Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s1.t12.69

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. |