Epigraphia Indica Vol 07

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

Page 32

No. 4.]
There is another virakkal lying near the same temple (No. 102 of 1899), which records, in the Kanarese language, that a hero met with his death when Banarasa together with the Maharaja Mahavali-Banarasa attacked Nolamba, Rachamalla, Mayindaḍiya and Dadiga, and that the Kangavaḍiyan (i.e. probably the Ganga king Râchamalla) assigned land for setting up this stone' in memory of the hero. Here Bâpamahârâja, Banarasa, Mayindadiya and Dadiga correspond to Bânâdhirâja, Bânarâja, Mahêndravikrama and Daḍiya of the subjoined inscription. If Râchamalla could be identified with one of the three Ganga kings named Ráchamalla or Rajamalla, this would fix the time of king Vijaya-Narasimhavikramavarman to whose reign the subjoined inscription belongs.
THREE MEMORIAL STONES.
TEXT.3
1 K[ô] Visaiya-Narasingavikkirama[pa]ruma[rk-i*]
2 yâ[n]ḍu irubattu-nál [g]avadu Daḍiyanga
3 [u][m] Vâṇarâsarum Mayindiramikkiramarum ex[i]
4 nda tonru Kanda-Vâṇ[â]diarasar sêvagar Ś[e]
5 ligar erind[u] pattâr-adu Kannâḍagarun-gân[ga] [*] 6 idark-ali[ppa]
. pâda
7 ga
23
TRANSLATION.
In the twenty-fourth year (of the reign) of king Vijaya-Narasimhavikramavarman, Seligar, the servant of Skanda-Banadhiraja, fell, having seized (back) the cattle that had been seized by Daḍiya, Bâṇaraja and Mahendravikrama. Let the Kannadagas (i.e. the Kanarese people) look after this (stone)! [Those who ] injure it [shall incur the five great] sins.
II.
HANUMANTAPURAM STONE OF VIJAYA-ISVARAVARMAN.
The stone which bears the two subjoined records (Nos. 16 and 17 of 1900) was discovered by Mr. G. Venkoba Rao. It is set up in a field at Hanumantapuram near Pennagaram in the Dharmapuri taluka of the Salem district. Unlike other virakkals, the stone bears no sculptures of any kind.
The alphabet is Vaṭṭeluttu. The letters k, f and resemble those of the Madras Museum plates of Jatilavarman,5 while y is more nearly allied to the y of the Cochin and Tirunelli plates.6 In two cases (da of pada in 1. 3 f. and fi of Kattirai in 1. 4 of A.) the Tamil form of t or d seems to be used. The du of iyandu (1. 2 of A.) is reversed. In dai (1. 3 of A. and 1. 4 of B.) the vowel ai is drawn through the consonant d. The á of tå in pattan (1. 4 of A. and 1. 4 of B.) and the á of ka in Kattirai (1. 4 of A.) go downwards instead of upwards. The language is Tamil. The of padinellavadan (1. 2 of A. and B.) is doubled, and the samdhi is not observed in Kanaiûr (1. 3 of A.). The locative affix kan, which has been changed into kat before the following k, occurs in both inscriptions (1. 3 of A. and 1. 2 of B.).
The two inscriptions are dated in the 17th year of the reign of king Vijaya-févaravarman, who, to judge from the prefix vijaya, seems to have been one of the Ganga-Pallavas, and record the death of two heroes in the service of Kaṭṭirai. This title means 'the king of the forest' and is synonymous with Kadavan, 'the forester,' which according to Mr. V. Kanakasabhai
This seems to be the meaning of the words kal-nddu koṭṭadu, which occur also on the Doddahundi stone; see above, Vol. VI. p. 43, note 1.
See Dr. Fleet's Table, above, Vol. VI. p. 59. From an inked estampage.
The infinitive kanga is used in a similar manner in 1. 105 of the Kasakudi plates; South-Ind. Inser. Vol. II.
p. 351.
Above, Vol. III. No. 11, and Ind. Ant. Vol. XX. p. 285.
Ind. Ant. Vol. XXII. p. 67 ff.