Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s1.t2.5

c28.s1.t2.5

| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.3. Estampage: Pl. 3. |
| **Locus** | On the brow of the upper northern cave; weather-worn and faint. HKS and KVS (and others following their lead) have mixed up segments of this inscription with two other inscriptions (Nos. *5* & *6*) in another cave. See section 1.2.1(ii). |
| **No. of lines** | 1 |
| **Length** | 515 cm. |
| **Date** | ca. 2nd century B.C. |
| **Publ.** | *ARE* 463-464/1906; *ARE* 1917-18:Pl. facing p. 6 (463 only). IM:3/1966. CNR:IV-B & E (pp. 367-370); HKS:IV-B & E (pp. 336-339); *HTS*:1.3 (pp. 43-44, 69-73); KVS:IV-A & C (pp. 289-294); KZ:3-II A & C (p. 20); MSV:9.1 (pp. 70-73); RN: 1.3 (pp. 48-53); RPS:3 (pp. 163-197); TVM:1-B & E (pp. 201-211, Pl. 3 & 5). K.V. Ramesh (in A. Chakravarti 1974):No. 3. J. Sundaram 1984:No. 5. |
| **Notes** | 1. There is a gap of about 30 cm. here due to flaking of the stone. |
| | 2. HKS and KVS read *ḍai*. KZ and TVM read *ṭai*. |
| | 3. HKS, KVS and KZ read *si*. TVM reads *si*. |
| | 4. *nata-* < *nada* (*nanda*) (Pkt.). See also n.2, No. *1*. |
| | 5. [*ṇ*] restored from the near-identical passages in Nos. *1* & *2*. |
| | 6. *nikamattu*. Cf. LT *nikamam*. |
| | 7. *kāviti-*, an ancient title bestowed on officials and merchants. See section 4.6.9. |
| | 8. Read *kāḷatika*. Cf. LT *kāḻ* 'pearl'; *atikaṇ* < *adhika* (Pkt.) 'superintendent, chief'. Cf. *kaṇatikaṇ* (No. *40*). |
| | 9. *antai*, an honorific suffix (masc.) for an elder or senior person. See section 3.2.2 (v). |
| | 10. *assutaṉ*. Cf. *assuta* (Pāli), *assuda* (AMg.) < *aśruta* (Skt.). 'A personal name' (RPS). |
| | 11. Cf. LT *piḷavu* 'cleft'. "*piṇa-u* might have meant a partition or cleft" (Sundaram). |
| | 12. *koṭuppittōṉ* < *koṭu* 'to give'. See Commentary on the distinction between *koṭu* and *koṭṭu*. |