesvaras.”

No. 22. – On the south wall of the shrine of the Goddess

This inscription bears the same date as No. 21, but the king is here named Rajendra-Choladeva instead of Rajendradeva.  The historical introduction is identical with that of No. 21 and proves that Rajendradeva, the victor at Koppam, and not his ancestor Rajendra-Chola, the son of the great Rajaraja, is meant here.

The inscription records that the king granted to the Tiruvanilai temple the village of Nelvayppalli, which belonged to Vengala-nadu, a district of Adhirajaraja-mandalam, and was bounded in the east by the village of Andanur.  The grant is signed by the same five officers as No. 21.

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! While the army of his elder brother was at (his) back, etc.[4] – In the 9^th year (of the reign) of (this) king Parakesarivarman, alias the lord Sri-Rajendra-Soladeva, who was graciously seated on the throne of heroes.

(L. 4.) “The eastern boundary of Nelvayppalli in Vengala-nadu, (a district) of Adhirajaraja-mandalam, (is) to the west of the boundary of Andanur ; the southern boundary (is) to the north of a rough block of black stone ; the western boundary (is) to the east of the Paypaduttan stone ; and the northern boundary (is) to the south of the river.

(L. 5.) “Let our written order be issued that the wet land and the dry land enclosed within these four boundaries (shall be given) as temple land to (the god) Mahadeva of the Tiruvanilai (temple for) necessary expenses, for the worship, for repairs, and for the aforesaid expenses, - including every) place where the iguana runs, the tortoise crawls and an ant-hill rises, the trees over ground and the wells underground, the grass for the calves, and (the land) enjoyed in full by the great village, - (and) shall pay revenue, taxes, small tolls, elavai, ugavai, (the three fines called) manrupadal, danda and kurram,[5] and everything else (to the temple).”

(L. 8.) (Thus) the king was pleased to order.  The writing of the royal secretary, Vanavan-Pallavaraiyan, the lord of Arumoli-Tiruppanangadu (and) the lord of Nervayil in Panaiyur-nadu, (a district) of Kshatriyasikhamani-valanadu.  This (is) the writing of the chief secretary, Tondaiman.  The writing of the citizen Uttama-Solan, alias Kulottunga-Sola-Brahmarayan.  The writing of Rajarajan, alias Virarajendra-Kulottunga-Jayamurinadalvan.  The writing of Udayadivakaran Kulottunga-Malavarayan, (one) of the heads of the assembly (and) the lord of Jayankonda-Solanallur in Panaiyur-nadu, (a district) of Kshatriyasikhamani-valanadu.

(L. 11.) “This (charity is placed under) the protection of all Maheswaras.”