Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s2.t1.7

c28.s2.t1.7

1. HKS reads *ḍu* and KVS *ṟa*.
2. HKS and KVS also read *u*. I had earlier read this as *ru*.
3. HKS reads *ḍai* and KVS *ṟai*.
4. The character *ḷa* is identified here for the first time by HKS.
5. HKS reads *pā* and KVS *nā*.
6. HKS reads *ā* and KVS *a*.
7. HKS tentatively identified the 'clear dot' after this letter as the *anusvāra*. Rechecking *in situ* has shown it to be only a natural feature, though a *puḷḷi* is linguistically possible here.
8. This is the earliest known occurrence of the *puḷḷi* first identified by Jebarajan and Siromoney. (Basic consonants marked with the *puḷḷi* are transcribed without the 'inherent' medial vowel *-a*.)
9. *iva-*. Cf. *iha* (AMg.) < *ibha* (Skt.) > *ipam* (Ta.) 'elephant'. TVM and RN identify *iva-kuṉṟa(m)* with Āṉaimalai, the present name of the hill.
10. The suffix *tū* for *tu* (LT *-ttu*) is archaic . Cf. **ni kā mā tū** for *nikamatu* (*nikamattu*) (No. 3).
11. *uṟaiyuḷ* may be construed as *uṟai* + *uḷ* 'in the abode (of ascetics)' or treated as one word, *uṟaiyuḷ* 'abode of ascetics'.
12. *pataṉtaṉ* < *bhadanta* (Pkt.) 'venerable', an honorific prefixed to names of monks (TVM). **pā ta na tā ṇa** (for *pataṉtaṉ*) is archaic for this period. See n.10 above and n.6, No. 52.
13. Read *attavāyi*. Cf. *attha-* (Pkt.) < *artha* (Skt.) 'meaning', and *-vāyi* (AMg.) < *vādin* (Skt.) 'one who expounds' or < *vācin* (Skt.) 'one who recites'. See section 4.9.3 (v).