No. 79 Inscriptions of Tirumalavadi

No. 80 Inscriptions in the Arulala-Perumal temple at Conjeeveram

No. 79.- Inscription at Tirumalavadi

This inscription (No. 82 of 1895) is engraved on the south wall of the second prakara of the Vaidyanatha temple at Tirumalavadi in the Udaiyarpalaiyam taluka of the Trichinopoly district.[1]  The village is mentioned as Malapadi in Tirunanasambandar’s Devaramand as Tirumaluvadi in the subjoined inscription (1. 38 f.).

The inscription is dated in the 15^th year of the reign of Parakesarivarman, alias Vikrama-Choladeva (1. 36 f.).  The introduction, like that of the Tanjore inscription,[2] records that the king defeated the Telunga Bhima at Kulam and burnt the country of Kalinga (1. 8), stayed in Vengai-mandalam (1. 9), conquered the North, and then proceeded to the South, where he crowned himself (as Chola king).[3]

In the tenth year of his reign (1. 15) he made valuable gifts to the temple of his family god at Chidambaram.  At the end of the passage describing these gifts mention is made of the very day of these donations : - Sunday, the day of Hasta and the thirteenth tithi of the bright fortnight of Sittirai in the tenth year of his reign (1. 24 f.).  According to Professor Kielhorn’s calculation this date corresponds to Sunday, the 15^th April A.D. 1128, on which day, however, the nakshatra was Chitra, not Hasta.[4]

The end of the historical introduction gives the names of two queens, viz.  Tyagapataka (1. 31), surnamed Tribhuvanamulududaiyal (II. 32 and 36), and Dharanimulududaiyal (1. 35).

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! (The king) was resplendent with golden chains, combined with garlands of flowers.  In (his) arms, which were covered with large jewels, (and) which (formed the subject of) a great number of poems, rested the goddess of Victory, along with the goddess of the great Earth.  Having obtained as her own (possessed) great eloquence, the goddess of Learning resided with delight in (his) tongue.

(L. 6.) (His) sceptre, along with the wheel (of his authority), swayed over all regions.  (His) white parasol cast its shade on high, like a matchless second moon, overspreading the whole world.  The dark Kali (age) hid itself and lay in the deep pit.

(L. 8.)  In the season of Cupid[5] (i.e. in spring)[6] (he) grasped the cruel weapon, so that at Kulam the Telunga Viman (i.e., Bhima) ascended the mountains (as refuge), and so that hot fire consumed the country (bhumi) of Kalinga.  (He) joyfully stayed (a while) in the Vengai-mandalam and was pleased to subdue the Northern region.

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(L. 10.) (He) was pleased to arrive (in) the Southern region, in order that charities, austerities and gifts might prosper (and) that the Vedas and truth might flourish (in) every place as (in) the first age.

(L. 11.) While (all other) kings bore (on their heads) the orders (sealed with the crest) of the warlike tiger which is hard to conquer, (he) put on by right the crown set with jewels.

(L. 12.)  Like a sweet dear mother, (he) extended his kindness of all living beings and took care of each (of them).  (he) cultivated the path of Manu, so that the whole earth rejoiced.

(L. 13.) In front of the victorious gate of his palace the tongue of the bell became silent;[7] the drums were sounding ; (and his) victory and fame rose higher and higher.

(L. 14.) Out of the heap of pure gold which had been brought, piled up (as) tribute, and poured out by kings, before there came in due course the year ten (after the time) when a gold leaf (set with) royal gems was engraved (with the words) : “May (the king) live long (and) protect this great earth ! “[8] – (he) covered (with) fine gold the enclosure, the gate towers, halls and buildings surrounding the shrine of pure gold[9] where his family-god (viz., Natsa) practices the tandava (dance), as if the splendid circular mountain surrounding the earth were combined with the Eastern mountain ; cover (with) splendid gold the altar on which offerings abound, so that the light of heaven was reflected (by it); covered (with) pure gold and adorned with numberous strings of large round pearls the sacred car temple,[10] in order that, conferring long life on the delighted people, the miraculous dancer (viz. Natesa) who occupies the (golden) hall might be drawn in procession (at) the great festival called ‘the festival of the great name’ (perum-piyar-vila) on the great (days of) Purattadi (and) Uttirattadi, so as to cause prosperity (on) the great earth (and) joy to the gods ; was pleased to built a long temple street of mansions covered with jewels (!) and called (it) after his royal prosperous name ; and made numberless splendid insignia, beginning with dishes cut of fine gold, together with a Kalpa (tree) of pure gold.

(L. 24.) Having been pleased to make gladly many such (gifts) in the tenth year (of his reign), (in) the month Sittirai, on a Sunday which corresponded to Hasta, (on) the thirteenth tithi of the fortnight of the auspicious waxing moon, (he) covered the whole earth under the shade of a single parasol.

(L. 26.) The Seliyas (i.e., Pandyas) entered hot jungles (as refuge) ; the Seralas (i.e., Cheras) entered the sea ; the Singalas (i.e., Simhalas), who deal destruction, became afraid and agitated in mind ; and Gangas paid tribute ; the Kannadas turned their backs ; the Kongas retreated ; the Konkanas fled ; the kings of all other regions duly worshipped (his) royal red lotus-feet as their protection.

(L. 30.) Tyagapadagai (i.e., Tyagapataka), the ornament of women, (who had) curly hair, (who possessed the gait of) a female elephant, a lady of pure virtues, the mistress of all the three worlds (Tribhuvanamulududaiyal), dwelt with (him) as mistress of the full favour of his royal heart, resembling Ganga at whom he[11] rejoices.

(L. 33.) Dharanimulududaiyal (i.e., the mistress of the whole earth), the peacock among women, an Arundhati on earth, a wife adorned with chastity, enjoyed the favour of his royal heart, just as Lakshmi is inseparably clinging to the bosom of Nedumal (Vishnu) to the end of the world.[12]

(L. 35.) In the 15^th year (of the reign) of this king Parakesarivarman, alias the emperor of the three worlds, Sri-Vikrama-Soladeva, who was pleased to take his seat with Tribhuvanamulududaiyal on the throne of heroes, (which consisted of) pure gold, - (at) the order (and) by the favour of the god Adi-Chandesvara in the temple of the lord of Tirumaluvadi in Poygai-nadu, (a subdivision) of Tribhuvanamulududai-valanadu, (the following) was written by us, the temple authorities, viz., the Sri-Mahesvaras, the temple managers, the accountant of this temple : Nelkuppai-Udaiyan, etc.

(L. 41.) Alliyur-Udaiyan, who had set up (the image of) the god Sri-Nandikesvara in this temple. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .  . . . .. . . . . .. .

[1]  See Mr. Sewell’s Lists of Antiquities, Vol. I. p. 266. [2]  Above, Vol. II. No. 68. [3]  The Chola kingdom is here alluded to by the mention of the tiger-crest (1. 11), and in the Tanjore inscription by that of the Kaveri. [4]  Ep. Ind. Vol. VII. P. 5, No. 59. [5]  See above, Vol. II. p. 311, note 1. [6]  This explanation is more probable than the one I gave on p. 311 of Vol. II. [7]  See above, Vol. II. p. 311, note 3. [8]  This benediction was apparently engraved on a gold leaf at the time of the king’s coronation.  Another reference to this custom is found in a rock-inscription at Tandalam near Arkonam (Ep. Ind. Vol. VII. P. 26), which is dated I the tenth year “(from) the year when (the name of) Satti, the king of the Kadavas, was entered on a gold leaf. [9]  Ponnambalam is the Tamil equivalent of the Sanskrit Kanakasabha, “the golden hall,” in the Chidambaram temple ; see above, Vol. II. p. 379 f. [10]  By this expression the car itself seems to be meant. [11]  This pronoun refers to the word Samkara (Siva) occurring in a passage of the earlier inscriptions, which compares the queen Mukkokkilanadi with Uma (see e.g., above, Vol. II. p. 311), and which has been omitted in the present inscription because this queen had then died ; see above, p. 181 f. [12]  This simile is copied from the inscriptions of Kulottunga I. ; see above, No. 72, text line 5, and No. 76 text line 11. Home Page

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