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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s7.t9: XXVII. Nekanurpatti

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s7.t9

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XXVII. Nekanurpatti

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**83.1** ***perumpokaḷ*** (P.) The place may be identified as the modern village of Perumpukai, about 5 km. from this site (Table 4.3). It is an ancient Jaina settlement with rock-cut stone beds in the local cave (K. Rajan 1997:p. 290). The name literally means 'great fame'.

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Cf. LT *perumpukaḻ* 'great fame' (*Patiṟ.* 23:16).

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Cf. (inscr.) *perumpukaḻ* 'great fame' (*SII.* XIV:No. 45, Pāṇṭiya, 9th cent. A.D.).

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**a. *perum-*** (adj.) 'great, large'. The epithet can occur as an attribute to place names as in this case or personal names (as in **61.9.a**).

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Cf. LT *perumpērūr* (*Maṇi.* 9:24).

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**b. *pokaḷ*** (n.) Cf. Ta. *pukaḻ*, 'fame', Ka. *pogaḻ* 'renown' (D. 4235).

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Cf. LT *pukaḻ* 'fame' (*Tivā.* 1788; *Piṅkala.* 2055-56; *Cūṭā.*10:15).

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**83.2 *cēkkanti*** N. of a Jaina nun. See sections 4.9.4 and 4.9.5.

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**a.** ***cē*** (N.) A family name. Cf. *cē-k-kiḻār* 'a family name among Veḷḷāḷas in Toṇṭaimaṇṭalam' (*TL*). The present site falls within this region.

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Cf. LT Cē-k-kiḻār (author, *Periyapurāṇam*).

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Cf. (inscr.) *cēkkiḻār karikāla cōḻa-p-pallavaraiyar*, *cēkkiḻār pālaṟāvāyar* 'personal names' (cited in *TL*).

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The word *cē* (n.) has the literal meanings of:

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(i) 'bull'; cf. LT *kayiṟu iṭu kata-c-cē-p-pōla* 'as the angry bull tethered with rope' (*Aka.* 36:7); *cē* 'bull' (*Tivā.* 429; *Piṅkala.* 2470; *Cūṭā.* 3:14), or

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(ii) 'redness' (D. 1931). Cf. LT *cē-k-koḷ āmpal* 'the *āmpal* (flower) having redness' (*Kallāṭam*: Index).

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The *oṟṟu* occurs in the expression ***cē-k-kanti***.

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**b.** ***kanti*** 'Jaina nun'.

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Cf. LT *kaṟanta pāl aṉaiya kanti* 'the Jaina nun (pure) as fresh milk' (*Cīvaka.* 2649); Kantiyār (a Jaina nun and poetess) who is said to have interpolated as many as 445 verses in *Cīvakacintāmaṇi* (Note by U.Ve. Swaminathaiyar, *Cīvaka.* 1089, 2649 & 3143, 7th edn. reprint). Cf. *iṭai maṭutta kanti taṉ piḻaippum* 'the errors of Kanti who interpolated (some verses)' (*Pari. Urai. Pāyiram*: 9-10); *kavunti aṭikaḷ* 'N. of a senior Jaina nun' (*Cilap.* 11:166); *kantiyai-k-kāṇiṉum* 'as soon as they see a kanti (Jaina nun)' (*Nīlakēci*:323); *kavunti* 'Jaina nun' (*Tivā.* 280); *kanti*, *kaunti* id. (*Cūṭā.* 2:62).

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The term *ganti* (variant *kanti*, *khanti*) occurs in early Kannada inscriptions as an affix to the names of Jaina nuns (A.N. Narasimhia 1941: Nos. 43 & 45). The etymology of the word is obscure. (ibid., Appendix V, and P.B. Desai 1957: p. 85, note, for different interpretations.) However, the most likely derivation is from *gaṁthi* (AMg.) 'one who composes a literary work' (PSM). Cf. *ganthika* (pāli) 'hard-studying' (*PED*) < (Skt.) *grantha* 'book', *granthin* 'one who reads books, well-read' (MW). The occurrence of *kanti* (< Ka. *ganti*) in this inscription indicates Kannada influence. See section 3.2.4.

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**83.3 *tāyiyaru*** (n.) 'mother'.

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**Analysis:** *tāyi* (stem) + *y* (glide) + *ar* (honorific singular suffix) + *u* (euphonic suffix).

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Cf. Ta. *tāy*, *tāyār* (honorific singular), *tāyar* (pl.); Ka. *tāy*, *tāyi* 'mother' (D. 364).

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The form *tāyiyaru* is not attested in Tamil. It is the standard expression for 'mother' (honorific singular) in New Kannada, but not attested in Old Kannada which has *tāyvir* (pl.) (G.S. Gai 1946:Nos. 4 & 70). See section 3.2.4.

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**83.4 *cēkkant=aṇṇi*** (*cē-k-kant(i)* + *aṇṇi* ) N. of a Jaina nun. See sections 4.9.4 and 4.9.5.

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The expression is construed as *cē* (name) + *k* (*orṟu*) + *kanti* (title) + *aṇṇi* (fem. honorific suffix). The nun is described as the mother (*tāyiyaru*) of ***cēkkanti***, both mother and daughter having the same name. Probably, the honorific suffix *-aṇṇi* has been added to the mother's name to distinguish her from the daughter. They were both Jaina nuns as indicated by the title *kanti*. Presumably the mother gifted the hermitage (*paḷḷi*) to the daughter. The cave shelter has only a single stone bed. See also comments on No. **49**.

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**a. *cē*** (N.) 'a family name'. See **83.2.a.**

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**b. *kant(i)*** (n.) 'Jaina nun'. See **83.2.b.**

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**c. *aṇṇi*** lit., 'elder brother's wife' (D. 131), employed here as an honorific suffix added to the name of a woman. Cf. Ka. *aṇṇi* 'affectionate mode of addressing females' (ibid.). See section 3.2.2(v). The honorific has been borrowed into Prakrit as *-(a)ṁṇikā*.

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Cf. (Pkt. inscr.) *dhamaṁnikā*, *budhaṁnikā*, *samudaṁnikā*, *sāgaraṁnikā* (Nagarjunakonda, *EI*. XXXV:Glossary: pp. 20-36).

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The corresponding masculine honorific suffix *-aṇṇa* is likewise borrowed from Dr. into Pkt. as *-aṁna*; e.g., *nāgaṁna* (*nāgaṇṇa*), *vīraṁna* (*vīraṇṇa*) (PH. Vogel 1929-30, *EI*. XX:p. 22, Inscription F).

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**83.5 *ceyivitta*** (v.) 'which was caused to be made'; adjectival past participle, causative, from *ceyi* (LT *cey*) 'to make'. Cf. LT *ceyvitta*.

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***Analysis:*** *ceyi* (stem) + *vi* (causative suffix) + *tt* (past tense marker) + *a* (participial suffix).

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Cf. (inscr.) *ce-ivitta tēva-kulam* 'temple caused to be made' (Pulankurichi Inscrs. II. 4, ca. 5th cent. A.D.); *cāttaṉ=ēṟaṉ ceyvitta kaṟṟiru-k-kōyil* 'the sacred shrine (built) of stone caused to be made by Cāttaṉ Ēṟaṉ (*ARE* 358/1959-60, Pāṇṭiya, 7th cent. A.D.); *kantacēṇaṉ ceyivitta tēvakulam* 'the temple caused to be made by Kantacēṇaṉ (*Pallava Inscrs*. No. 36, ca. 7th cent. A.D.).

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**83.6 *paḷḷi*** (n.) 'hermitage' This is the second occurrence of the term written with doubled consonants (*-ḷḷ-*) as in LT. Cf. the earlier instance in **88.1**. See **1.9** for further comments. See also section 6.17.

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