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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s6.t15: XV. Tirumalai

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s6.t15

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XV. Tirumalai

c28.s6.t15.1

51.1 karaṇṭai

c28.s6.t15.2

(n.) 'cave, cavern, abode of ascetics'.

c28.s6.t15.3

The *nikaṇṭus* list *karaṇṭai* and *kāṉṟai* with virtually identical meanings:

c28.s6.t15.4

*karaṇṭai* (*Tivā.* 980; *Piṅkala.* 703; *Cūṭā.* 5:56).

c28.s6.t15.5

*kāṉṟai* (*Tivā.* 867; *Piṅkala.* 502, 3346; *Cūṭā.* 5:14).

c28.s6.t15.6

The variant readings can be traced to the palaeography of the medieval period when the character *ra* and the medial *-ā* sign became indistinguishable. We learn from the present inscription that *karaṇṭai* is the correct reading. *karaṇṭai* is probably connected with *karaṭu* 'hillock, low hill' (*TL*), 'roughness, unevenness' (*D.* 1265).

c28.s6.t15.7

52.1 erukāṭu-ūru (eru-k-kāṭṭu-)

c28.s6.t15.8

(P.) Native place of the donor.

c28.s6.t15.9

Cf. LT *Erukkāṭṭūr*, the native place of the Caṅkam poet Tāyaṅkaṇṇaṉār (author, *Puṟa.* 397). The place has been identified as Erukkaṅkāṭu in Thanjavur District by U.Ve. Swaminathaiyar (*Puṟa.*, 6th edn.: p. 597). However, the place mentioned in the present inscription has to be located in the Pāṇṭiya country, judging from the frequency and distribution of its name in the inscriptions of this region. Cf. ***erukāṭūr*** (**55.1**) and ***ekkāṭṭūru*** (**117.1**). The name *erukkāṭṭūru* also occurs in a newly-discovered label inscription at Sittannavasal assigned to ca. 7th cent. A.D. (S. Rajavelu 1995b). Erukkaṭṭa (Erukhāvūra) has been identified as a village occupied by Kulaśēkhara in his fight with the Sinhalese forces led by Laṅkāpura (Malala.).

c28.s6.t15.10

The place name may be derived from *eru-kāṭu-*.

c28.s6.t15.11

**a. eru** (n.) 'manure' (*D.* 813).

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Cf. LT *eru* 'manure' (*Kuṟun.* 113:5); *eru-maṉṟam* (*Cilap.* 17: *Uraippāṭṭu* 5).

c28.s6.t15.13

Cf. *erukkaṭṭu* 'land manured by folding of sheep and herding of cattle'; *erukkaḷam* 'site for dunghill' (*TL*).

c28.s6.t15.14

**b. kāṭu** (n.) 'forest', jungle' (probably to be read *kāṭṭu*- in the oblique case by doubling of the consonant). See **8.1.b** for further comments.

c28.s6.t15.15

**c. ūru** (n.) 'village'. The word is added in free form as a suffix to the place name. See ***ūr*** (**19.2**) for further comments.

c28.s6.t15.16

The present instance provides the earliest inscriptional attestation of the tendency to add the euphonic *-u* suffix to words ending in liquid consonants. Other instances in the Corpus belong to a later period (**83.3, 85.2, 112.1.b, 114.2.b, 116.5, 117.1.c & 119.2.a**). (Cf. A. Velu Pillai 1976:pp. 19 and 25, note 10. He attributes the tendency to the influence of Kannada or Telugu.)

c28.s6.t15.17

Cf. LT *ūru maṇṇum* 'in the village' (*Tēvā.* III. 29:1).

c28.s6.t15.18

Cf. (inscr.) *amparu, ollaiyūru, kūṭalūru*, etc., 'place names' (Pulankurichi Inscrs. I & II, ca. 5th cent. a.d.).

c28.s6.t15.19

**52.2 *kāviti kōṉ*** (n.) 'chief *kāviti*', title of the donor whose personal name is not recorded.

c28.s6.t15.20

**a. *kāviti*** (n.) 'a title'. See **3.5**.

c28.s6.t15.21

**b. *kōṉ*** (n.) 'great man' (D. 2177).

c28.s6.t15.22

The term *kōṉ* occurs in the Corpus either as an independent word (**73.4 & 117.2**) or as a suffix (**52.2.b, 61.9.c, 62.9.c & 62.11.b**) with the meanings 'prince, chief or an eminent person (of the place)'.

c28.s6.t15.23

Cf. LT *em kōṉ. . . āy aṇṭiraṉ* 'Āy Aṇṭiraṉ, our chieftain' (*Puṟa.* 374:15-16); *kōṉ* 'lord' (*Tivā.* 175; *Cūṭā.* 2:10).

c28.s6.t15.24

Cf. (inscr.) *pūṅkuṭināṭṭu-k-kōṉ, alaṟṟūrnāṭṭu-k-kōṉ* 'titles of petty chieftains or eminent persons of the respective places'. (*SII.* V:No. 362; ibid. XIV:No. 16A respectively; Pāṇṭiya, ca. 9th cent. a.d.).

c28.s6.t15.25

**52.3 *koṟiya*** (*koṟṟiya*) (v.) 'which was carved'; adjectival past participle from *koṟu* (*koṟṟu*) 'to cut, carve'.

c28.s6.t15.26

**Analysis:** *koṟu* (*koṟṟu*) (stem) + *i* (past tense marker) + *y* (glide) + *a* (participial suffix). The consonant *ṟ* is not doubled.

c28.s6.t15.27

The verb *koṟu* (*koṟṟu*) is not attested in LT, but may be compared with the following: *koṟṟu* (n.) 'masonry' (*TL*); *kuṟṟu* (v.) 'to pound, strike' (D. 1850a) > *kuṟṟiya* (participle); *kottu* (n.) 'masonry' (*TL*); *kottu* (v.) 'to carve' (D. 2091); > *kottiya* (participle). The verb *koṟṟu* is, however, attested in a later inscription.

c28.s6.t15.28

Cf. (inscr.) *koṟṟiṉa vāyikkālukku vaṭakku* 'to the north of the excavated channel' (Kāppalūr inscription of Rājēndra Cōḻa,1028 a.d. *Āvaṇam* No. 9, 1998, pp. 30-31).

c28.s6.t15.29

Cf. Ka. *kori, koṟe* 'to cut, excavate' (D. 1859); (Ka. inscr.) *koṟedu* (adverbial participle from *koṟe* 'to cut, carve') (A. N. Narasimhia 1941:p. 216); (Te. inscr.) *kōṟa* 'a cut-off portion' (cited in D. 1859).

c28.s6.t15.30

**52.4 paḷi-y** (*paḷḷi-*) (n.) 'hermitage'. *-y* is the paragogic suffix. See **1.9**.

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