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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s22.t4: 4.19.4 Personal names based on asterisms

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s22.t4

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4.19.4 Personal names based on asterisms

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In ancient India and Sri Lanka, it was a common practice to name the children after the asterisms under which they were born or which were considered to bring good luck.¹ The following personal names based on asterisms occur in the inscriptions included in the Corpus as well as in inscriptions on pottery and other objects.

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¹ For personal names in Prakrit based on asterisms, See *Bhārhut Inscrs.* p. 4. For personal names in Sinhala-Prakrit based on asterisms, see S. Paranavitana 1970: p. cxxiv.

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(i) Tiyaṉ (No. 47)

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The name is derived from the asterism (Pkt.) *tissa* < Skt. *tishya* (which is also known as *pushya*). Cf. Ta. *tai* and *pūcam* respectively.

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The following variants of the name occur on inscribed objects and in pottery inscriptions:

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Tiyaṉ

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The name occurs as *ti yā ṉa* in the legends on two gold rings from Karur.² One of the rings has also an interesting motif showing a young prince battling a rearing lion. The significance of the motif has been discussed earlier in section 4.18.1(v).

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² See Nos. 1 & 2, Table 1.8 and Figs. 1.23 C & D.

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Tissa-

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The name occurs as *t(i)sa-* in the Tamil-Brāhmī legend on a local lead coin found near Tissamaharama in Sri Lanka.³

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³ See No. 6, Table 1.6.

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Ticaṉ

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The name occurs as *tica-aṉ* in a pottery inscription from Alagankulam.⁴

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⁴ R. Nagaswamy 1991c: Pl. 25.2, No. 6.

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(ii) Viya(k)kaṉ (Nos. 39 & 84)

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The name is derived from the asterism (Pkt.) *visaka* < Skt. *viśākha*/*vaiśākha*. Cf. Ta. *vicākam* and Sinh. Pkt. *vihaka*.

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Two pottery inscriptions from Kodumanal⁵ refer to *visaka* and *visākī* (fem.). Two Sinhala-Brāhmī cave inscriptions from Sri Lanka⁶ mentions a Tamil merchant with the name *visaka*.

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⁵ (i) An unpublished sherd from Kodumanal with the legend *visakaṉ ātaṉ* in the collections of TNSA, Chennai. (ii) Y. Subbarayalu, Catalogue of Pottery Inscriptions from Kodumanal 1996 (unpublished): No. 1. (Also in) K. Rajan 1994: p. 76, Pl. 26. The inscribed pottery was recovered from a megalithic burial at the site.

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⁶ S. Paranavitana 1970: Nos. 356 & 357. The Tamil merchant is referred to as *damēḍa-vaṇijha*.

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(iii) Visuvaṉ (No. 27)

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The name is derived from the asterism (Pkt.) *vissa* < Skt. *viśva* (another name for *uttara-āṣāḍha*). Cf. Ta. *vicuva-nāḷ* (*uttirāṭam*). Another alternative derivation of the name is from Pkt. *visuva* < *vishuvat* 'equinox' (cf. Ta. *viccuva-nāḷ*).

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(iv) Vesaṉ (No. 50)

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The name is derived from the asterism (Pkt.) *vissa* < Skt. *vaiśva* (another name for *uttara-āṣāḍha*). Alternatively, the name may be derived from Pkt. *vessa* < Skt. *vaiśya* 'a member of the Vaiśya caste; cf. Ta. *vaiciyaṉ*.

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