[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003) › c28.s8.t8 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s8.t8: XXXVIII. Tirunatharkunru Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s8.t8 - **Language:** English ### XXXVIII. Tirunatharkunru ### [c28.s8.t8.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.1) \*\*116.1\*\* \*\*\*aimpattēl(u)\*\*\* (num.) 'fifty-seven'; the context requires supplying the word 'days' qualified by the numeral. ### [c28.s8.t8.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.2) \*\*a.\*\* \*\*\*aim-\*\*\* (num. adj.) from \*aintu\* 'five' (D. 2826). ### [c28.s8.t8.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.3) \*\*b.\*\* \*\*\*patt(u)-\*\*\* 'ten' (D. 3918). The final \*-u\* is elided in sandhi. ### [c28.s8.t8.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.4) \*\*c.\*\* \*\*\*ēl(u)\*\*\* 'seven' (D. 910). The final \*-u\* is elided in sandhi. ### [c28.s8.t8.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.5) \*\*116.2\*\* \*\*\*aṉacaṉa(m)\*\*\* (n.) 'abstinence from food, fasting' \< \*anaśana\* (Skt.). ### [c28.s8.t8.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.6) The expression \*aṉacaṉam\* occurs here in the technical sense of 'fast (unto death) as a religious penance'. It has the same significance as \*sanyasana\*, \*sallēkhana\* and \*ārādhanā-vidhi\* occurring in the Jaina inscriptions in Kannada. ### [c28.s8.t8.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.7) Cf. LT \*aṇṇal aṉacaṉa-t-tavam amarntāṉ\* 'the great one sat in the penance of fasting' (\*Yacōtara.\* 24); \*aṉacaṉa nōṉpu koṇṭāṉ\* 'He undertook the penance of fasting' (\*Nāka.\* 148); \*aṉacaṉāti tapacu\* 'including the penance of fasting' (\*Nīlakēci\* : 1, comm.). ### [c28.s8.t8.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.8) Cf. (inscr.) \*muppatu nāḷ aṉacaṉa(n) nōṟṟa iḷaiya paṭārar nicītikai\* 'the place of penance of Iḷaiya Bhaṭārar (who died after) observing fast for thirty days' (\*SII.\* XVII : Nọ. 261, ca. 10th cent. A.D.). ### [c28.s8.t8.9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.9) \*\*116.3\*\* \*\*\*nōṟṟa\*\*\* (v.) 'who observed the penance'; adjectival past participle from \*nōl\* 'to do penance'. ### [c28.s8.t8.10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.10) \*\*Analysis:\*\* \*nōl\* (stem) + \*tt\* (\> \*ṟṟ\*) (past tense marker) + \*a\* (participial suffix). See \*\*\*nōṟṟu\* (115.7)\*\* for further comments. ### [c28.s8.t8.11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.11) Sandhi: aimpattēl(u) + aṉacaṉam + nōṟṟa \> aimpattēḷaṉacaṉannōṟṟa. ### [c28.s8.t8.12](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.12) \*\*116.4\*\* \*\*\*cantiraṉanti\*\*\* N. of the Jaina monk who undertook the fast unto death at this site. As indicated by the second part of his name, he belonged to the Nandigaṇa of the Digambara sect. ### [c28.s8.t8.13](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.13) Cf. LT \*kaṇaka-nantiyum puṭpa-nantiyum pavaṇa-nantiyum kumaṇamācuṇaka-nantiyum kuṇaka-nantiyum tivaṇa-nantiyum moḻi koḷā aṇaka nantiyar\* (a list of Jaina ascetics of the Nandigaṇa referred to derisively) (\*Tēvā.\* III:39.6). ### [c28.s8.t8.14](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.14) Cf. (inscr.) \*śrīnanti, kaṇakananti, kuṇananti\* (\*SII.\* V: Nos. 314, 359 & 398 respectively, Jaina, Pāṇṭiya, ca. 9th cent. A.D.); \*ārampaṇanti\* (\*SII.\* I: No. 68, Cōḻa, 11th cent. A.D.). Cf. \*\*\*vaccaṇanti\* (115.3)\*\*. ### [c28.s8.t8.15](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.15) \*\*a.\*\* \*\*\*cantira-\*\*\* (N.) \< \*candra\* (Skt.) 'moon', here occurring as part of the personal name. This is an instance of direct borrowing from Skt. and not through Pkt. ### [c28.s8.t8.16](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.16) The waning influence of Pkt. and increasing presence of Skt. in the language of the Tamil inscriptions begins from about this time (ca. 5-6 cent. A.D.). Cf. \*irācar\* (111.1) for another example of direct borrowing from Skt. See section 3.3.7. ### [c28.s8.t8.17](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.17) Cf. LT \*cantiraṉ\* 'moon' (\*Tivā.\* 58; \*Piṅkala.\* 225; \*Cūṭā.\* 1:58). ### [c28.s8.t8.18](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.18) \*\*b. \*nanti\*\*\* (N.) Cf. \*nandi\* (Pkt.) \< \*nandin\* (Skt.). Cf. \*-ṇanti\* (115.3.b). ### [c28.s8.t8.19](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.19) Cf. (Pkt. inscr.) \*nandi\* 'a Jaina \*gaṇin\*' (Lüders List: No. 74); \*kumāranandi\*, \*nāganandi\* 'personal names' (\*Pallava Inscrs.\* No. 3, Pkt., ca. 4th cent. A.D.). ### [c28.s8.t8.20](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.20) \*\*116.5 \*ācirikaru\*\*\* (n.) 'teacher'. Title of \*cantirananti\*, the senior Jaina monk. Cf. \*ācariyika\* (Pāli) \< \*ācārya\* (Skt.). Cf. \*ācāriyar\* (115.4). ### [c28.s8.t8.21](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.21) Cf. LT \*āciriyar\* 'teacher' (\*Matu.\* 761; \*Paṭṭiṉa.\* 170); 'learned persons' (\*Piṅkala.\* 848). ### [c28.s8.t8.22](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.22) Cf. (inscr.) \*matirai āciriyaṉ\* 'the Jaina monk from Matirai' (\*SII\*. XIV: No. 45, Pāṇṭiya, 9th cent. A.D.). ### [c28.s8.t8.23](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.23) \*-ar\* is honorific singular suffix. The word-final \*-u\*, a euphonic suffix, indicates Kannada influence. Cf. 52.1.c. See also No. 49. ### [c28.s8.t8.24](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8.24) \*\*116.6 \*nicītikai\*\*\* (n.) 'seat of penance'. Cf. 115.9. See also section 4.10.3 ## Cites (9) - [Piṅkala Nikaṇṭu](https://indike.org/pramana/in.vernacular.tamil.nikantu.pinkalam.848) — Piṅkalar, Tamil - [Nīlakēci](https://indike.org/pramana/in.sangam.five_minor_epics.nilakeci.1) — Tamil - [Yacōtara Kāviyam](https://indike.org/pramana/in.sangam.five_minor_epics.yasodharakaviyam.24) — Tamil - [தேவாரம்](https://indike.org/pramana/in.sampradaya.saiva.siddhanta.tirumurai.tevaram) — Tiruñāṉacampantar & Tirunāvukkaracar, Tamil - [Cūṭāmaṇi Nikaṇṭu](https://indike.org/pramana/in.vernacular.tamil.nikantu.cudamani) — Maṇṭalapuruṭar 1500, Tamil - [Maturaikkāñci](https://indike.org/pramana/in.sangam.ten_idylls.maturaikkanci) — Māṅkuṭi Marutaṉār, Tamil - [Paṭṭiṉappālai](https://indike.org/pramana/in.sangam.ten_idylls.pattinappalai) — Kaṭiyalūr Uruttiraṅkaṇṇaṉār, Tamil - [South Indian Inscriptions](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.epigraphy.south.sii) - [Cēntaṉ Tivākaram](https://indike.org/pramana/in.vernacular.tamil.nikantu.tivakaram) — Tivākarar, Tamil --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c28.s8.t8) · Pramāṇa