Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s6.t13: XIII. Sittannavasal-A

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s6.t13

Language
English

XIII. Sittannavasal-A

c28.s6.t13.1

**49.1 *erumināṭu*** (P.) An ancient region, probably the same as Erumaināṭu, generally identified as the Mysore region of Karnataka. See section **4.20.2**.

c28.s6.t13.2

Cf. LT *erumai-kuṭanāṭu* (*Aka.* 115:5); *erumai-nalnāṭu* (ibid. 253:19). The region lay to the west of the Tamil country. It was watered by the Ayiri river and was ruled by the chief of the Vaṭukar (ibid. 253:18-20). Erumaiyūraṉ was probably a chieftain of this territory (ibid. 36:17).

c28.s6.t13.3

Cf. (inscr.) *erumai-y nāḷ kāmuṇṭaṉ* 'the Gāmuṇḍa from Erumaināḍ(u)' (*SII.* XXVI: No. 269, Cōḻa, 11th cent. A.D.; identified as the territory of 'Mahiṣamaṇḍala, same as Mysore'; ibid., Intr. p. iii).

c28.s6.t13.4

**a. *erumi*** (n.) Cf. Ta. *erumai*, Ka. *erme*, Tu. *erme*, Go. *ermi* 'buffalo, female buffalo' (D. 816). It is likely that ***erumi*** is not a scribal error for *erumai*, but preserves an ancient dialectal form from a region to the north-west of the Tamil country.

c28.s6.t13.5

Cf. LT *erumai* 'buffalo' (*Tivā.* 430; *Piṅkala.* 2476; *Cūṭā.* 3:15).

c28.s6.t13.6

**b. *nāṭu*** (n.) 'country, district, province' (D. 3638). The word occurs in Caṅkam literature with the meaning 'country', and in later Tamil inscriptions also with the meanings 'territory or its assembly'. (Y. Subbarayalu 1973:pp. 19-55).

c28.s6.t13.7

**-*nāṭu*** in the present instance is probably to be read **-*nāṭṭu*** in the oblique case even though the consonant *-ṭ-* is not doubled. Cf. **pāṇāṭṭu** (**115.2**).

c28.s6.t13.8

Cf. LT *nāṭu* 'country' (*Tivā.* 855; *Piṅkala.* 457; *Cūṭā.* 5:9).

c28.s6.t13.9

Cf. (inscr.) *pāṇṭi-nāṭṭu; koṅku-nāṭṭu* (Pulankurichi Inscrs. I.15, ca. 5th cent. A.D.).

c28.s6.t13.10

49.2 *kumuḻ-ūr

c28.s6.t13.11

(*kumuḻūr*) (P.) Native place of the resident Jaina nun.

c28.s6.t13.12

Cf. LT *kumiḻi-ñāḻal*, the native place of the poet Nappacalaiyār (author, *Aka.* 160).

c28.s6.t13.13

Cf. (inscr.) *kumiḻūr* (*Pallava Inscrs.* No. 89, Line 96, 8th cent. A.D.); *kumuḻūr* (ibid. No. 203, 9th cent. A.D.); *kumiḻi nāṭu* (*SII.* III: No. 75, Line 11, 11th cent. A.D.); *kumiḻi gaṇa* 'a Jaina order of monks' (probably named after the place of its origin) (*Pallava Inscrs.* No. 366, ca. 9th cent. A.D.).

c28.s6.t13.14

There are at present villages named Kumuḻūr in Tiruchirappalli District and Kumiḻi in Madurai District. However, as these places are not associated with Erumaināṭu they cannot be identified as the village mentioned in the inscription.

c28.s6.t13.15

**a. *kumuḻ*** (n.) Cf. Ta. *kumiḻ* 'the coomb teak tree'; Ka. *kumule* '*Gmelina arborea*' (D. 1742). Deer liked to eat the fruits of the tree, resembling golden beads. (*Naṟṟ.* 6:7-8). The village was probably named after this tree.

c28.s6.t13.16

Cf. LT *kumiḻ* (*Tivā.* 667; *Piṅkala.* 2685; *Cūṭā.* 4:25).

c28.s6.t13.17

**b. *ūr*** (n.) 'village'. The word is written separately. See **19.2** for further comments.

c28.s6.t13.18

49.3 *piṟanta

c28.s6.t13.19

(v.) 'who was born'; adjectival past participle from *piṟa* 'to be born' (D. 4422).

c28.s6.t13.20

**Analysis:** *piṟa* (stem) + *nt* (past tense marker) + *a* (participial suffix).

c28.s6.t13.21

Cf. LT *piṟappu* 'birth' (*Tivā.* 1504; *Piṅkala.* 2212; *Cūṭā.* 8:71)

c28.s6.t13.22

49.4 *kavuṭi-i

c28.s6.t13.23

N. of the Jaina nun to whom the stone bed in the cave was gifted. See section 1.3.2 for the significance of the term.

c28.s6.t13.24

The paragogic suffix *-i* is added in free form as in ***kaṇi-i*** (**3.1**), ***paḷi-i*** (**10.5**).

c28.s6.t13.25

Cf. (Ka.) *gavuḍi, gavuḍiti, gauḍi, gauṁḍi, gavuṁḍi* 'wife of a *gāvuṁḍa*, wife of a village officer' (KSP *Kannada Dictionary*); *gauḍī* 'feminine of *gauḍa*' (Kittel).

c28.s6.t13.26

Cf. (Ka. inscr.) *sāta gauḍi* 'a personal name (fem.)' (*Epi. Car.* V:Cn. 230); *nāgavve gauḍigam* 'to Nāgavve Gauḍi' (ibid. VI:No. 30); *gavuḍigam* 'to the *gavuḍi*' (ibid. VI:No. 104). There was also a Jaina sect called *gauḍa* (*gauḷa*, *gauḷi*) *saṁgha* (G. Jawaharlal 1994:pp. 73-74; *ARE* B.158/1946-47).

c28.s6.t13.27

Cf. *grāma- kūṭaka* (Skt.) 'the chief of a village' (MW) > *gāma-uḍa* (AMg.) 'village headman' (PSM) > *gavuṇḍa*, *gauṇḍa*, *gauḍa* (Ka.) id.

c28.s6.t13.28

49.5 teṉku-ciṟupocil

c28.s6.t13.29

(P.) Cf. (inscr.) *teṉ ciṟuvāyil nāṭu*, an ancient territorial division which lay immediately to the east of this hill (*IPS*. Nos. 25, 320 and 636; Y. Subbarayalu 1973, Map No. 4). See section 4.20.3(i).

c28.s6.t13.30

**a. *teṉku*** (n.) 'south'. Cf. *teṟku* (*teṉ* + *ku*) 'south' (D. 3449). The dative suffix **-ku** indicates direction (e.g., *kiḻakku* 'east', *mēṟku* 'west'). It is added to the noun stem here without sandhi.

c28.s6.t13.31

Cf. LT *tekku*, *teṟku* 'south' (*Tivā.* 849; *Piṅkala.*14; *Cūṭā.* 11:299).

c28.s6.t13.32

**b. *ciṟu-*** (adj.) 'small' (D. 1594).

c28.s6.t13.33

Cf. LT *ciṟumai* 'smallness' (*Tivā.* 1365; *Piṅkala.* 2227).

c28.s6.t13.34

**c. *pocil*** (n.) The word is not attested in Tamil; but cf. Ka. *hosilu* 'entrance'. (*KSP Saṁkṣipta Kannaḍa Nighaṇṭu*); To. *pōş* 'entrance', *pōş-āṟ* 'doorway', cognate with Ka. *bāgil* 'entrance, doorway' (D. 5354). The linguistic evidence seems to suggest that the inscriptional form *pocil* is related to Ka. *hosilu* (< \**posil*) and Ta. *vācal*, *vāyil*.

c28.s6.t13.35

The place name *teṉku-ciṟupocil* may thus be equated with *teṉ ciṟu vāyil* mentioned in the later Tamil inscriptions of this region.

c28.s6.t13.36

49.6 iḷayar

c28.s6.t13.37

(n., pl.) Cf. Iḷaiyar, an ancient martial clan in the Tamil country. According to tradition, the Iḷaiyar hailed originally from the Tuḷu country. See section 4.18.1(i).

c28.s6.t13.38

Cf. LT *pōr val iḷaiyar* 'Iḷaiyar well-versed in warfare' (*Aka.* 74:2); *veṇ vēl iḷaiyar* 'Iḷaiyar of the victorious spear' (ibid. 104:3). Pulli of Vēṅkaṭam was the chieftain of the 'illiterate' Iḷaiyar (ibid. 83:9-10). The clan was also known by the names *iḷaṅkōcar* or *koṅkiḷaṅkōcar* (*Aka.* 216:11, *Cilap. Urai.* 2, respectively). The expression *iḷaiyar* is sometimes taken to mean 'servants, hunters or warriors'; but these meanings are derived from the occupations of the clan.

c28.s6.t13.39

The clan name occurs as *iḷamakkaḷ* in inscriptions; a member of the clan is generally called *iḷamakaṉ*, *iḷaiyāṉ* or *iḷaiyār*.

c28.s6.t13.40

Cf. (inscr.) *ūrōmum iḷamakkaḷum* 'we, the members of the village assembly as well as the Iḷamakkaḷ' (*Pallava Inscrs.* No. 82, 8th cent. A.D.). See *eḷamakaṉ* (56.5).

c28.s6.t13.41

**49.7 ceyta** (v.) 'which was made'; adjectival past participle from *cey* 'to make' (D. 1957). **Analysis:** *cey* (stem) + *t* (past tense marker) + *a* (participial suffix). See also **ceyita (76.6)**. Cf. LT *cey* 'to do, make' (*Tivā.* 1966; *Piṅkala.* 2291; *Cūṭā.* 9:2).

c28.s6.t13.42

**49.8 atiṭ-aṇam** Read *atiṭ-āṇam* (*atiṭṭānam*) (n.) 'seat'. Cf. *adhiṭṭhāna* (Pāli) 'fixed permanent abode' (*PED*), 'resting place' (*DPL*); < *adhiṣṭhāna* (Skt.) 'abode, seat' (*MW*). The expression corresponds to LT *irukkai*. Cf. (Pāli inscr.) *adhisṭāna* 'establishment' (Asoka, *CII.* I:Gir. V.4). Cf. (Pkt. inscr.) *adhiṭhāna* 'capital city' (Amaravati, C.Sivaramamurti 1977 reprint:No. 102). The term occurs in the Ta. Br. inscriptions in the sense of 'stone beds' carved on the floor of the caves, generally provided with raised pillow-lofts at the head side for the use of resident Jaina monks. See **No. 63** which mentions the cutting (carving) of the **atiṭṭāṉam** and **No. 76** which refers to **atiṭāṉam 3** ('three stone beds') in the cave. The pause between *ṭ* and-*a* (read *-ā*) seems to be an archaic orthographic convention in lieu of doubling the consonant. Cf. **ataṭ-aṇam** (**atiṭṭāṇam**) (**50.3**). See section 6.19.1. **Early contacts with Karnataka** The most remarkable feature of the inscription is the evidence it provides for the interaction of the Jainas from Karnataka with their co-religionists in the Tamil country at such an early date. This inscription also attests to the influence of Old Kannada on Old Tamil in this early period. See section 3.2.4 for discussion.

Linked texts (8)