________________
236
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
(VOL. IX
become the name of a sub-caste among the Ambalavesi section of the Malaya!is. Then again, the word úrelan is explained variously as a trustee of an endowed temple, magistrat de la rille, or a patron or founder of a temple. I believe it is used here in the drst two meanings. The term adhikari occurs in the inscriptions of the Tamil and Malayalam countries, and is used in the sense of an officer in charge of a division, and it is in this sense the term is used in line 23 of the present record. The phrase mukkúlvattam implies, according to Dr. Gundert, & Bhagavati temple. If this be the sense in which it is employed in our inscription, then the bhattáraka set up by Umaiyammai might be taken to be Bhagavati. Bat its literal meaning,
the three-fourths of a vattam (circuit or group of villages),' and the use of the bhattáraka instead of bhattaraki preclude the possibility of its being a Bhagavati temple in the present instance. How mukkúlvaffam came to mean a Bhagavati temple is not known. The meaning of the expressions Sirrurnadai and Sirrúrnadai-ttandam is not clear. Hence they have been tentatively translated as "the custom obtaining in small towns" and "the fine levied in accordance with the custom obtaining in small towns."
The places mentioned in this inscription are :--Kollam, Tirukkalayapuram, Ayirur, Tiruchchengunrur, Idaiyamaņam, Murunnaiyûr, Manalmukku, Pupalar and Kudagôțţûr. Of these Kollam, Ayirûr and Tiruchchengugrur are the modern Quilon, Ayirûr and Chengupgûr (the head-quarters of the talaka of the same name) in North Travancore. Idaiyamanam might be identified with Edaman, a station on the Maniyachi-Quilon branch of the South Indian Railway; and Panalûr is another station on the same line. I am not able to identify the rest.
TEXT.
First Side. 1 Svasti eri [ll] Kollan=doori nůrra-nårpatto bad&m=&ndı Tulu2 ttu! Viyala-nigra Mirichchiga ayirra (Nayir=ånda] 3 Achchuvadi inna[:]Al Kollattu=P[p]ógåvin köyilu!=aya4 riya koţtilu! Tiruchchengonfür=pparudai=ppera-makkal katta5 n=guļi irundaruliy=edatta vaichcha Tirukkalaiyapuratt-Adichchan=
Umaiyammai 6 Ayarorir=piradițțai-Seyda Pattaragaraiyum pattåragarkkolla pûmiyum
Adi7 chchag-Umaiyammaikku (ni]rod-atti-kkoduttan Vép&d=udaiya Śrívallavangodai
[II") Âdich8chan Umaiyammai tâp-attirperu kondada Tiruchchengugrurappattåraga9 rkkurkkil-iday-chchirrur nadaiy=ody küda napáli=chchey[da]ri tiruva
mudi10 pakkum [o]badipáli-pparaigal irunura parai-chche[y]dn nel andu11 varai k uduppidäga=ppoluval kaiyyil nirod-atti-kkudatta! [II] Ayurar
mu12 kkal-vattamum pattárakkolla7 idaiy-idum rakshichchu koduttu raksha
pôgan=
1 [The word adhikarin is also used in the sense of 'minister;' South Ind. Intors. Vol. II. p. 92, and above Vol. VII. p. 196.-V. V.]
• According to Mr. Nagamaiys the village is called -Chengannur (Travancore Manual, Vol. III. p. 581) and there is a large and famous pagoda dedicated to the goddess Bhagavatt, in which there is celebrated annually festival lasting for 28 days.-V. V.) • From the original copper place.
• This portion is engraved uver an erasure. . Read irundaruliyay-idattu.
. Read pattdragarkkulla. 1 Read paffdragarkkulla.