Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s8.t2.8

c20.s8.t2.8

It is interesting that though Gopinatha Rao could read and interpret the text, he considered that the inscription was in the 'Tamil script',⁶ probably because no Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscription was then known outside the Pāṇṭiya and Cēra territories. Later, Subramanian identified the script as Vaṭṭeḻuttu and inferred that this script was once in use all over the Tamil country.⁷ He assigned the inscription tentatively to ca. 300 A.D., later modifying the date as ca. 400 A.D.⁸ On the basis of comparison with several Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscriptions discovered later, the Tirunatharkunru inscription is now placed in the 6th century A.D.⁹