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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s22.t2: 4.19.2 Names based on religion

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s22.t2

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4.19.2 Names based on religion

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It is an interesting fact that there are very few names in the inscriptions which are based on religion. Most personal names are secular or nondenominational. Of over a hundred names in the Corpus, only the following five can be described as based on religion.

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(i) **Āycayaṉ (No. 55)**

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The name **āycayaṉ** is construed as *āycca-ayyaṉ*. The first part of the name *āycca* is derived from Pkt. *āicca* < Skt. *āditya*, one of the names of the Sun, considered to be an Āditya.

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(ii) **Kaṇa- (Kaṇṇa-) (No. 84)**

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The name may be derived either from Pkt. *kaṇha* (<Skt. *kṛṣṇa*) or from Pkt. *kaṇṇa* (< Skt. *karṇa*).

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The name *ka(ṉ)ṇaṉ* also occurs in pottery inscriptions from Arikamedu,¹ Kodumanal² and Quseir al-Qadim (Egypt).³

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¹ I. Mahadevan 1996a: Figs. 5.22 & 5. 25.

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² See No. 4, Table 1.5 and Fig. 1.20 A.

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³ D. Whitcomb and J.H. Johnson 1979: Pl. 27 j.

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(iii) **Kuviraṉ** (Nos. 21-23, 31 & 32)

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The name is derived from Pkt. *kuvēra* (<Skt. *kubēra*) 'god of riches and Regent of Northern Quarter'. Kubēra is one of the semi-divine Yakshas.

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The name occurs (with variant spellings) in pottery inscriptions from Alagankulam,⁴ Arikamedu,⁵ Kodumanal⁶ and probably Uraiyur.⁷

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⁴ Natana Kasinathan 1997: p. 72, No. 12, Pl. VI.14.

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⁵ R.E.M. Wheeler *et al.* 1946: Pl. XLI, No. 15. (*-kuyir-aṉ*, variant of *kuviraṉ* misread as *-kuḷuraṉ* here). I. Mahadevan 1996a: No. 5.24 (*kuyiraṉ*).

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⁶ Y. Subbarayalu, *Catalogue of Pottery Inscriptions from Kodumanal 1996* (unpublished): No. 31. (Also in ) K. Rajan 1994: Fig. 23.

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⁷ K.V. Raman (ed.) 1988: Fig. 24.14, Pl. 19.8 (*kuvi[ra\*]..*).

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(iv) **Koṟṟi** (fem.) Nos. 65 & 66)

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The name is probably after the village goddess *koṟṟi* or *koṟṟavai* later identified with Durgā. Alternatively, the name may be the feminine gender form of *koṟṟaṉ* which is derived from *koṟṟam* 'victory, sovereignty'.

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(v) **Tēvaṉ** (Nos. 84 & 85)

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The name is derived from Skt. *dēva* 'god', but understood as 'lord, chief' when occurring as part of personal names.

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The name *tevvai-tattai* (fem.) (< Skt. *dēva-dattā*) occurs in a pottery inscription from Arikamedu.⁸

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⁸ See No. 1, Table 1.5 and Fig. 1.19 A.

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