[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003) › c21.s8 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c21.s8: 2.8 Discovery of the puḷḷi in the Tamil-Brāhmī script Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c21.s8 - **Language:** English ### 2.8 Discovery of the puḷḷi in the Tamil-Brāhmī script ### [c21.s8.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.1) The \*puḷḷi\* (literally, 'dot') is a diacritic device in the Tamil script to mark the basic consonants and (formerly) the short \*e\* and \*o\* vowels.¹ The occurrence of the \*puḷḷi\* in the cave inscriptions was not suspected for a long time. Krishna Sastri did notice the 'dots' in the Anaimalai cave inscription, but considered them to be the \*anusvāra\* of the Brāhmī script.² Even Subrahmanya Aiyer failed to notice the occurrence of the \*puḷḷi\* in this inscription which he discovered. In general, he assumed that "as in most Tamil inscriptions and palm-leaf manuscripts, it (the \*puḷḷi\*) has to be supplied by the reader".³ This assumption shows that he did not grasp the essence of the Bhattiprolu convention that the consonant symbol does not possess the so-called inherent \*-a\* medial vowel as pointed out by Bühler much earlier.⁴ ### [c21.s8.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.2) ¹ See sections 5.14, 6.8 and 6.9. ### [c21.s8.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.3) ² H. Krishna Sastri 1919: p. 334, n.6. ### [c21.s8.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.4) ³ K.V. Subrahmanya Aiyer 1924: p. 287. ### [c21.s8.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.5) ⁴ G. Bühler 1894 b: pp. 323-329. See also section 6.6 in this vol. ### [c21.s8.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.6) The Arachalur cave inscription discovered in 1961 has a clear dot placed inside the character for the vowel \*e\*.⁵ The significance of the dot as the \*puḷḷi\* indicating the short vowel \*e\* was first pointed out by Krishnan in 1973.⁶ The next find of a \*puḷḷi\* came from a wholly unexpected source, the Tamil-Brāhmī legend on the reverse of the silver portrait coin of Sātakarṇi (2nd century A.D.). The occurrence of the \*puḷḷi\* in the coin-legend was first pointed out by Sircar.⁷ This was soon followed by the discovery of the \*puḷḷi\* in the legend of the Andippatti Hoard of lead coins of Cēntaṉ (ca. 3rd century A.D.) by Mohandas.⁸ The next advance came when Jebarajan and Gift Siromoney identified the \*puḷḷi\* in the Anaimalai cave inscription, overlooked by the earlier investigators.⁹ It is now known that the earliest occurrence of the \*puḷḷi\* which can be dated is in the coin-legend on the silver portrait coin of Puḷumāvi issued towards the close of the 1st century A.D.¹⁰ ### [c21.s8.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.7) ⁵ No. \*\*85\*\*. ### [c21.s8.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.8) ⁶ K.G. Krishnan 1973-74b: pp. 91-93. ### [c21.s8.9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.9) ⁷ D.C. Sircar 1963-64b: pp. 247-252. See also Fig. 5.9 in this vol. ### [c21.s8.10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.10) ⁸ P.N. Mohandas 1968, \*The Hindu\*, January 7. K.G. Krishnan 1973-74c: pp. 139-140. ### [c21.s8.11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.11) ⁹ E. Jebarajan and Gift Siromoney 1978: pp. 1-10. ### [c21.s8.12](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.12) ¹⁰ I.K. Sarma 1980: p. 115; Pl. 9 & 9A. See also section 5.15 in this vol. for discussion on the coin-legends. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8) · Pramāṇa