Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s22.t6: 4.19.6 Personal names after ṛishis, gōtras, etc.

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s22.t6

Language: English

4.19.6 Personal names after ṛishis, gōtras, etc.

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Some of the personal names in the inscriptions included in the Corpus are derived from Vedic *ṛishis* or the *gōtras* originating from them.

*kaśyapa* is the name of a mythical *ṛishi* and *kāśyapa* is the patronym derived from it. Personal names based on them form the most frequent group in this category. The names are spelt variously in the inscriptions.¹ It is significant, given the Jaina context of the inscriptions, that Mahāvīra is said to have belonged to the Kāśyapa *gōtra*.

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¹ See Commentary (14.1).

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The name *kaccavanu* (*kaccavaṉ*) (No. **119**) may also belong to this group, or may be derived from Skt. *kacchapa* > Ta. *kaccapam* 'tortoise, turtle'.

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(ii) From Harita / Hariti / Hārita

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The names are ultimately derived from Skt. *harita*. The personal names in the inscriptions are spelt variously in the inscriptions forming the second most frequent group in this category.²

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² See Commentary (5.1.b and 25.1.b).

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(iii) From Atri

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The personal name *attiraṉ* occurring in one of the inscriptions (No. **24**) is probably derived from *atri* (Ta. *attiri*).

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(iv) From Nakula

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The personal name *na ku lā na* (*nakulaṉ*) occurs in a pottery inscription in Tamil-Brāhmī found at Salihundam,³ Andhra Pradesh. The name is after one of the Pāṇḍava brothers.⁴

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³ R. Subrahmanyam 1964: p. 44, No. 3a; p. 83, No. 1; Fig. 13, No. 3a; Pl. XLVII, top left.

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⁴ See section 1.13.8 for discussion.