Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s1.t7.5

c28.s1.t7.5

| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.8. Estampage: Pl. 8. |
| **Locus** | On the brow of the cave called the 'school' on the Pañcapāṇḍavarmalai hill. See section 1.2.3 and Fig. 1.4. The inscription is engraved from right to left and upside down. The illustrations are printed in the normal orientation; however, some of the letters (Nos. 5 to 8, and 11 & 12 from left) still appear upside down due to careless engraving. Cf. Nos. **53, 54, 56 & 74.** See section 5.8 on direction of writing. |
| **No. of lines** | 1 |
| **Length** | 239 cm. |
| **Date** | ca. 2nd century B.C. |
| **Publ.** | *ARE* 135/1903. *SII.* VIII: No. 422. IM: 9/1966. |
| | CNR: V (p. 370); HKS: V (pp. 339-340); *HTS:* 3 (pp. 45, 73-74); KVS: V (p. 294); KZ: 4 (p. 21); |
| | MSV: 13 (pp. 110-113); RN: 10 (p. 61); RPS: 11(pp. 163-197); TVM: 3 (pp. 214-217, Pl. 7). |
| | E. Jebarajan 1994. |
| **Notes** | |
| 1. | These two letters are partly damaged by the later cutting of post holes on the brow of the cave. |
| 2. | The different points of attachment of the medial strokes in these two letters clearly indicate that the 8th letter (reversed and inverted) is to be read as *ṭi* and the 13th letter (normal) as *ṭu*. |
| 3. | *upaccaṉ*. Cf. *upādhyāya* (Skt.) 'preceptor'. I now prefer this interpretation by HKS to *upāsaka* 'lay devotee' by KVS followed by me earlier. See n.1, No. **9**. See also 4.9.3 (iii). |
| 4. | *toṇṭilavōṉ* is construed as *toṇṭi* + *(i)lavōṉ* (*illavōṉ*) 'Illavōṉ of Toṇṭi'. See Commentary for discussion. |
| 5. | *paḷḷi-*. |