Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s2.t18.19

c28.s2.t18.19

| **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. |