Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s2.t13: XXI. Mamandur

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s2.t13

Language: English

XXI. Mamandur

c28.s2.t13.1

**73. A.** L. 1 **ka¹ ṇi mā¹ ṉa²** L. 2 **te³ ṉū ra ta na ta ko ṉa ku ṉa ṟu⁴ ā⁵ ci** L. 3 **ce⁶ yi tā ṉa ta ca ṉa ci ṟu** L. 4 **...⁷ va ṉa**

c28.s2.t13.2

**B.** L. 1 *kaṇimāṉ* L. 2 *tēṉūr tanta kōṉ kuṉṟu* [*l*] *āci*⁸ L. 3 *ceyitāṉ tacaṉ*⁹ *ciṟu-* L. 4 *. . . vaṉ*

c28.s2.t13.3

L. 1 கணிமான் L. 2 தேனூர் தந்த கோன் குன்று [*l*]ஆசி L. 3 செயிதான் தசன் சிறு L. 4 . . . வன்

c28.s2.t13.4

The hill of Kaṇimāṉ, the chieftain, who took Tēṉūr. Ciṟu . . . vaṉ, the carpenter, made the props.¹⁰

c28.s2.t13.6

**Notes**
1. The Southern Brāhmī characters of ca. 3rd century A.D. for *k* and *m* occur in L. 1. See n.1, No. *84*.
2. The vertical part of the letter has a pronounced curve. It is cut across in the middle by a cleft in the rock. This probably misled TVM into reading this letter as *ṭo*.
3. The vertical of the letter is cut across diagonally by a cleft in the rock.
4. There is a gap of about 15 cm. after this letter. There is a deep cleft here; the two letters after the cleft, covered by thick moss, were missed during my earlier copying.
5. TVM reads *ma*.
6. The letter is engraved twice, one below the other, but the upper one is erased.
7. There is a damaged letter here which cannot be identified as the lower portion is broken off.
8. Cf. LT *ācu* 'prop, support'; *āsi* (AMg.) 'support'.
9. *taccaṉ* 'carpenter'.
10. 'for the canopy' is understood, as indicated by the two large square post holes above the inscription.

c28.s2.t13.8

[Figure: Figure 8.36A. XXII. KUNNAKKUDI 1 & 2 Inscriptions Nos. 74 & 75 Tracings. Scale: one-eighth (No. 74), one-sixth (No. 75).]

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[Figure: Figure 8.36B. XXIII. TONDUR Inscription No. 76

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XXII. KUNNAKKUDI (குன்றக்குடி) - 1

c28.s2.t13.11

**74. A.** **kā¹ pi ū² r³ ā ta ṉa cā t³ tā⁴ ṇa**

c28.s2.t13.12

**B.** ***kāpi-ūr⁵ ātaṉ cāttāṉ⁶***

c28.s2.t13.13

காபிஊர் ஆதன் சாத்தான்

c28.s2.t13.14

Ātaṉ Cāttaṉ of Kāppi-ūr.

c28.s2.t13.15

| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.36A. Estampage: Pl. 34A. |
| **Locus** | Inscription at left on the brow of the cave called Ñāṉiyārmaṭam to the west of the Subrahmaṇya temple on the hill. It runs from left to right, but the letters are engraved upside down. The illustrations are printed in the normal orientation. See section 5.8 on direction of writing. The inscription is legible and not 'much damaged' as stated in *ARE*. |
| **No. of lines** | 1 |
| **Length** | 105 cm. |
| **Date** | ca. 3rd century A.D. |
| **Publ.** | *ARE* 44/1909; *ARE* 1917-18:Pl. facing p. 6. *SII*. XXVI:No. 45. IM:69/1966. *HTS*:17.1 (p. 62); MSV: 3(pp. 40-42); RN:15.1 (pp. 65-66); TVM:15 (pp. 285-287, Pl. 26). T.V. Mahalingam 1958: pp. 5-7. |
| **Notes** | |
| 1. | The first letter was partly hidden under mortar which was scraped off by our team in 1992. |
| 2. | The three dots shown with this letter in the eye copy by TVM are not seen *in situ*. |
| 3. | The *puḷḷi* marks with these two letters came to light when the rock surface was cleaned. The *puḷḷi* is placed in each case to the right of the respective letter in the middle of the line. |
| 4. | The letter is *tā* and not *ta* as copied by me earlier and in TVM's eye copy. |
| 5. | *kāppi-*. Cf. LT *kāppi-yāṟṟu kāppiyaṉ-ār*. |
| 6. | Read *cāttaṉ*. It is possible that the orthography is archaic. See n.6, No. 52. |

c28.s2.t13.16

KUNNAKKUDI (குன்னக்குடி) - 2

c28.s2.t13.17

**75. A.** **ū ṟu tu . . .**

c28.s2.t13.18

**B.** **ūṟu¹ tu . . .**

c28.s2.t13.19

ஊ று து . . .

c28.s2.t13.20

The spring . . .

c28.s2.t13.21

c28.s2.t13.22

Notes

c28.s2.t13.23

1. *ūṟṟu* 'spring'. This refers probably to the square rock-cut well seen outside the cave.