Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s22.t3: 4.19.3 Vedic and Brahmanical deities in personal names on inscribed objects

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s22.t3

Language: English

4.19.3 Vedic and Brahmanical deities in personal names on inscribed objects

c23.s22.t3.1

As may be expected, pottery inscriptions and other inscribed objects like coins, seals and rings, representing a wider or more heterogeneous segment of the early Tamil society, present examples of personal names based on Vedic and Brahmanical deities also.

c23.s22.t3.2

(i) **Mittiraṉ**

c23.s22.t3.3

A gold ring from Karur⁹ has the legend *mi ti rā ṉa* (*mittiraṉ*), a personal name based on the Vedic deity Mitra.

c23.s22.t3.4

⁹ See No. 3, Table 1.8 and Fig. 1.23 E.

c23.s22.t3.5

(ii) Vāruṇi

c23.s22.t3.6

A pottery inscription from Kodumanal¹ includes the name *vāruṇi-i-y* (*vāruṇi*) derived from Vedic Varuṇa. The Vedic ṛishi Bhṛigu was a *vāruṇi* ('son of Varuṇa').

c23.s22.t3.7

¹ Y. Subbarayalu, Catalogue of Pottery Inscriptions from Kodumanal 1996 (unpublished): No. 114.

c23.s22.t3.8

(iii) Ariyamaṉ

c23.s22.t3.9

A gold ring from Karur² has the legend *a ri a mā ṉa* (*ariamaṉ*), a personal name derived from Vedic *aryaman*, one of the Ādityas. The Cōḻa dynasty claimed Aryaman to be among its mythical ancestors.³ One of the dignitaries attesting the Tiruvalangadu Plates bore the name *araiyamāṉ*, apparently derived from Vedic *aryaman*.⁴

c23.s22.t3.10

² See No. 5, Table 1.8.

c23.s22.t3.11

³ *SII*. III: Tiruvalangadu Plates of Rajendra Cōḻa I, 1018 A.D., pp. 383 ff., line 23 'his son was *aryyamā*, the lord of the earth'.

c23.s22.t3.12

⁴ Ibid. line 508.

c23.s22.t3.13

(iv) Cātavēta

c23.s22.t3.14

A large but crudely incised pottery inscription from Alagankulam⁵ reads *cātavēta* < Skt. *jātavēdas*, a name of the god Agni.

c23.s22.t3.15

⁵ Natana Kasinathan 1997: p. 72, No. 13, Pl. V.13 (with a different reading).

c23.s22.t3.16

(v) Indra-dhvaja

c23.s22.t3.17

An uninscribed bronze seal from Karur⁶ depicts the *indra-dhvaja* 'banner of Indra' before a galloping horse. The *indra-dhvaja* symbol on the seal is the largest depiction known in glyptic art. Perhaps the seal was used in ceremonies connected with *intira-viḻā* 'festival of Indra' celebrated by ancient Tamils as they believed that worshipping Indra would bring timely rains.

c23.s22.t3.18

⁶ See No. 4, Table 1.7.

c23.s22.t3.19

(vi) Baladēva

c23.s22.t3.20

A unique gold ring from Karur⁷ (with a Tamil name written in Prakrit in Southern Brāhmī characters) has the legend *nal-veḷḷai-sa* ('of aupicious *veḷḷai*'); *nal-veḷḷai*, one of the Tamil names of Baladēva (Balarāma), is also attested in early Tamil literature.⁸