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

No. 79 Inscriptions of Tirumalavadi

No. 80.- Inscription in the Arulala-Perumal Temple

This inscription (No. 33 of 1893) is engraved on the west wall of the stone platform called ‘the mountain’ (malai) in the Arulala-Perumal temple at Little Conjeeveram. As in the inscription of Ravivarman,[1] the temple is here stated to be situated in Tiruvattiyur, which belonged to Eyil-nadu, a subdivision of Eyirkottam[2] (1. 2).

The inscription is dated in the 9^th year of the reign of Parakesarivarman, alias Vikrama-Choladeva.  The short poetical introduction mentions nothing of historical importance besides the conquest of Kalinga and the name of Vikrama-Chola’s queen, Mukkokkilanadigal.  These two points are, however, sufficient to enable us to identify the king with the Vikrama-Chola of the inscriptions opening with the words poomaalai midainthu, who claims to have burnt the country of Kalinga,[3] and one of whose queens was named Mukkokkilanadi.[4]

The inscription records that a private person made over to the temple 780 kalam of paddy, with the stipulation that the interest, which amounts here to 50 per cent., should be applied for the requirements of the worship on 13 days of every year, viz.,  on the day of the nakshatra Jyeshtha.  In this nakshatra, we are told, were born the two Vaishnava saints Pudattalvar and Poygaiyalvar,[5] “who were pleased to compose hyns in praise of the god (Alvar) of Tiruvattiyur” (1. 2).  That portion of the Nalayiraprabandham, which is entitled Iyarpa, opens with two hymns of 100 stanzas each, the first of which is ascribed to Poygaiyalvar and the second to Pudattalvar.  In the first (verse 77) reference is made to Vehka, and in the second (verse 95 f.) to Attiyur.  The second name has to be referred to the temple, because Vehka is the Tamil name of the river Vegavati,[6] which flows past the temple of Arulala-Perumal.  At any rate the mention of the two Alvars as recognized saints in the subjoined inscription proves that they must have lived a long time before the 12^th century on the Christian era.  As stated before (p. 148), two other Alvars, Kulasekhara and Sathagopa, are presupposed by an inscription of Kulottunga I. at Srirangam.  In the Annual Report for  1899-1900 (p. 10) Mr. Venkayya states that an inscription of Sola-Keraladeva, whom he placed in the 11^th century of the Christian era, quotes the hymn Tirunedundanadagam.  This is the name of the last hymn of the Periyatirumoli, the portion of the Nalayiraprabandham which was composed by Tirumangaiyalvar.  The upper limit of this Alvar is the beginning of the 8^th century A.D. ; for he celebrates in one of his hymns the temple of Paramesvara-Vinnagaram at Kachchi, i.e.,  the Vaikuntha-Perumal temple at Conjeeveram, which seems to have been founded by the Pallava king Paramesvaravarman II.[7]

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! While the goddess with the lotus (i.e., Lakshmi) wedded (the king), while the goddess of the Earth prospered, while the goddess of Speech was resplendent, while the goddess of Victory loved (him), (and) while (all other) kings bore (on their heads) his two lotus-feet, (he) put on the jeweled crown by established right.  While (his) sceptre went and made all regions prosper, the cruel Kali (age) was driven away, and true righteousness flourished.  (He) dispatched mountains of rut (i.e., elephants) to subdue Kalinga.  (His) discus wandered (as far as) the circular mountain surrounding (the earth)  (and his) single parasol cast its shade up to the two luminaries (i.e., the sun and the moon).  Having performed the anointment of victory, (he) was pleased to take his seat on the throne of heroes together with (his queen) Mukkokkilanadigal.

(L. 2.) In the ninth year (of the reign) of this king Parakesarivarman, alias the emperor of the three worlds, Sri-Vikrama-Soladeva.

When on the day of Tirukkettai (Jeshtha), on which were born the saint Pudattalvar and the saint Poygaiyalvar, who were pleased to compose hymns in praise of the god (Alvar) of Tiruvattiyur in Eyil-nadu, (a subdivision) of Eyirkottam, (a district) of Jayangonda-Sola-mandalam, (the god) Arulala-Perumal is carried out, is bathed eighty-one times, and receives great offerings, - one padakku and two nali of paddy (are required) for thirty-six pots of sprouts[8] to be offered at the bath, viz.,  one uri of paddy to be spread underneath each pot ; four nali of rice to purchase seeds for sprouting ; six nali  and one ulakku of rice as fee (for wishing) an auspicious day (punyaha) ; two nali  and one uri of rice for offerings (balidravya) ; one nali and one ulakku of oil for a perpetual lamp (burning) near the sprouts on five days, viz., one ulakku of oil on each day ; three ulakku and one alakku of ghee for the kritaharohanam ; [9]  five kuruni and one uri of paddy (to be spread) underneath eighty-one water-pots (kalasa) for the bath ; four nali of paddy for four large pots (kumbha) ; two nali of rice (to be spread) underneath one water-pot (coated with) chunnam ; thirteen pieces of cloth costing one kanam (of gold), to wrap round the water-pot ; half a palam of thread, to tie round the water-pot ; for the bath three nali of ghee, one nali of honey, three nali of milk, three nali of curds, the necessary ingredients for the bath, live metals and five gems ; forty palam of saffron (nadan-manjal), (to be mixed) with the chunnam ; one uri of lamp-oil ; one uri of ghee for burnt oblations (homa) ; three kasu[10] of sandal, six twentieths of camphor, half a kalanju of agallochum, one and two twentieths manjadi of musk, and two and four twentieths manjadi of civet-fat, to be rubbed on (the image) ; four nali of rice for mattirai (?) ; for the great offerings, three kalam  and one kuruni of rice, one padakku, two nali and one uri of pulse, and eight hundred and twenty-five palam in weight of vegetables of various kinds ; for the vegetables, four nali of salt one uri pepper, one alakku and two and a half sevidu of mustard, one alakku of cumin, twenty palam of sugar, eleven nali and one alakku of ghee, fifty-five plantains, one tuni of curds, and three kasu of sugar-candy ; for tirukkannamadai (?), two nali of rice, one ulakku of ghee, twenty palam of sugar, and ten plantains ; for cakes, one padakku of rice, two nali and one uri of ghee, eighty palam of sugar, one alakku of pepper, two sevidu and a half of cumin, and three bundles of fire-wood ; for pots, one kalam of paddy ; one and a half sevidu of cardamoms, (to be mixed) with water ; four hundred and fifty areca-nuts and nine bundles of betel-leaves ; one nali and one uri of lamp-oil ; three nali of oil for twelve torches (?) of the lamp-lighters ; and two nali of oil for lamps (held by) images.

(L. 8.) Altogether, for each day of Tirukkettai, thirty kalam of paddy calculated by the average price (and measured) by the marakkal of Arumolinangai, with which the requirements of this temple are measured, were given in order to defray these (requirements).  Consequently, for (thirteen) days in one year three hundred and ninety kalam of paddy are required.

(L. 9.) For (this purpose) seven hundred and eighty kalam of paddy were measured into the treasury of this god with the marakkal of Arumolinangai, with which the requirements are measured, by Mulaiyur-Udaiyan Vengadan[11] Adittadevan, alias Vangattaraiyan, of Vanga-Mulaiyur in Manni-nadu,[12] (a subdivision) of Virudarajabhayamkara-valanadu,[13] (a district) of Sola-mandalam.  The interest on these seven hundred and eighty kalam of paddy – at the rate of thirty-two kalam, one tuni and one padakku of paddy per month – amounts to three hundred and ninety kalam  of paddy per year –the rate of interest being one half kalam (per kalam).

(L. 10.) We, all the members of the temple committee[14] of this temple : - Rajaraja-Kramavittan of Pundavattanam (i.e., Pundravardhana) ; Dutahari-Ninranarayana-Kramavittan;[15] Pandavaduta-Kramavittan of Mrihasthalam (i.e., Brihatsthala ?) Ilaiyako-Kramavittan[16] Dutahari-Ilaiyarulala-Kramavittan ; and the accountant of the temple, Uttiramelur-Udaiyan,[17] alias  Etti Tirukkalatti-Udaiyan,[18] caused to be engraved on stone that, as long as the moon and the sun shall last, provision shall be made out of these three hundred and ninety kalam of

paddy – (the required principal) having been deposited in the treasury in accordance with this provision – for the requirements of (the god) Arulala-Perumal when, on the day of Tirukkettai in each month, (he) is carried out, is bathed, and receives great offerings. (L. 12.) This (is) the writing of Uttiramelur-Udaiyan, (alias) Etti Tirukkalatti-Udaiyan. [1]  Ep. Ind. Vol. IV p. 145 and note 3. [2]  See above, p. 143 and note 3. [3]  Above, Vol. II. p. 311, and Vol. III. p. 184. [4]  Above, Vol. II. p. 311, and Vol. III. p. 75, No. 33, text line 14. [5]  According to the Guruparamparaprabhava the former was born at Tirukkadanmallai (Mamallapuram) in Avittam (Sravishtha), and the latter at Kachchi (Conjeeveram) in Tiruvonam (Sravana), during the Dvapara-yuga (!). [6]  Compare above, p. 143, note 4. [7]  See above, Vol. II. p. 344. [8]  Mulaippaligai are pots with earth in which seeds are made to sprout at the ankurarpanam, a ceremony preliminary to a religious or nuptial feast (Winslow). [9]  Mr. H. Krishna Sastri suggests that this corrupt term may be meant for Krittikarohanam, the name of a ceremony which is still observed in the temples of the Mysore State. [10]  On kasu or kaisu see above, Vol. II. p. 75, note 2, and p. 130, note 1. [11]  Compare above, p. 159 and note 1. [12]  Mulaiyur in Manni-nadu is mentioned in an inscription of Kulottunga I. ; see above, p. 162 and note 3. [13]  On this district see p. 152 above. [14] Venneykkuttan is one of the names of Krishna ; see loc. Cit. [15]  On Dutahari and Pandavaduta see above, p. 164, note 5. [16]  The word Ilaiyako may refer either to the Chola heir-apparent or to Lakshmana ; see Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 72. [17]  On Uttiramelur see above, p. 141 and note 1. [18]  Tirukkalatti is the Tamil form of Kalahasti in the North Arcot district. Home Page

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