Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s2.t18: XXVIII. Ammankoyilpatti

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s2.t18

Language: English

XXVIII. Ammankoyilpatti

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**A.** L. 1 **pa² ra ma³ pa ṉa ko kū ra ki l[ā]⁴ ra ma ka ṇa vi ya ka ka ṇa** L. 2 **ko pa ṇa ka ṇa te⁵ va ṇa to⁵ ṭa cu ṉai**

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**B.** L. 1 *parampaṉ-kōkūr*⁶ *kiḻ[ā]r*⁷ *makaṉ viyakkaṉ*⁸ L. 2 *kōpaṉ kaṇaṉtēvaṉ*⁹ *toṭa*¹⁰ *cuṉai*

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L. 1 பரம்பன்கோகூர் கிழ[ா]ர் மகன் வியக்கன் L. 2 கோபன் கணதேவன் தொட சுனை

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The mountain pool was excavated by Viyakkaṉ Kōpaṉ Kaṇṇatēvaṉ, the son of the *kiḻār* of Parampaṉ-kōkūr.

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**ILL.** Tracing: Fig. 8.40. Estampage: Pl. 39.

**Locus** On the sloping floor of a rocky outcrop known as Perumāḷkōyil Pāṟai above a deep mountain pool called Tēppāḻi. The inscription is eroded by rainwater flowing over it into the pool, but still legible.

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**No. of lines** 2

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**Length** L. 1:141 cm.; L. 2:135 cm.

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**Date** *ca.* 4th century A.D.

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**Publ.** *ARE* B. 258/1979-80. *IAR* 1979-80: p. 90. P.B. Venkataraman (in) *The Hindu*, Madras, January 19, 1979 (with Pl.). I. Mahadevan 1981: pp. 149-150 (with Pl.).

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**Notes**
1. A unique feature of this inscription is the elongated and leftward curling of the lower ends of the verticals in the letters *k* and *r*, resembling contemporary Southern Brāhmī characters. See section 5.11: *k* and *r*. See also Palaeographic Charts 5A & 5B.
2. [va] in *ARE*.
3. The small, circular depression inside this letter was earlier mistaken by me for the *puḷḷi*. It was found to be a natural feature when the inscription was checked again *in situ* by Natana Kasinathan and myself in 1992.
4. There is some doubt whether the horizontal stroke at top left is part of the basic letter *ḻ* (as in Nos. **83** & **85**) or represents the medial *-ā* sign which can be added only at this point.
5. The 'looped' *ta* shows the influence of the Southern Brāhmī script. See n.1 above.
6. A composite place name as judged from the word order. Cf. (inscr.) *parampaṉ* 'a class of cultivators', *parampañcey nilam* 'a type of land'.
7. *kiḻār*, a title of respect for the chief or leading landowner or an eminent person of the place.
8. Cf. *viyākaṉ* 'Skanda' (*TL*). Cf. *viyakaṉ* (No. **39**).
9. *kaṇṇa-*.
10. *toṭṭa* from *toṭu* 'to dig, excavate'.

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[Figure: Figure 8.41. XXIX. ARACHALUR 1-3 Inscriptions Nos. 85-87 Tracings. Scale: one-third.]

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XXIX. ARACHALUR (அரச்சலூர்) - 1

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L. 1 **e¹ ḷu ta² t[u]³ ma⁴ pu ṇa ru ta tā ṇa ma lai ya** L. 2 **va ṇa ṇa ka ka ṇa te [va]⁵ ṇa [c]ā⁶ [ta ta]⁷ ṇa**

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**B.** L. 1 *eḷutt[u]m puṇaruttāṉ⁸ malai-y* L. 2 *vaṇṇakkaṉ⁹ tē[va]ṉ [c]ā[tta]ṉ*

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L. 1 எழுத்[து]ம் புணருத்தான் மலைய் L. 2 வண்ணக்கன் தே[வ]ன் [ச]ா[த்த]ன்

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**Tēvaṉ Cāttaṉ, the Malai-Vaṇṇakkaṉ,** composed the letters (of the musical notations¹⁰) also.

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| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.41. Estampage: Pl. 40. |
| **Locus** | On the middle of the three stone beds in the cave at Āṇṭipāṟai on the Nākamalai hill to the north of the village. Both lines have suffered some damage. See section 1.5.1. |
| **No. of lines** | 2 |
| **Length** | L. 1 & L. 2: 47 cm. (each). |
| **Date** | ca. 4th century A.D. |
| **Publ.** | *ARE* B. 280/1961-62 (with Pl.). *IAR* 1961-62: p. 81 (with Pl.). IM: 72/1966. HTS: 19.1 (pp. 63, 90-91); MSV: 1 (pp. 29-32); RN: 18.3 (pp. 75-79); RPS: 45 (pp. 163-197); TVM: 17 (pp. 290-298, Pl. 28). T.V. Mahalingam 1962: pp. 125-132. T.N. Ramachandran 1962. K.G. Krishnan 1973-74b: pp. 91-93 (with Pl.). (I have followed here the readings and interpretations proposed by T.N. Ramachandran, R. Nagaswamy and K.G. Krishnan with minor modifications, in preference to my earlier attempt.) |
| **Notes** | |
| 1. | The dot within the letter *e* is the *puḷḷi* indicating that the vowel is short. See No. ***117*** for another example. |
| 2. | The apparent medial stroke at the lower end of the letter is a fault in the rock extending to the next letter also. |
| 3. | The lower part of the letter is damaged. |
| 4. | RN and Krishnan read *p*. |
| 5. | The lower part of the letter is damaged. |
| 6. | The letter is incompletely engraved. See n.1, No. ***27*** for probable explanation. |
| 7. | These two letters are damaged. |
| 8. | Cf. LT *puṇarttāṉ*. See Commentary for interpretation. |
| 9. | *malai-vaṇṇakkaṉ* is interpreted as a clan name. Cf. LT *vaṇṇakka kōttiraṉ*. See section 4.18.1(vii). |
| 10. | In the adjoining inscriptions (Nos. ***86*** & ***87***) engraved on either side of the present inscription. |

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ARACHALUR (அரச்சலூர்) - 2

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86.¹ B. L. 1 *ta* *tai* *tā*² *tai* *ta* L. 2 *tai* *tā* *tē* *tā* *tai* L. 3 *tā* *tē* *tai* *tē* *tā* L. 4 *tai* *tā* [*t*]*ē*² *tā* *tai* L. 5 *ta* *tai* *tā* *tai* *ta*

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L. 1 த தை தா தை த L. 2 தை தா தே தா தை L. 3 தா தே தை தே தா L. 4 தை தா தே[த] தா தை L. 5 த தை தா தை த

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Notes

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1. The inscription is a musical notation composed of the syllables *ta*, *tā*, *tē* and *tai* arranged symmetrically in five columns and five rows. See No. 87 also. See Commentary for discussion.

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2. Krishnan reads the 3rd letter in L. 1 as *tē* and the 3rd letter in L. 4 as *tai*. I agree with RN that they have to be read respectively as *tā* and *tē*, which would also preserve the symmetry. I have rechecked the letters *in situ*.

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ARACHALUR (அரச்சலூர்) - 3

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87.¹ B. L. 1 *kai ta tai ta kai* L. 2 *ta* [*kai*\* *ta*\* *kai*\* *ta*\*] L. 3 *tai ta kai*² *ta* [*t*]*ai* L. 4 *ta kai*² [*ta*\* *kai*\* *ta*\*] L. 5 [*kai*\* *ta*\* *tai*\*] *ta* [*k*]*ai*

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L. 1 கை த தை த கை L. 2 த [கை\* த\* கை\* த\*] L. 3 தை த கை த தை[த] L. 4 த கை [த\* கை\* த\*] L. 5 [கை\* த\* தை\*] த [கை]

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| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.41. Estampage: Pl. 41. |
| **Locus** | Above the stone bed at right in the cave; badly damaged. |
| **No. of lines** | 5 |
| **Size** | 34 x 28 cm. |
| **Date** | ca. 4th century A.D. |
| **Publ.** | *ARE* B. 282/1961-62. *IAR* 1961-62:p. 81. IM:74/1966. |
| | *HTS* 19.3 (pp. 63, 90-91); RN:18.2 (pp. 75-79); TVM:(p. 290). |
| | T.V. Mahalingam 1962:pp. 125-132. T.N. Ramachandran 1962. |
| | K.G. Krishnan 1973-74b:pp. 91-93 (with Pl.). |
| **Notes** | |
| 1. | Another musical notation as in No. *86*, but with different syllables (*kai*, *ta* and *tai*). These two compositions are referred to in No. *85*. Only 15 letters in this inscription have survived wholly or partially; the others are restored taking advantage of the symmetry of the composition. |
| 2. | RN and Krishnan agree on the reading and restoration of all the syllables of the composition. (In L. 2: letter 2, *ti* seems to be a misprint for *tai* in Krishnan.) However, I read *kai* where they read *tai* (L. 2: letters 2 & 4; L. 3: letter 3; L. 4: letters 2 & 4). On rechecking *in situ* I find that *kai* is seen clearly in the middle of L. 3 and less clearly as the 2nd letter in L. 4. I have restored [*kai*\*] for the other three syllables to preserve the symmetry. |

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Figure 8.42. **XXX. MANNARKOIL 1** Inscription No. **88**

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XXX. MANNARKOIL (மன்னார்கோயில்) - 1

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88 ¹. A. L. 1 **pa ḷa ḷi ce ya vi ta tā ṉa** L. 2 **ka ṭi kai ...**² **vi ṉa ma ka ṉa** L. 3 **pe ru ṅa kū ṟa ṟa ṉa**

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B. L. 1 *paḷḷi*³ *ceyvittāṉ* L. 2 *kaṭikai*⁴ [*kō*]⁵*viṉ makaṉ* L. 3 *peruṅkūṟṟaṉ*

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L. 1 பள்ளி செய்வித்தான் L. 2 கடிகை [கோ*]வின் மகன் L. 3 பெருங்கூற்றன்

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**Peruṅkūṟṟaṉ, son of the (chief?)⁶ of the assembly, caused to be made the hermitage.**

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| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.42. Estampage: Pl. 42. |
| **Locus** | On the ceiling of the cave locally known as Rājākkaḷ Pāṟai on the rocky outcrop near Ayyaṉārkuḷam; neatly engraved and well-preserved except for the loss of one letter in the middle line due to flaking. See section 1.6.2. |
| **No. of Lines** | 3 |
| **Length** | L. 1: 32 cm.; L. 2: 35 cm.; L. 3: 29 cm. |
| **Date** | ca. 2nd cent. AD. |
| **Publ.** | *The New Indian Express*, Chennai, December 21, 2000 (with Pl.). C. Chandravanan and Senthil Selvakumaran 2002: pp. 1-3 (with Pl.). |
| **Notes** | |
| 1. | The two inscriptions (Nos. *88* & *89*) at this site, discovered when this volume was ready for the press, have been placed at the end of the Tamil-Brāhmī section of the Corpus. |
| 2. | 4th letter in L. 2 is lost due to flaking of the stone. |
| 3. | *paḷḷi* is written with doubled - *ḷḷ*-; but cf. *paḷi* (for *paḷḷi*) in the adjacent inscription (No. *89*) of about the same period. |
| 4. | *kaṭikai* < *ghaṭikā* (Skt.) 'assembly of learned persons or institution of higher learning or the place of such assembly or institution'. See Commentary for discussion. See also section 4.6.13. |
| 5. | The lost letter is restored from the context as probably *kō*. |
| 6. | The translation of *kō* as 'chief' is necessarily tentative, as it is based on the restoration of a lost letter. |

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[Figure: Figure 8.43. MANNARKOIL 2 Inscription No. 89

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MANNARKOIL (மன்னார்கோயில்) - 2

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89 '. A. L. 1 **ku ṇā vi ṉa ḷa ṅa ko** L. 2 **ce ya pi ta pa ḷi i**

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B. L. 1 *kuṇāviṉ*² [*i\**]³ *ḷaṅkō*⁴ L. 2 *ceypita*⁵ *paḷi-i*⁶

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² *kuṇā* appears to be a place name. The expression occurs here in the genitive case.

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³ [*i\**] is not engraved, but supplied from the context. The sound was probably elided in speech. cf. [*i\**]*ḷaṅkō* in Nos. **61** & **62**.

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⁴ *iḷaṅkō* 'name or title of a member of the Vaiśya caste'. The expression occurs here as a personal name. See Commentary for discussion.

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⁵ *ceypitta*.

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⁶ *paḷḷi-*.

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L. 1 குணாவின் [இ\*]ளங்கோ L. 2 செய்பித பளிஇ

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The hermitage was caused to be made by (I)ḷaṅkō of Kuṇā.

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| **ILL.** | Tracing: Fig. 8.43. Estampage: Pl. 42. |
| **Locus** | At the head of a stone bed on the bare summit of a large boulder locally known as Nilāppāṟai, situated to the right forefront of the cave (Rājākkaḷ Pāṟai). The inscription is enclosed within a three-sided rectangular border with the bottom side open. Weather-beaten but legible. |
| **No. of Lines** | 2 |
| **Length** | L. 1:31 cm.; L. 2:26 cm. |
| **Date** | ca. 2nd cent. AD. |
| **Publ.** | *The New Indian Express*, Chennai, December 21, 2000 (with Pl.). |
| | C. Chandiravanan and Senthil Selvakumaran 2002: pp. 1-3 (with Pl.). |

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¹ See n. 1, No. **88**.

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Notes

Linked texts (1)

Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy