Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s1.t12: XIV. Aiyarmalai

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s1.t12

Language: English

XIV. Aiyarmalai

c28.s1.t12.1

**50.** **A.** **pā ṉai tu ṟai¹ ve sa ṉa a ta ṭa² a ṉā ma**

c28.s1.t12.4

The seat (is the gift) of Vessaṉ of Paṉaituṟai.

c28.s1.t12.6

Notes

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1. The engraver had omitted this letter at first by oversight and later added it in smaller size above the line.

c28.s1.t12.8

2. The estampage shows a dot resembling the *puḷḷi* to the right of this letter. A careful re-examination *in situ* jointly by M.D. Sampath, N. Srinivasan and myself in 1991 has shown this to be a natural feature.

c28.s1.t12.9

3. *vessaṉ*. Cf. *vessa* (Pkt.) < *vaiśya* (Skt.). Alternatively, < *vaiśva* (Skt.) 'Uttarāshāḍha asterism'. Cf. (Sinh. Pkt.) *veśa* 'personal name from Uttarāshāḍha'.

c28.s1.t12.10

4. Read *atiṭ-āṉam* (*atiṭṭāṉam*). See n.10, No. 49.

c28.s1.t12.11

XV. TIRUMALAI (திருமலை) - 1

c28.s1.t12.12

**51.** **A.** . . . **vā kā rā ṇa ṭai**

c28.s1.t12.13

**B.** . . . *va karaṇṭai*¹

c28.s1.t12.14

. . . வ கரண்டை

c28.s1.t12.15

The cave (abode of ascetics ) . . .

c28.s1.t12.16

**Ill.** Tracing: Fig. 8.24B. Estampage: Pl. 22B.

c28.s1.t12.17

**Locus** On the brow of the western cave on the northern face of the Tirumalai hill. The rock surface has peeled off leaving only a small fragment at the end of the inscription.

c28.s1.t12.18

**No. of lines** 1

c28.s1.t12.19

**Length** Approximately 33 cm. (extant).

c28.s1.t12.20

**Date** ca. 1st century B.C.

c28.s1.t12.21

**Publ.** *Kalveṭṭu*, No. 24 (1989). Natana Kasinathan 1994: No. 2 (with Pl.).

c28.s1.t12.22

**Notes**
1. *karaṇṭai* 'cave, cavern, abode of ascetics'. See Commentary for discussion.

c28.s1.t12.23

TIRUMALAI (திருமலை) - 2

c28.s1.t12.24

52. A. **e ru¹ kā ṭu ū ru² kā vi ti ko³ ṉa ko ṟi ya pā ḷi ya**

c28.s1.t12.25

¹ Natana Kasinathan reads *ra* and Sampath *k*.

c28.s1.t12.26

² Natana Kasinathan reads *ru* and Sampath *r*.

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³ Natana kasinathan and Sampath read *ka*.

c28.s1.t12.28

B. ***erukāṭu-ūru⁴ kāviti-kōṉ koṟiya⁵ paḷi-y⁶***

c28.s1.t12.29

⁴ Probably *eru-k-kāṭṭu-* (in oblique case); cf. LT. *erukkāṭṭūr*.

c28.s1.t12.30

⁵ *korriya*. Cf. (inscr.) *korriṉa* 'excavated'. See Commentary for discussion.

c28.s1.t12.31

⁶ *paḷḷi-*. The spelling **pā ḷi-** is archaic for this period. See also Nos. *59, 60, 65, 74* and *82* for other archaisms.

c28.s1.t12.32

எருகாடுஊரு காவிதி கோன் கொறிய பளிய்

c28.s1.t12.33

The hermitage was carved by the chief *kāviti* of Erukkāṭṭu-ūru.

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**ILL.** Tracing: Fig. 8.24B. Estampage: Pl. 22B.

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**Locus** On the brow of the eastern cave on the northern face of the hill; weather-worn and faint, but legible.

c28.s1.t12.36

**No. of lines** 1

c28.s1.t12.37

**Length** 120 cm.

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**Date** ca. 1st century A.D.

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**Publ.** *IAR* 1988-89:p. 95; *IAR* 1990-91:p. 85. *Kalveṭṭu*, No. 24 (1989) (with Pl.). M.D. Sampath 1977-78:pp. 146-148 (with Pl.). Natana Kasinathan 1994:No. 2 (with Pl.).

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Notes

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Figure 8.25. XVI. TIRUPPARANKUNRAM 1-3 Inscriptions Nos. 53-55 (Inscription No. 54 in two segments). Tracings (No. 55 in two segments). Scale: one-fifth (Nos. 53 & 54), one-tenth (No. 55).

c28.s1.t12.43

XVI. TIRUPPARANKUNRAM (திருப்பரங்குன்றம்) - 1

c28.s1.t12.44

53. A. **a na tū¹ vā ṉa ko ṭu pi tā vā ṉa**

c28.s1.t12.45

B. ***antuvaṉ koṭupitavaṉ*²**

c28.s1.t12.46

*அந்துவன் கொடுபிதவன்*

c28.s1.t12.47

Antuvaṉ caused to be given.³

c28.s1.t12.48

c28.s1.t12.49

TIRUPPARANKUNRAM (திருப்பரங்குன்றம்) - 2

c28.s1.t12.50

**54. A.** **mā ra ya tu ka ya**¹

c28.s1.t12.51

**B.** *mārayatu*² *kaya[m\*]*³

c28.s1.t12.52

மாரயது கய[ம்\*]

c28.s1.t12.53

The pool⁴ (is the gift) of the ***mārāya(m)***.

c28.s1.t12.54

| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.25. Estampage: Pl. 23. |
| **Locus** | In the upper cave on the rock wall abutting the headside of two stone beds. The first segment is above the stone bed at right and is engraved from right to left and upside down. The second segment is above the stone bed at left and engraved 'normally'. It appears from the sequence that the two segments constitute one inscription as read here. The illustrations are printed in the normal orientation. See section 5.8 on direction of writing. |
| **No. of Segments** | 2 |
| **Length** | 28 cm. (1st segment) + 13 cm. (2nd segment). |
| **Date** | ca. 1st century B.C. |
| **Publ.** | *ARE* B.140-141/1951-52. IM:49-50/1966. |
| | *HTS*: 12.3 (pp. 55, 87-88); MSV: 16.2 (p. 129); RN: 12.3 & 12.4 (pp. 63-64); |
| | TVM:9-A & B (pp. 251-257, Pl. 16 middle & top). |
| | C. Bose 1981: pp. 119-126. |
| **Notes** | |
| 1. | The first segment is read *mā tā yē va* and the second segment *na ya* in *ARE*. |
| 2. | Read *mārāyatu* (*mārāyattu*). Cf. LT *mārāyam*, an ancient title, here probably for one so honoured. See section 4.6.10. |
| 3. | [*m*\*] is supplied from the context. Cf. LT *kayam* 'tank'. |
| 4. | There is a pool just outside the two caves on the hill. |

c28.s1.t12.55

TIRUPPARANKUNRAM (திருப்பரங்குன்றம்) - 3

c28.s1.t12.56

55. A. e ru kā¹ ṭu ra i² ḷa³ ku ṭu ma pi ka ṇa po lā⁴ lai ya ṇa |⁵ ce ya⁶ tā ā ya ca ya ṇa ne ṭu cā⁷ ta ṇa

c28.s1.t12.57

B. erukāṭur⁸ īḷa-kuṭumpikaṇ⁹ polālaiyaṇ | ceytā[ṉ*]¹⁰ āycayaṇ¹¹ neṭucātaṉ¹²

c28.s1.t12.58

எருகாடூர் ஈழகுடும்பிகன் பொலாலையன் | செய்தா[ன்*] ஆய்சயன் நெடுசாதன்

c28.s1.t12.59

(The gift of) Polālaiyaṇ, the Īḷa-householder from Erukkāṭṭūr. Āyccayyaṉ Neṭucāttaṉ made.¹³

c28.s1.t12.60

c28.s1.t12.61

Notes

c28.s1.t12.62

1. HKS and KVS read *kō*.
2. HKS reads *i* and KVS *ī*.
3. HKS reads *jaṁ* with the comment, "one can venture to say that it is somewhat like the modern Tamil *ḻa*". It was left to KVS to confirm this important identification. See section 2.4.2.
4. According to TVM, the medial strokes of *-ā* are "added twice" in the 15th and 29th letters, and "as such, they have to be read only as long". The letters do not have double strokes as verified *in situ*. See also n.3, *No. 11*.
5. A vertical line is engraved between the two segments. The letters are smaller in size after the line.
6. As pointed out by HKS, *y* has an irregular shape with the left limb attached to the middle of the vertical. This variant form is further developed in Nos. *65* & *66*. See n.1, *No. 65*.
7. As pointed out by HKS, the vertical line of *c* projects below the loop at the bottom. See also n.1, *No. 105*. *c* in these cases resembles that of the Bhattiprolu alphabet.
8. Read *erukāṭūr* (*erukkāṭṭūr*). Cf. LT *erukkāṭṭūr*.
9. Read *īḷa-*. Cf. LT *īḻam* 'Sri Lanka'; alternatively, *īla-* 'of the tree-climber caste' (RPS). Cf. LT *īḻam* 'toddy, arrack'. The latter interpretation suits the context better. See section 4.20.1 (i).
10. [*ṉ\**] supplied here from the evidence of the noun which follows.
11. *āyccayyaṉ*. Construed as *āyca* (*āycca*) + *ayaṉ* (*ayyaṉ*). Cf. (Ka. inscr.) *āycayya*; (Ta. inscr.) *āccaṉ*, *ācciyaṉ*. Cf. *āicca* (AMg.) < *āditya* (Skt.).
12. *neṭu-cāttaṉ*.
13. 'the stone beds' is understood from the context.

c28.s1.t12.63

[Figure: Figure 8.26. XVII. MUTTUPPATTI 1-3 Inscriptions Nos. 56-58 (No. 57 in three segments). Tracings. Scale: one-sixth (Nos. 56 & 58), one-eighth (No. 57).]

c28.s1.t12.64

XVII. MUTTUPPATTI (முத்துப்பட்டி) - 1

c28.s1.t12.65

56. A. **nā kā pe rū ra tai ya mu ci ṟi¹ ko ṭa ṇa e ḷa ma ka ṇa**

c28.s1.t12.66

B. *nākapērūr=atai-y² muciṟi kōṭaṇ eḷamakaṇ³*

c28.s1.t12.67

நாகபேரூரதைய் முசிறி கோடன் எளமகன்

c28.s1.t12.68

The a(n)tai of Nākapērūr (and) Kōṭaṉ, the Eḷamakaṉ from Muciṟi.⁴

c28.s1.t12.69

| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.26. Estampage (incomplete): Pl. 25. |
| **Locus** | On the front side of an oblong boulder (the top of which is smoothened to serve as a bed) in the smaller cave on the Karaṭippaṭṭi hill. The inscription is engraved from right to left and upside down. The illustrations are printed in the normal orientation. The inscription is engraved on a very rough and uneven surface and is difficult to make out. See section 5.8 on direction of writing. |
| **No. of lines** | 1 |
| **Length** | 101 cm. |
| **Date** | ca. 1st century B.C. |
| **Publ.** | *ARE* B. 243/1963-64 (copied earlier in 1910 but not catalogued). *IAR* 1963-64: p. 71. *IM*: 53/1966. |
| | *HTS*: 13.2 (pp. 55-56, 88-89); RN: 14.2 (p. 65). |
| | G. Siromoney and E. Jebarajan 1980 (with eye copy). |
| **Notes** | |
| 1. | The letter has an unusual form looking like a ligature of *ṭ* and *t*. |
| 2. | Cf. *antai*, an honorific (masc.) for an elder or senior person (Nos. 25-28). The nasal is omitted here as also in No. **30**. See also n.9, No. **3**. |
| 3. | Cf. (inscr.) *iḷamakaṇ*, a member of the ancient martial clan of *iḷaiyar* or *iḷamakkaḷ*. Cf. *iḷayar* (No. **49**). See section 4.18.1(i). |
| 4. | Presumably the gift was jointly made by the two donors. See Commentary for their probable relationship. |