No. 98 to 100 Ujjivanathasvamin, Kharapurisvara, Madhuvanesvara temples

No. 95 to 97 Abhiramesvara shrine, Chandra sekhara temple, cave at tirumalai

No. 101 to 105 Melaikkoyil, Madhuvanesvara, Adhipurisvara temples

No. 106 to 108 Narasingapperumal, Sivayoganathasvamin temples

No. 109 to 110 Lakshminarayana-Perumal, Madhuvanesvara temples

No. 98.—  ON A PILLAR IN THE INNER ENCLOSURE OF THE UJJIVANATHASVAMIN TEMPLE AT UYYAKKONDAN-TIRUMALAI.[1]

This inscription is dated in the 10^th year of Parakesarivarman.  It registers gift of sheep for lamps, made by Sembiyan Marayan, a perundanam of Virasola Ilangovelar of Kodumbalur, to the temple of Karkudi in Nandivanmamangalam.  Karkudi as the ancient name of Uyyakkondan Tirumalai occurs in the hymns of the Devaram.  Parakesarivarman of this inscription has been identified with Parantaka I. in the Epigraphical Report  for 1908-09, page 88.

In the 10h year of (the reign of) king Parkesarivarman, Peranan Viranarayanan, alias Sembiyan Marayan, a perundanam  of Virasola Ilangovelar of Kodumbalur in Urattur-kurram, gave ninety full-grown ewes which neither die nor grow old for a sacred perpetual lamp to be burnt regularly, as long as the moon and the sun (endure), with (one) ulakku of ghee supplied by (the measure called) sula-vulakku, to the great god (Paramesvara) at thesacred Karkudi in Nandipanmamangalam which was a brahmadeya on the southern bank (of the Kaveri).  Having received (these) ninety (ewes), we, the temple servants (devarkanmi), agreed to burn (the lamp). In this same year, the self-same person gave fifty full-grown ewes which neither die nor grow old, for burning a day-lamp (in the same temple).  Having received these fifty ewes also, we, the temple servants, consented to burn regularly (the lamp), supplying (one) alakku of ghee by (the measure called) sula-vulakku.  This (charity) shall be (under) the protection of (the assembly of) all Mahesvaras.

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No. 99.—  ON THENORTH WALL OF THE CENTRAL SHRINE IN THE KHARAPURISVARA TEMPLE AT TIRUPPARKKADAL.[2]

This interesting record registers a gift of gold made by a military officer for strengthening the bund of a tank, by depositing on it the silt-removed from that tank.  The gift, however, appears to have been utilized subsequently for feeding our Brahmanas in the local temple, for the merit of the four heroes who fell in a battle on the occasion when the donor Tiran Sennipperaraiyan of Araisur made a frontal attack with his colleagues on the enemy, in a fierce battle (astikkadai) fought at Velur between Perumanadigal (i.e., Parantaka I.) and the allied Pandya and Ceylon kings.  Theresult of the battle is not stated ; but from the Udayendiram plates published above, in Volume II, pages 375 ff., Parantaka I. is known to have conquered Madura after defeating its ruler the Pandya king rajasimha and to have repulsed an army of the king of Lanka (Ceylon), thereby earning for himself the surname Sangramaraghava.  The Ceylon king who at this time must have sent his army in support of the Pandya could have been no other than Kassappa V. who, according to the traditional account given in the Mahawamsa, would have reigned from A.D. 906 to 916 (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society for July 1913, page 525 f.) The commencement of the reign of Parantaka I has been fixed by Professor Kielhorn to lie between 15^th January and 25^th July A.D. 907.

(Line 1.)  Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 12^th year of (the reign of) king Parakesarivarman who took Madirai (Madura) – the day of the gift (kotta-nal[3]) (being) one hundred and twenty nine – at the command of the members of the great assembly which included (in it) the great men of the wards-committee, the great men of the garden-committee, the great men of the fields-committee, the great men of the north-fields (vada-kalani)-committee[4], the Bhattas and other distinguished men (visishtas) of this year . . . . . . . . . .  Kavadippakkam alias Amaninarayana-chaturvedimangalam in Paduvur-kottam, the great men of the tanks-committee, who do the eri-variyam for this year, received from Araisurudaiy[an]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tiran Senni – Peraraiyar of Araisur in Pambuni-kurram (a subdivision) of Sola-nadu, one hundred and twenty kalanju weight of gold of nine and a half degrees of fineness[5].

(L. 3.) Receiving this one hundred and twenty kalanju of gold as a fund for paying the ferry-men depositing mud on the bund of the big tank of our village, we shall, from the interest accruing on this one hundred and twenty kalanju of gold, for (the merit of) these four servants (viz.,) Karmangalam-Udaiyan, Valikkutti, Perunayagan and Aliyanilai-Madambi who died when this (i.e., the above-mentioned) Senni-Peraraiyar himself make a frontal attack on the occasion when the Pandya (king) and the king of Ceylon marched (against) Perumanadigal and fought with him a deadly battle[6] at Velur, in the manner described below, feed regularly at the time when offerings are made to the lord (perumanadigal) of our village of Tirukkarapuram, on the bank of the Paryaru[7], in the feeding hall (salai-mandagam) constructed by him (i.e., Senni-Peraraiyar), without any break as long as the moon (lasts), four apurvi[8] Brahmanas versed in the Vedas, with rich meals (agram)[9] supplying four vegetables (kari), one alakku of ghee for each individual and one nali of curd for each individual.

(L. 4) After these are richly fed, two areca-nuts (key) and leaves shall be given to each of them.  Thus shall be rich repast be given.  The great men of the tank-committee who perform (the duties of) eri-variyam year after year shall themselves supervise and feed the four Brahmanas as long as the moon (lasts).  Those who protect this charity shall obtain the merit of the performance of Asvamedha (sacrifice).  Those who obstruct this, charity shall incur the sins committed (by sinners) between the Ganges and Cape Comorin.  We, the members of the great assembly including the great men of the tank-committee of this year, have ordered (in the aforesaid manner).  I, the arbitrator (madhyastha) Sivakkuri Nurrenman, wrote (this document) under the orders of the great men of the tank-committee  of this year, being (myself) present in the assembly.

No. 100.—  ON THE SOUTH WALL OF THE CENTRAL SHRINE IN THE MADHUVANESVARA TEMPLE AT TIRUKKALAVUR.[10]

This inscription is dated in the 14^th year of Parakesarivarman, ‘the conqueror of Madura,’ and records a gift of land for a lamp to the Siva temple at Karugavur near Tirukkudamukkil by a certain merchant of Nandipuram.  The village Nandipuram is mentioned in the Nalayiraprabandham as the seat of a Vishnu temple and is identical with Natl-ankovil near Kumbakonam.  Utpalaru, on which the village Karugavur is stated to have been situated, must be one of the several branches of the river Kaveri.

Hail ! Prosperity ! In the 14^th year of (the reign of) king Parakesarivarman, who took Madirai (Madura), I, Samundan Murti, a merchant of Nandipuram, purchased at Karugavur (and gave) one ma and three kani of land on the north (bank) of the Utpalaru (river) of this village and

three kani  to the east of the Alattur-channel – in all one eighth (veli) of land, for one perpetual lamp (to burn) as long as the moon and the sun (last), to (the temple of) Mahadeva (Siva) at Karugavur near Tirukkudamukkil which was a devadana in Pambur – nadu on the northern bank (of the Kaveri).  From the income of this (land) given by Samundan Murti, after deducting its taxes, (one) perpetual lamp shall burn day and night as long as the moon and the sun (endure).  The (one) thousand tiruvadi of this village shall protect this charity.  The dust of the sacred feet of these (persons) shall be on my head. [1]  No. 470 of 1908. [2]   No. 693 of 1904. [3]  The word kottanaal occurs for the first time.  Other inscriptions use only naal.  The exact significance of the word is doubtful. [4]  Vadakazhani varagaperumakkal.  The function of this body as distinguishedfrom kazhanivaarigaperumakkal is not clear is not clear. [5]  Maari is the word actually used.  It has been taken to correspond to the modern maattru. [6]  The translation of this phrase by “a deadly battle” is purely conjectural.  It is not found in the dictionaries.  The word may also mean “a fight on elephants.” [7]  Paryaru must evidently be the Palaru on which the present village of Tirupparkkadal is situated. [8]  The technical term apurvi as applied to Vedic Brahmanas is also found in an inscription from the Vishnu temple at Ennayiram (No. 333 of 1917).  In describing a school for the students of the Vedas, it mentions three students and teachers of the Rig, Yajus, etc., Vedas who either studied apurva of taught it.  It is not improbable that the term was intended to convey a special method of studying the Vedas and was an accepted synonym for Vedic literature which included Rig, Yajus, Chhandogya-Sama, Talavakara-Sama, Vajasaneya, Atharva, Baudhayaniya-Grihya, Kalpa, Gana and Kathaka. [9] Agram is still used in Malabar in connection with the term agra sala, ‘cooking house in temples’ and with agrasala-para a special measure used in these cooking houses.  Agram  also means excellent or chief.  When applied to a meal if means perhaps the chief meal provided for in a temple.  No. 36 of 1910. [10]  No. 36 of 1910. Home Page

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