Epigraphia Indica Vol 04

Author(s): E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 84

No. 7.]
DATES OF CHOLA KINGS.
3 ksha Budhavaram papname Uttare-nakshatram 80
4 magrahanad=andu ..... "On the day of an eclipse of the moon, (the day of the Uttara nakshatra a full-moon tithi, a Wednesday in the bright fortnight of the month of Phålgana in the Raudra year (which corresponded to) the Saka year 943.
" By the southern luni-solar system Raudra was Saka-Samvat 943, as & current year, and for this year the date is correct. For, in Saka-Samvat 943 current the full-moon tithi of Phålguna ended 22h. 32m. after mean sunrise of Wednesday, the lst March A.D. 1021, when there was a lunar eclipse which was visible in India, and when the moon nearly the whole day was in the nakshatra Uttara-Phalguni.!
5.- Inscription on & stone standing to the north of the Sômêsvara temple at Suttúru
in the Täyuru hộbați of the Nanjanagudi tâluka. 1 [P]arvvadêsamu[m] Ga[m]geya[m] Kadâramu[m]: konda kô=P parake[sa]riparmmara
Ana udegår 2 bri-Rajendra-Cholade(vargge] yandu 31áva[a]u [ll] Svasti [11] 3 Saka-var[sha]
9[54]nêya
Âmgira-samvatsarada 4 Kárttika-masa .. [rn]nam[i]*
tale-devasam-age
bidi5 ge Sômavåra Rohiņi-nakshatradal udeyår Sri-Rajendra-Cho6 ladêvar-gurukkaļ.....
* In the 31st year of the reign) of king Parakesarivarman, alias the lord, the glorious Rajendra-Chôļadēva, who conquered the Eastern country, the Gangå, and Kaďáram.
"Hail ! On (the day of the Rôhiņi nakshatra, a Monday, the second tithi (of the fortnight which had the full-moon tithi for its first day (?) of the month of Kårttika in the Ângira year (which corresponded to the Saka year 9[54] ...
In the tenth century of the Saka era the only year Angiras was Saka-Sarvat 954 expired, and for this year the date is correct. For in Saka-Samvat 954 expired the second tithi of the amanta Kärttika ended 7h. 26m. after mean sunrise of Monday, the 23rd October A.D. 1032, when the moon was in the nakshatra Rôhiņi for about 11h. 10m. after mean sunrise.
As this day i referred to the 31st year of the reign of Rajendra-Chola I., the first year of his reign, according to this date, should have commenced some time between the 24th October A.D. 1001 and the 23rd October A.D. 1002, both days inclusive. I cannot reconcile this result with the fact that, according to the date No. 3, Rajaraja was ruling in December A.D. 1012, nor can I say whether there are reasons to prove that the regral year (31) of the present date is incorrect.
1 This is the earliest correct date known to me, that admits of exact verification, in which the saka year quoted is * current year.
No. 1 of the Government Epigraphist's collection for the year 1895; Ep. Carn. Part I. p. 208, No. 164.Prom Mr. Venkayya's transcript.
This word is entered above the line, with a cross (hansapdda) after it. • Rend paurnami (?).
"I give this as translated by Mr. Venkayya. The words of the original must be intended to mean the second tithi after full-moon;' compare Mr. P. Sundaram Pillai's Some Early Sovereigns of Travancore, p. 66, where a 6th tithi of the bright half is described as the 5th tithi after new-noon. The mention of the nakshatra Robiņt in connection with a second tithi of the month Kárttiks is sufficient to show that the dark fortnight of the month is intended. I had in fact found the proper equivalent of the date already from the data in Mr. Rice's mutilated text, long before I saw Mr. Venkayya's transcript.